Hi family,

Welcome to Your Family + Generational Portrait Guide

Thank you so much for choosing me to capture your family.

Whether we’re documenting your family as it is right now or bringing generations together in front of my camera, these sessions are about so much more than simply taking beautiful photos.

They’re about connection, relationships and preserving the people who make your family yours.

I know being in front of the camera can feel a little intimidating—especially when we’re coordinating kids, grandparents, siblings, spouses and sometimes an entire crew. But don’t worry. My goal is to make your session feel easy, natural and genuinely enjoyable.

I’ll guide you every step of the way.

Because truthfully…

You didn’t hire me just to take photos.

You hired me to capture your connection.

Of course, we’ll capture those beautiful “everyone looking at the camera” portraits, the ones you’ll frame, gift and pass down.

But we’ll also make room for the moments in between.

The hugs.

The laughter.

The little hands holding bigger ones.

The inside jokes between siblings.

Grandparents loving on their grandchildren.

Parents looking at the family they created.

And all those tiny interactions you may not even realize are happening.

Those are the moments that tell your family’s story.

✨ Whether your babies are still little, your teenagers are almost grown, your children have families of their own, or you’re gathering several generations together in one place, this season matters.

And one day, these photographs will matter even more.

This guide has been thoughtfully created after more than 13 years of documenting families and learning what helps a session feel effortless, what photographs beautifully and most importantly, what creates images that actually mean something years from now.

So when session day arrives, your only job is simple:

Be present. Love your people. Enjoy this season.

I’ll take care of the rest.

I can’t wait to capture this for you.

✨ FOR MY GENERATIONAL FAMILIES

When we have several generations together, there will naturally be a little more structure and I’ll take care of all of it.

We’ll begin with the photographs that require the most people and then work our way into smaller groupings.

Depending on your family, we may photograph:

The entire family • Grandparents + grandchildren • Grandparents + their children • Individual households • Siblings • Cousins • Couples • Children together • Grandparents individually • And all the little moments in between

You do not need to arrive with a shot list of every possible combination.

Before your session, I’ll learn a little about your family and any photographs that are especially important to you. From there, I’ll help keep everything moving so you can actually enjoy having everyone together. Because even with a big family, I never want your session to feel like an assembly line.

We’re creating the photographs everyone came for, but we’re also documenting what it feels like when all of your people are together.

✨ Let's Talk Wardrobe

What you wear plays a big part in the overall look and feel of your photographs, but please don’t let choosing outfits become stressful.

The goal is to look coordinated, not matched.

Instead of choosing one color and putting everyone in it, think about creating a beautiful color palette and allowing each person’s outfit to bring something a little different to it.

Start with 2–4 complementary colors and build from there.

Think:

Neutrals + earthy tones + soft color + texture

Cream, ivory, camel, warm browns, olive, sage, dusty blue, muted rose, rust, denim and other soft, natural tones tend to photograph beautifully.

From there, mix in different textures and layers, linen, knits, denim, flowy fabrics, subtle patterns, jackets, cardigans or beautiful accessories.

The goal is for everyone to look like they belong together without looking like they were dressed from the same rack.

✨ Preparing the kids

Here’s one of the biggest things I’ve learned after photographing families for more than 13 years:

The less pressure we put on kids, the better.

You don’t need to spend the drive to your session reminding them to smile, behave, listen or “be good for the photographer.” In fact, I’d rather you tell them you’re going somewhere to hang out, play and take some pictures together.

Keep it light. Keep it fun.

Make sure little ones have had something to eat before arriving and if naps are still part of their routine, do your best to protect that nap on session day.

And once we start, let me take the lead.

If your child doesn’t want to smile right away, that’s okay.

If they’re feeling shy, that’s okay.

If they need to move, explore or take a little break, that’s okay too.

Please don’t feel like you need to correct every little thing or continually ask them to look at me and smile. Sometimes the sweetest photographs happen when we stop trying so hard to create the “perfect” one.

I’ll play with them, talk to them, give them little jobs and prompts and let their personalities come through.

Your job?

Love on them. Laugh with them. Stay present.

I’ll worry about getting the photograph.

And yes we’ll still get that beautiful photo of everyone looking at the camera. 😉

But I also want to capture the version of your children that you know and love right now.

The silly.

The shy.

The wild.

The sweet.

The wonderfully them.

Because those little personalities?

That’s the good stuff.

💛 A NOTE TO THE GROWN UPS

I know how much goes into getting everyone ready for family photos.

You’ve planned the outfits, fixed the hair, packed the snacks, reminded everyone what time to leave and somehow managed to get the entire family there looking put together.

Now you get to let go.

Once your session begins, you don’t have to manage everyone.

You don’t have to make the kids smile.

You don’t have to keep reminding everyone to look at the camera.

And you definitely don’t have to apologize if things feel a little chaotic.

Let me handle it.

One of the best things you can do during your session is keep your eyes on your family instead of worrying about mine.

If your little one is running around, laugh with them.

If they bury their face in your shoulder, snuggle them.

If your teenager starts giving you a hard time, tease them right back.

If everyone starts laughing when we’re supposed to be taking the “serious” photo...

Even better.

What may feel imperfect in the moment is often exactly what makes a photograph feel like your family.

So take the pressure off yourself.

Be in the photograph.

Not just physically, but really be there.

Because years from now, no one is going to remember whether every hair was perfectly in place.

They’re going to remember the people in the photograph and how much they were loved.