“I know what it feels like to comfort her, but I never really knew what it looked like.”

Let’s play a game.

I say “professional family photos” and you describe what you see in your head.

Ready. Go.

Professional family photos.

⏱️

What’d you come up with?

I’m guessing there’s some version of a family standing or sitting together, looking at the camera.
Everyone is smiling, whether it’s an authentic smile or a forced one.

Am I right?

But what if there could be. . .more?

What if family photography could show not just what you look like, but who you are?

Family life is not smiles all the time. I know. I’m living it.

Sometimes it’s tears and anger. Sometimes it’s comfort and soothing.

What if we could have professional family photos that showed ALL the parts of our humanity and what it’s like to live and grow together?
To honor all parts, not just the ones that depict us living a one-dimensional easy-breezy Covergirl life.

We all have kids who lose it. We all work hard to comfort them. And that’s the beauty in the experience. Parenthood and childhood are HARD.
Going through the hard makes the joy even more glorious.

So, when big sister Leah had big feelings seeing Emma playing with her slime kit, she let it be known. And I kept making pictures.

With empathy and compassion (And patience. Let’s not forget patience.), Ashley soothed her daughter. And I kept making pictures.

The photos weren’t to call out “bad behavior” or laugh at a child going through a difficult time.
They were to say these feelings are you. This giving and receiving of love is you. This is an affirmation on how you choose to live.
It’s utterly human and stunningly beautiful.

“I love that photo. I really do. That’s the majority of parenting, right? Comforting. Holding space. I didn’t know how those were going to turn out. I thought, ‘This will be. . .this will be new.’ . .I know what it feels like to comfort her like that, but I never really knew what it looked like. It’s part of being a mom.”

And Ashley thanked me for making those pictures.

Of course, this scene was only a small slice of their family documentary session.
There were plenty of smiles, giggles and expressions of utter concentration throughout the day.