Bay Area Mini Sessions

Branding, Engagements, MERGE, Portraits

Cozy Moments Mini Sessions 🌟

It may be heating up in the Bay Area, but I’m already dreaming of those crisp, cool nights where sweater weather rules and cozy movie nights are the vibe! 🍿 I’m beyond excited to kick off this year’s family mini-sessions with my favorite families!

I know it might feel early to think about family or brand photos but trust me, these sessions always book up faster than you can say “pumpkin spice latte.” That’s why I’m giving you a head start! Plus, I’ve got something extra fun planned this year (think colors!)!

Here’s the scoop

This year, I’m offering four different dates spread across September, October, and November, with a variety of locations and mini-session themes! Whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, I’ve got morning and afternoon slots to fit your busy schedule. And, because I love my email list crew, you’ll get the first chance to book before these spots disappear—because they always do, and fast!

What’s included:

  • 20-Minute Shoot
  • 20 Edited Digital Downloads (choose your faves from all the photos taken!)
  • Online Gallery for easy access, sharing, and high-quality prints
  • FREE Prep Guide to make sure you get the best photos ever

Who’s it for?

These sessions are perfect for everyone! Whether you’re a family of five, a couple in love, or an entrepreneur in need of fresh headshots, these minis are for you. Want to bring along the grandparents or even book a double session for your extended family? Let’s make it happen!

Investment

Only $300 for all of the above! (My custom portrait sessions are $650, so this is a steal!)

Don’t wait—these cozy, quick, and super affordable mini-sessions are only offered once a year, and they’re sure to go fast!

To reserve your session, just pick your date and time, and send over a $100 deposit. Let’s capture some beautiful moments together!

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Five Reasons To Take Family Photos Every Year

MERGE, Portraits

FAMILY PORTRAITS: How to prepare, How to pick outfits, and everything in between

Five Reasons To Take Family Photos Every Year

There are so many things that make it hard to think about having family portraits taken. Let’s be honest, it’s easy to say oh we’ll do it next year and then you look up and it’s been five years!  You’ve missed kids growing by feet, missing teeth and so much that you would love to see in future years.

It’s easy to make excuses NOT to make time for family photos, but here are 5 reasons that you SHOULD have professional family photos taken!

I will add a personal note:  I have four adult children and 3 grandchildren (with one on the way in December).  I WISH I took more family photos and looking back, the time is so minor compared to the lost time of missing photos and missing seeing them grow.  Having the images I did take on my walls and in albums, gives my grand-babies the opportunity to see their parents grow up and for us to see how similar my adult children looked to their babies.  One thing I can promise is that you’ll NEVER regret taking the photos! 

If you’d rather watch a video, scroll to the bottom!  Ok, let’s get to it!

1 | Create Memories

Memories tend to fade and the easiest and fastest way to remember memories is with photos.  When you see a photo, you tend to go back in time to that moment. Children change especially often, but even you as a parent age.  I always say the best time to take a photo is NOW — you will never be younger than you are today. 

Even the act of scheduling and taking yearly family photos themselves are crating memories for your family. Where you go, the laughs you have are all a memory.  Capturing these changes and growth enables us to capture a timeline of milestone ages and events.

2 | You’re Not Just Taking Them for Yourself, But for Future Generations

Capturing the holidays, the old photo albums come out and memories flood the room as relatives recount stories from their younger years. While at the time, you might not care about photos of you, your grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be overjoyed that they have pictures of you to remember you by.

My kids LOVE to look through my albums of family photos and my wedding album.  It’s a way for your kids and young adults to connect with you.

 

5 reasons you should take family photos every year
5 reasons why you should take professional family photos
FAMILY PORTRAITS: How to prepare, What to Wear, and everything in between

3 |Document Growth

Babies grow so quickly, I always encourage my families to get a Growing Baby Plan which is heavily discounted sessions for newborns, 3 months, 6 months, and one year.  They are helpful because having a new baby is a whirlwind.  Half the time you forget about all kinds of things as you are in the moment with them. 

Kids grow so fast.  Family portraits are a great way to document their growth progress, watching them change from year to year. Also, looking back on past trends and styles will be sure to provide a laugh in the years to come.

4 | You Never Know When the Last Chance for a Family Photo Will Be

I have always had former wedding photography clients contact me asking to create a piece of wall art after a loved one has passed with the photos I’ve captured for them.  The same is true for family photos.  When a loved one passes away, photos are WAY more important suddenly.

Here’s a personal story: I always photograph each family gathering and my family always complains.  I photographed Father’s day since my grandfather was 95, but I also capture the whole family.  Sadly my father passed away suddenly a few months after that and those photographs are so cherished to me.  More importantly they are super important to my adult children and their grandchildren, who never have the opportunity to meet him.

