When I work with clients, I pride myself on my patience and understanding. If your baby isn't having any of it and your toddler is throwing a fit - when you see me laugh and say "Really, it's ok, I understand, let's take a break" My laughter is genuine & I REALLY mean what I said.

I know how to coax a smile out of your shy kiddo, and how to make it a little less miserable for your partner. But when it’s my own family? All of those tools go out the window. My kids find things to complain about, my husband usually doesn't want to be there (although over the years HE is the one who has gotten the most cooperative!), and even when I plan things perfectly it all tends to fall apart.

I have all the patience in the world for my clients, especially for those who are nervous, shy, or embarrassed in front of the camera. But when my own family starts to fidget, argue, or just flat-out refuse to cooperate, my patience evaporates in seconds. Admittedly, I often end up yelling at some point or another which always makes me feel guilty once it's all said and done. When my kids look back on our yearly family picture day I don't want them to remember how stressed mom was, I want them to laugh about all of the things they remember happening on those days - like the year my husband hated his purple sweater & some young boys riding bikes rode past us and made a comment on 'that guy's purple sweater" and he said to me "SEE!" 

My client shoots are predictable. I’ve planned every detail: lighting, locations, props, poses. With my family? It’s like trying to herd cats. Someone’s always running late, someone can't find shoes, someone else hates the clothes I picked out, and I’m just hoping the dogs behave just this once so everyone can be less stressed.

When I photograph my clients, I’m focused on capturing their vision. But when it’s my own family, I know my expectations are higher & there’s so much emotional weight attached to me getting just that one perfect family image. I can be a little Type A in the perfectionism category & when I have planned the perfect wardrobe and I have the perfect location or backdrop I find it very hard to deviate from my vision and I especially hate it if my plan is questioned.

One of the hardest parts of being the photographer in my family is that I’m rarely in the photos myself. I think that is why family picture day is that much more important to me. I have not missed a single year in all of the 23 years that I have been a mother. Each year I think to myself "This could be the last one you know...."     Okay, stop it.....before I start to cry.....

Despite all the stress, the frustration, and the chaos, I know that these are the memories that matter most. The final images that mark our family's yearly growth. And while my family may never really look forward to another photoshoot, I know that in the end, it’s all worth it. 

Photographing my family is a different kind of challenge — a challenge that I thought would get easier the older the kids got but in reality the challenges just get different. If you're a photographer with a family, I’d love to hear about your experiences. And do my clients dread their family photo shoots as much as I do? I always hope that you don't and if you do I truly hope that you believe me when I tell you this -- I don't feel a single ounce of stress when I am with your family, just my own LOL

So here it is ---- 2024 family picture day ---- it started off with one child claiming they were not reminded that today was family picture day & they would NEVER have time to do their hair. Another child, not so secretly, hated the shirt I chose for them and was badgering me about what shoes to wear as we were headed out the door when I didn't even know what shoes I was going to wear yet.

Everyone got into cars while I gathered dog leashes and collars and all of the other things only moms remember. Then as I was trying to get into the car one of the anxious and frazzled dogs knocked the contents of my entire purse onto the garage floor scattering things everywhere. Here is where this mom lost her patience and yelled the first time.

We then rode in silence to the studio ---- we were doing studio photos because per usual I was booked up all Summer & Fall and could not find a single date when my entire family was available during golden hour for outdoor photos ---  upon arriving at the studio I reached into my purse, where my keys never leave, and found no keys to even get into the building much less my studio door (it was 'after hours'). Here is where this mom basically lost her mind and I am not proud of it.

My sweet friend who had arrived right on time to help be my camera woman drove me back to my house to find my keys.....probably in an attempt to separate me from my family for a well-deserved time-out LOL I found my keys in MY CAR cup holder (which is another story). Drove back to the studio & my mind was still a little frazzled - lost the dog's hair bows, found the dog hairbows, gave my sweet friend a quick camera lesson, and away we went. I will admit that things went pretty seamlessly after all of that.

I only strive for one 'perfect' family photo --- my family would never do a full session like my clients get! I get a family pose, my husband & I together, a kids/dog pose, a single kid each and the dogs together, that's all they have patience for and that is all that my heart even needs ❤