The Experience

Family photos made fun!

A photo session with me isn't like a typical family photo experience. Designed to get you outside, break you out of your shells, and start playing and enjoying yourselves, I aim to capture genuine connection, personalities, and smiles.

See some examples

01. Pick me!


Once you've chosen me to photograph your family (yay!), I will direct you to my website to set your appointment and pay the deposit if you haven't done that yet.

02. Session Selection

I will then send you a quote where you can select which session you want and can pre-select a print package if you'd like. Once you make your selections, an invoice will automatically be created. Let me know if you need a payment plan worked up! That is always an option.

03. Legal stuff


A contract will be sent to your email for you to sign electronically. It's a simple contract, written up in a way to protect all parties.

04. Location


I'll send you a questionnaire to complete to tell me about your family and your hopes and expectations from our time together. We'll chat over the phone, text, or email as well to set a location.

05. Photo time


After our adventure, I take about 2-3 weeks to curate and edit your images. Once they're ready, you will receive an email with a link to your online gallery and a PIN to download your photos.

06. Enjoy!


Download your photos and schedule an ordering session to purchase prints - or do it yourself right from the gallery! You will receive a coupon code if you pre-purchased anything.

John Cohn TEDTalk: Do try this at home

John Cohn TEDTalk: Do try this at home

What motivates you to play?

Resources & Guides

FAQ

How much can I expect to spend?

Families usually spend about $1,000, which includes the session, digital photos, and prints. However, there are a variety of options- including payment plans - to meet your specific needs. I strive to be completely transparent and honest so there won't be any unexpected surprises.

What session should I choose?

Sessions run from 1/2 hour to 3 hours, so it really depends on what you're looking for.

The families who want the outdoor adventure, lifestyle type of experience that is my specialty (and by far the most popular choice) is almost always two hours. Believe it or not, one hour just isn't enough time when everyone is having fun!

The 3 hour session is best for events or much longer adventures, like small weddings or long hikes.

If you're looking for a more traditional family photo experience, I recommend the one hour session, which is ideal for a smaller location such as a particular area in a park or in-home photos.

The half hour session is best for families who have a smaller time or dollar budget. It is ideal for a single location within a park, and is a quick and easy option for things like holiday photos.

Can you do "regular" family photos?

I definitely can! I love photographing newborns and families in their homes as well. The same fees apply in most cases, but please contact me for details for your specific needs.

What forms of payment do you accept?

I currently accept payments through my website, which is powered by Pixieset - a reputable and popular service for photographers and their clients. Pixieset utilizes Stripe and PayPal for their payment processing, and I also accept Venmo, CashApp, or cash.
The only exception is the non-refundable deposit, which is paid through Square at the time of booking.

What can I expect from a booking with you?

Photo sessions with me are more like going for an outdoor adventure with a friend or a naturalist. The photos I take capture the natural moments of interaction, curiosity, excitement, and joy (but also the other real moments like a tired toddler or an angsty teen). We'll also get a few posed photos of the whole family because those are also very special to have.

We will simply explore an area that maybe you didn't know existed, talk about what we find, and - most importantly - have fun!

After the shoot, I process all the images and curate the best of the best. After some adjustments for lighting/color, I send you proofs (small, watermarked images) that you can use to choose your favorites. If you opt for an in-person ordering session (which is completely free!), I will come to you in-person or via Zoom and help you build a print package. If you opt for a DIY experience, you will receive all the images in an online gallery, where you can build your own package.

After that, the fun part of downloading, ordering, and sharing your favorite images officially begins!

Where will we go and what should we wear?

Check out my blog for a list of local parks that I love to go to. If you have a favorite place, let me know! I am totally willing to travel if you have a further destination in mind, but extra fees may apply in that case.

First and foremost, you should dress for the weather! Choose practical clothing that protects you from the elements. I've found that vibrant colors are almost always the best to be photographed in (especially reds)!

I also offer styling assistance through Style & Select. If you are interested in that, let me know!

Do you sell prints?

Yes! I consider my photos to be art worthy of displaying and passing on through generations, and I hope you do too! While the digital photos you receive come with a print release, I only guarantee prints ordered through me.

What are in-person sales sessions?

This is a new service I decided to offer starting in 2021, and I offer them in-person or over Zoom.

How many times have you gotten photos done taken, put them on your computer, and then barely looked at them again? Maybe shared a couple on social media? (Been there!)

I offer in-person sales sessions to help alleviate any guilt or procrastination in choosing what you'd like to do with your favorite photos. Choosing the photos you want to order and what kind of package or item you'd like can be daunting, and many people (myself included!) tend to put it on the backburner and never get around to making the order. This way, I can help you through the process, explain what I have available, and you can get that part over and done with and get on to enjoying your photos!

Plus, we get to share the excitement of looking through the photos, reminiscing about our adventures, and you can see what different products look like in real life before you buy.

As always, my goal is to be transparent and honest, and I will never try to sell you anything you don't love.