Bottom line, life is always too short and it’s unpredictable. Unfortunate things happen without warning and loved ones may pass unexpectedly. Take advantage of the time you have together now so that you won’t regret not taking those photos.

5 | High-Quality Photos to Last a Lifetime

In today’s world with shared albums on our cell phones, Instagram, Tik-Tok, and Snapchat, we don’t think about having photos taken professionally. And, we almost never print them.  I feel like this will be a lost generation with so few images printed and so many lost digital images over the last decade.

With the quality and digital size images professional photographers create, you’ll never have a problem creating large images to put on your wall, printing holiday cards, or making cool unique gifts for birthdays and holidays for loved ones. 

As a bonus to my clients, I have a professional printer attached to my online galleries, so they get a photographer’s discount on printing quality professional prints that last generations and not fade after 8 years from Walgreen, Costco, etc.

5 reasons you should make time for family photos each year

Want to get that family photo session scheduled?

Just fill out the contact form by clicking the button and let me know what you are thinking about doing.  I love fun adventurous sessions as well as photographing in the backyard when you finally have the whole family together.  Let’s make some memories!

*Portrait Sessions start at $600

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Five Reasons To Take Family Photos Every Year
Important Reasons To Take Family Photos Every Year
5 Reasons To Take Family Photos Every Year
Important Reasons To Take Family Photos Every Year

6 Tips to Excellent Family Photos

MERGE, Portraits

I know!  It’s tough to think about taking or scheduling family photos with a photographer.  You have to

  • deal with husbands not being very excited (or even reluctant)
  • think about what you are going to wear and what the rest of the family will wear
  • or even try to lose those extra 10lbs (if you are anything like me).

Here are some tips that will help:

  1. What to Wear

Pick an outfit that you LOVE and feel you look your best in.  Choose colors that coordinate (not matchy matchy) with yours.  An example is you have a shirt with blue and yellow on it.  You can have your husband wear blue and your son wear blue or yellow and the same with your daughter.  2-3 colors is key.  Also, think about your home where you will hang your portrait.  If your home is browns and beiges or earth tones and you choose to wear pastel colors, it may not look the best on your wall.  Think about layers and accessories like sweaters, scarves, headbands, hats, etc, as they can add a modern twist and sassy flair to your images.

  1. Sleep and Eat

Sounds simple but it’s true.  Everyone (and I mean everyone) looks better in photographs if they got a full night’s sleep.  Additionally, if kids or especially husbands are hungry, you won’t get a lot of cooperation or happy images.  It’s a lot to schedule and arrange for portraits, make sure that everyone has slept and is full.  Also think about bringing some snacks that won’t mess up clothes.  Examples would be crackers or those orange fishes.  If you have a sucker or candy, it can not only get on the kids clothing, but sugar is the enemy for good portraits.

  1. Pretend the photo shoot is ½ earlier

All the rushing around that takes place prior to leaving the home is crazy.  Moms always make sure that kids and husbands are ready and help with that.  Then, they think oh, I don’t have time to do my hair (pony tail time).  If you tell your family and plan for the photo shoot to be ½ hour earlier, you’ll be on time and calm.  I like to encourage mothers to have their hair and makeup professionally done.  This will prepare mom for her pictures and when mom is feeling pretty and confident, this will reflect on the rest of the family as well.

  1. Help for Dads/Husbands/Significant Others

I know that many dads dread the family photo session, so I often suggest that moms let dads know that this is a gift that will make you happy.  Perhaps suggest that if he goes with the flow for this, you will not complain about the football/baseball/basketball he watches every weekend — or insert whatever is his special “unwind” time.  For my husband it’s fishing.  I always say he can have a whole day of fishing with no complaining from me, if I get one little photograph.  It works like a charm!

  1. No “cheese” Please

So often I find parents urgently telling their kids to smile by saying, “say cheese” or getting frustrated.  This almost always results in stiff, fake smiles.   Don’t stress the kids or yourself out, just let your photographer handle it — that is our job.   Simply step back, relax, and allow the photographer to naturally interact and talk with your children.  This will result in natural, gorgeous smiles.

  1. Have fun

Pretend the camera isn’t even there.  Just interact with your family by picking up your children and tossing them in the air or whispering to your husband how much you love him and appreciate him for being there for your family.  Have fun, laugh, joke, kiss, giggle, embrace, snuggle, and play.  Doing these things will allow the photographer to capture the emotion and true beauty of your family.  This will result in beautifully natural photographs that you will treasure for generations to come.

Download a PDF by 6 Tips to Excellent Family Photos