Telling Stories With Photography ( Why It’s important to me)
Okay, so... I need to talk about something that absolutely lights me up about my work…. and that's storytelling photography.
Look, I get it. Posed portraits have their place. Everyone standing in a line, smiling at the camera, looking perfect. But here's the thing... that's not where the magic happens. At least not for me.
Let me tell you why storytelling matters so much in my photography:
1. You Get to See TRUE Personality (Especially with Kids)
Children are the most authentic humans on the planet when they feel free to just... be. The second you let them move, play, and forget about the camera, they completely let themselves go. That's when you see who they actually are. Not the "smile for grandma" version. The REAL version.
I've photographed so many kids who start out stiff and camera-aware, and then five minutes into letting them run around or play with their siblings, they transform. That's the kid their parents know. That's the kid I want to capture.
2. You Catch Their Quirks Before They Change
This is huge for me. Kids (and honestly, adults too) have these little quirks that are SO them right now. The way a toddler wrinkles their nose when they smile. The thumb-sucking phase. How they tilt their head when they're thinking. The specific way they hug their mom.
These things change! In a year, in five years, those little details will be different. And when you're looking back at photos later in life and you say "oh my god, you used to do that thing with your nose!" or "that was your thumb sucking phase"... you have PROFESSIONAL photos to prove it. Not just blurry phone pics. Real, beautiful images that captured exactly who they were in that moment.
3. It Catches Real Interactions
This might be my favorite part. When people interact naturally with each other, there's this... energy? Connection? I don't know exactly what to call it, but you can FEEL it in the photos.
The way a dad looks at his daughter when she's not looking. How siblings actually play together (including the bickering, because that's real too). The moment mom fixes her son's hair and he rolls his eyes but leans into it anyway. Those interactions tell the story of your relationships better than any posed portrait ever could.
4. It Doesn't Treat People Like Product Photos
I am gonna be honest... I have a hard time with photography that makes people look like they're being sold. You know what I mean? Perfectly styled, perfectly lit, no personality showing through. Just... pretty objects.
You're not a product. You're a person. You're a family. You have messy, beautiful, complicated, REAL dynamics. And that deserves to be photographed with respect and authenticity. Storytelling photography honors who you actually are instead of trying to make you fit into some Pinterest-perfect mold.
5. It Captures How You REALLY Live
Here's something I think about a lot... in 20 years, what are you gonna want to remember? That you looked perfect in a field of flowers? Or how your family actually spent time together?
I want to capture the way your kid climbs on you. How you make breakfast together on Saturday mornings. The chaos of bedtime. Your teenager's eye roll (because that's love too, in its own way). The way you hold hands. How you all pile on the couch for movie night.
THAT'S your life. That's your story. And honestly? That's what's gonna make you cry happy tears when you look back at these photos years from now.
So Why Does This Matter to Me?
I feel like my most authentic self when a camera is in my hand. And I think... I want that same authenticity for the people I photograph. I want you to feel free to be yourself. To let your kids be themselves. To let the real moments happen.
Because here's what I know after years of doing this work... the photos you treasure most aren't the ones where everyone looked perfect. They're the ones where you can feel the love, see the personality, remember exactly who you all were in that moment.
That's storytelling. That's why it matters. And that's what I'm here to capture for you.
If you've been thinking about family photos but dreading the whole "stand still and smile" thing... let's talk. Because I promise, we're gonna have way more fun than that. And you're gonna end up with photos that actually feel like YOUR family.
Want to book a storytelling session? Reach out and let's create something real together.
