I’ve been photographing families for over 16 years now, and trust me, I’ve heard every kind of compliment you can imagine. Parents saying they love the colors or how I made them look less tired than they felt. People get excited about the lighting or the outfits or that one shot where everyone’s actually looking in the same direction. Honestly, though? Out of all the kind words that have ever been tossed my way, there’s one thing a parent can say that will stick with forever.
And here’s the thing: it had nothing to do with the technical side of things. Not the lighting, not the backdrop, not the way I pose people so they don’t look like mannequins. None of it. It’s when a parent tells me, “You captured my kid’s real personality, not just a pose.” That’s it. Ten simple words, but man, they hit me right.
I’m not even kidding, I could’ve cried right there. Those words meant I was creating something that truly mattered to them. It’s what every parent wants and I was able to provide that. You don’t want someone coming in, plopping your kid on a stool, and telling them to “say cheese” until their face hurts. No one’s hanging up those awkward, forced smiles in the living room. You want someone who actually notices your kid. The way they scrunch their nose when they’re proud of themselves, or the way they grip your hand with just their pinky when they’re nervous. The little things. The stuff you’re terrified you’ll forget when they’ve outgrown your lap and suddenly you’re Googling, “How to talk to teenagers who grunt.”
That one sentence, the parent saying I caught who their child really is, makes every single stressful day worth it. Every tantrum, every bribe for just one more photo, every time I’ve crawled around on the floor making weird faces just to get a real laugh. It means I actually did what I set out to do: Not just take a picture, but truly capture their personality.
That’s why I never rush through sessions. I take my time. I talk. I let kids warm up, let them show me who they are. I’ll wait for the silly, the shy, the wild, all of it. Your child’s never going to be forced to smile on command. I don’t care much for the idea of fake, proper posing, completely opposite the reality of your child’s personality.
It may have been over 16 years now but I still get just as excited seeing families hang my photos on the wall or send them to relatives. It truly never fails to make my heart explode when I hear, “You saw them the way I do.” That’s the best compliment of all time
