I know it sounds crazy. Maybe you've done photo sessions before and you know from firsthand experience how fried your kids are towards the end of just one hour – but this is something completely different.

The documentary approach of my Storybook Sessions completely removes the pressure to perform from your little ones. We're not constantly trying to get their attention, giving them directions, or expecting them to behave. Instead, I’m simply observing and honoring the significance of what takes place in your home—your values, your routines, your connection.

I need you to trust me when I say children THRIVE during these sessions! They're free to just be themselves, and they absolutely LOVE showing off all of their favorite things in the familiarity of their own home. It's a truly relaxed, go-with-the-flow time of FUN and spontaneous moments. Unlike anything you've ever done before! 

First and foremost – put away your phones (unless you're pulling up music for a dance party). Just think of it like a one-day family vacation, packed full of all your favorite things to do together. Key word: TOGETHER. This is ALL about quality time.

Draft up a "family fun" menu in your mind, with all sorts of options available to pull from. For example: baking, playing games or doing puzzles, taking care of chores, snuggling before naptime, running through a sprinkler, reading books, going on a neighborhood walk, playing with grandparents... the options are endless! Anything you and your kiddos genuinely enjoy doing together during this season you're in right now.

And if your day includes tantrums, messes, or quiet moments? Those are part of your story too. I can help guide the flow if needed, but truly the heart behind these sessions is to reveal the joy, warmth, and unassuming beauty hiding in what might otherwise seem like “just another day.” 

Nonsense. Your home is the home of your littles ones' childhood. It’s not supposed to look like a magazine cover. The laundry pile(s), the toys scattered around the floor, the crumbs on the counter... this is all evidence of the greatest gift you've ever been blessed with: your children. Your home, just the way it is, is the backdrop of your children’s most formative memories. One day they'll be all grown up, and this will be the home they fondly remember – and you will miss the sticky little finger prints on the mirrors and windows. 

When they look back at these photos as adults and share them with their own children, they won’t care that the pillows weren’t fluffed or the dishes weren’t done. They'll remember how it felt to be wrapped in that blanket with you, or how the kitchen would smell when mom's banana bread was cooking, or how funny it was when their childhood dog got the zoomies with them.

Photos taken in a rented studio or styled location look pretty, and there is a time and place for that approach. But hear me out: they don't hold the same depth of meaning. Storybook Sessions aren't about showing off or looking perfect. They're about holding on to these years that are quite literally slipping through our fingers. So no, you don’t need to tidy up or finish that last, lingering house project (there will ALWAYS be another one). You just need to show up as you are, be fully present, and let the beauty of your real life rise to the surface. 

Honestly? You don't have to! Lucky for you I'm an extroverted introvert, so I am more than happy to just hang out in the background, quietly observe, or goof off with the kids. You’re absolutely not expected to entertain me or keep the conversation going. Time and time again, clients praise what a calming presence I am and how comfortable I make them feel. I will not be offended if you're on the shy side! And really, I want you to pay more attention to your kids than me anyway. Just pretend I'm not even there!