"I’m just not photogenic.”
“I have no idea how to pose.”
“I’m going to be so awkward.”
“What am I supposed to do with my hands?!”
If you’ve ever said any of these things before a photo session, I need you to know something:
I’m here to prove you wrong. 🤍
Not because I’m going to magically turn you into someone you’re not. And definitely not because I expect you to walk into your session knowing how to model.
Actually, I don’t want that at all.
I want YOU.
Your real laugh. Your personality. The way you naturally interact with the people you love. The little quirks you probably don’t even realize you have.
Because those are the things that make photographs feel like you.
First Things First: You Don’t Need to Know How to Pose
Seriously.
That’s my job.
You don’t need to spend the night before your session practicing poses in the mirror or saving 47 different Pinterest photos because you’re worried you won’t know what to do.
When you show up, I’ll guide you.
I’ll tell you where to put your hands. I’ll help you find the angles that photograph beautifully. I’ll give you prompts. We’ll move around. We’ll laugh. And if something feels awkward?
We’ll laugh about that too!
There’s no test you have to pass before you’re allowed to have beautiful photographs.
You just have to show up.
“Okay… But I’m REALLY Awkward.”
You know how many people tell me this?
Almost. Every. Client.
And then I’ll show them the back of my camera and hear:
“WAIT. THAT’S ME?!”
Yep. That’s you.
ALL of you. 🥹
Here’s the thing: most people aren’t actually awkward in front of the camera.
They’re nervous in front of the camera.
There’s a difference.
Having someone point a giant camera at your face while you’re wondering whether you’re standing correctly isn’t exactly something most of us do every Tuesday afternoon.
Of course it can feel strange at first!
That’s why one of the most important parts of my job happens before I ever press the shutter.
I want you to feel comfortable with me.
We’ll talk. We’ll joke around. We’ll walk. I’ll give you things to do instead of constantly telling you to “Smile!”
And little by little, something happens.
Your shoulders come down.
You stop thinking about your hands.
The nervous smile turns into your actual smile.
And eventually, you forget about me for a second.
That’s usually when I get some of my favorite photographs.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE
Here’s a little secret:
Some of the photographs you see on my page that look completely effortless?
There was probably A LOT happening behind-the-scenes.
I might have told them to walk toward me.
Bump hips.
Whisper something ridiculous.
Look at each other instead of looking at me.
Pull each other closer.
Dance.
Run with the kids.
Fix his collar.
Rest your head on her shoulder.
And somewhere in the middle of all that movement…
there it is.
THAT ONE PERFECT PHOTO.
That tiny moment where you’re not thinking about how you look anymore.
You’re just there.
That’s what I’m watching for.
Of course we’ll get those beautiful photographs where everyone is looking at the camera. Grandma needs one for the frame, okay?! *insert laughter here*
But I’m also looking for everything happening in between.
The way he looks at you when you’re laughing...
The way your little one reaches for your hand...
The way your fiancé instinctively pulls you closer...
The nose scrunch.
That belly laugh.
The quiet moment.
The chaos.
The love.
Those are the things I want you to remember.
And parents...
LET THOSE KIDS BE KIDS
This deserves its own little conversation.
If you’re booking family photos and you’re already thinking:
“My kids are NEVER going to cooperate.”
Hi. Welcome. 👋🏻
Please don’t spend your entire session worrying about whether your children are perfectly smiling at my camera.
I promise you, I don’t need perfect.
If they want to make a silly face, let them make the silly face.
If they want to give me a peace sign, I’m taking the picture. ✌🏻
If they need to run around for a minute, we’ll work with it.
If your toddler decides that a random stick on the ground is suddenly the most fascinating object they’ve ever encountered…
Honestly, we might photograph that too.
Your children are only this little once.
Someday you’re going to miss the silly faces.
You’re going to miss those tiny hands.
You’re going to miss the way they couldn’t sit still.
You’re going to miss the personality they had in this exact season.
So yes, we’ll try for the beautiful family portrait.
But we’re also going to let your babies be themselves.
Because twenty years from now, that photograph where everybody is laughing because one of the kids did something completely ridiculous might be the one you love the most.
PLEASE DON'T WAIT UNTIL YOU FEEL "PHOTOGENIC ENOUGH"
This one hits really close to my heart.
“I’ll book photos when I lose a little weight.”
“Maybe after I get my hair done.”
“I just don’t love the way I look right now.”
I understand.
But life is happening right now.
Your babies are growing right now.
You’re building a life with the person you love right now.
You’re engaged right now.
You’re pregnant right now.
Your family looks exactly like this right now.
And this version of your life deserves to exist in photographs too.
I know lighting.
I know angles.
I know posing.
I know how to guide you in ways that are flattering without making you look stiff or turning you into someone you don’t recognize.
But more than anything, I want to photograph you in a way that makes you look at your gallery and say:
“That’s us.”
Not perfect.
Not overly posed.
Not pretending.
Just beautifully, genuinely you.
*YOUR ONLY JOB IS TO BE PRESENT*
I’ll worry about the camera.
I’ll worry about the light.
I’ll worry about the posing.
And I’ll even worry about your hands.
You?
Just be there.
Hold your babies.
Love on your person.
Laugh when something is funny.
Snuggle a little closer.
Let your hair blow in the wind.
Dance even if you have absolutely no rhythm.
Kiss your fiancé.
Make the silly face.
Give me the peace sign.
And trust that I’m watching for the beautiful moments happening in between all of it.
Because photography isn’t about proving that your life is perfect.
It’s about remembering what your life felt like.
So the next time you catch yourself saying…
“I’m not photogenic.”
“I’m too awkward.”
“I don’t know how to pose.”
Good.
Come exactly like that.
You bring yourself.
I’ll bring the camera.
And together, we’ll make something that feels like you.
Because you were never required to know how to pose.
You were never required to be a model.
And you certainly weren’t required to be perfect.
You just needed a photographer who could help you forget about the camera long enough to simply be.
And if you’re still convinced you’re awkward in photographs?
Well…
I’m here to prove you wrong. 🤍
