This is the most common question I get. Social media can be deceiving, and it may look like all of my client's children are angels who sit and smile but the truth is, 95% of kids don't want to sit still and are incapable of smiling naturally on demand. To get the emotive, joyful and natural photos I strive for, I actually DON'T want kids who are sitting and saying cheese - I want kids who are giggly, a little naughty, and rambunctious - we will use that energy to snuggle, tickle, play games, and all sorts of other prompts that I will setup that will capture their real joy while still photographing your kids (and you!) in a flattering light. I work with kids EVERY DAY, and have strategies to work with just about anything they throw at me. Also, it helps that I'm not their mom - kids always cooperate more for strangers than their own parents. The only kids I struggle to photograph are my own!

Sunset really is necessary to achieve the soft golden light that really makes outdoor professional photos amazing. BUT, as a mom I totally understand that dreamy light is useless if your kids are all sobbing. With that said, most kids really can hang past bedtime - they have so much fun at our sessions and are so distracted that the meltdowns don't hit until we're done. However, if you aren't comfortable pushing it - I trust you, as you know your kids best. For an earlier session time, I recommend considering a fall shoot - at this time of year the sun sets very early, which is great for early bedtimes. Or, we can use a location that has shade to avoid harsh sun - I can recommend spots that work well for this. Either way, we definitely want to avoid mid-day and unfortunately the beach provides no shade, so isn't a good choice for anything outside of sunset.

For the studio - one of the biggest benefits is that the time of day doesn’t matter! I actually love the studio light best in the morning, and always recommend scheduling around your kids’ happiest times of day and naps.

This isn't a question, but I had to include it because I hear it so often. And I totally get it. But hear me out. Your kids will only be this little once. I see so many families miss out on milestones because of their own insecurities about their appearance. And I have been there - trust me! Even if you are carrying a few extra pounds and feeling self-conscious about your appearance, please trust in the power of wearing the right dress, professional hair and makeup, and being posed by a professional - you will be amazed at the difference. Don't wait for the perfect time to book photos, because chances are the perfect time will never come.

It is NOT required, but always recommended - it's a great way to make the day special for yourself and to feel and look your best!

To ensure I can give my clients the highest level of energy and customer service, I do take on a limited amount of clients per month. Weekend slots and very popular months (October!) sell out months in advance, so I do recommend booking as early as possible, especially if you need a weekend slot. I always try to work people in last minute when I can, but availability will be more limited.

I base my sessions more off of capturing a certain number of images and poses than working for a set time limit. This allows me to not keep families longer than needed if we we got what we came for more quickly, but also to give families who need it more time to capture amazing images even if we get off to a rocky start. Every family, child and baby are different, and we let them control the pace! Depending on the location and family, you can expect a family session to typically last between 45 - 70 minutes.

You will receive unedited proofs within one - two weeks to select your images from. Once your proofs are selected, you will have your edited images back you within three weeks. While my contract states three weeks for editing to allow for busy season, illness, and travel, I am typically ahead of schedule and deliver galleries sooner.

If you wake up on your session day to illness in your family, I do ask that you reach out and let me know so that we can reschedule. Not only do I not want to be exposed to illness myself, but it absolutely will impact the quality of your photos if your children are not feeling well.

If there is a threat of rain for your session date, I typically wait until the night before or morning of to make a decision based on the hourly forecast. We will decide if you’d prefer to move the session indoors or reschedule.