Full disclosure: these two are my grandbabies — so yes, I can personally confirm we arrived on round four of "Wheels on the Bus," and down one sandal somewhere on Adams Avenue. There was a very serious negotiation over a stick, followed by a firmly held position on a feather. By minute ten, even their Gigi had been forgotten behind the camera — which is exactly what's supposed to happen. The piggyback one hangs in their hallway now.

One afternoon, start to finish

Where — my tucked-away Talmadge studio, the beach, a park, or your house and backyard
Who — lap babies to teenagers under protest · parents, grandparents & dogs encouraged
How Long — about half an hour, just long enough for real attention spans
You Get — what-to-wear guide, polished gallery, simple ordering of framed, delivered prints
Investment — sessions begin at $475

The Details

"What if my kids won't cooperate?"
 I taught elementary school — wiggly, shy, silly, and stubborn are all old friends of mine. Kids don't need to perform for these photos. There's no 'sit still and smile' here; we play, we wander, and the real ones happen on their own.

"What do we wear?"
My style guide arrives the week we book, links included. One rule: don't over-match. You're a family, not a barbershop quartet.

"What if I don't love being in photos."
 You're in good company — I hear it at almost every session, usually about hair, weight, or 'just not being photogenic.' But here's what sixteen years of galleries have taught me: the parents who got in the frame anyway have never once regretted it. The ones who stayed behind the camera always do. You're not just watching them grow up — you're growing right alongside them, and that belongs in the record too. Come as you are. Twenty years from now, 'there's mom and dad' will be the best picture in the house.

Before You Ask —

"Our three-year-old refused to wear shoes and our seven-year-old refused to smile, and somehow the gallery looks like a magazine about a family much calmer than ours." 

— Erin, Kensington