Maria had just moved to the Atlanta area from Connecticut, and the first thing she looked for was a family photographer to work with over the next few years here in Atlanta. She said "Forget the pediatrician, dentist, whatever...finding my photographer was number one on my priority list!" I had to laugh because so many of my clients feel the exact same way. It's such a big decision to choose someone to work with to document your family as they are in a way that you love.

I sent over the style guide to Maria which she found very helpful in pulling together a cohesive look for their family in terms of color and pattern mixing. I always want families to dress in a way that reflects who they truly are and to be comfortable. If you wouldn't normally wear heels, don't wear them for a session! There is nothing wrong with wearing a pair of Chuck Taylors if that's what you always wear. I promise!

When they arrived at their session, I met their 15 month old son who was absolutely adorable... and very much a 15 month old in every way. 15 month olds love to run and explore, and don't like to be told what to do. This is when I hang back and and give mom and dad guided direction for playful fun, and basically shoot like a maniac. The thing about 15 month olds is that you don't know how long they're going to give you. It could be 15 minutes, it could be 40. In this case, it was 15 minutes before he was completely over it and threw himself on the ground. I could see that Maria was worried about whether we'd been able to accomplish family images, and I completely understood. As a mom, you put so much time and effort into preparing for a family session and know that there's only so much that you can ultimately control. I reassured her that I felt I had more than enough images for her to choose from, and that she'd have her gallery by the end of the week.

When I sent Maria her gallery, she emailed back and told me that she was incredibly impressed by how much I was able to photograph in the 15 minutes that we had, and that she was so glad she had found me. She chose her favorite images, and had them the following week to use for her holiday card and family gifts.

Enjoy a few of my favorite images from this fun (and short!) family session!

Side by side images, of a mother and father, in a park, with the their toddler son on his dad's shoulders.

Image of a mother and father, holding their 15 month old son between them while standing in a park.

Image collage of a father playing with his 15 month old son in his arms.

Image of a father and mother, wearing jeans, and sitting in park, while their son plays with a stick on his father's lap.

Side by side images of a father and Asian mother, walking with their 15 month old son between them and swinging him up in the arm.

Image of a blond hair, blue-eyed,  15 month old, baby, boy, smiling, and wearing a blue wool jacket.

Image of an Asian mother, wearing a tan jacket and jeans, standing in a park and holding her blond haired, baby boy in her arms and kissing him.

Side by side images of a father holding his 15 moth old baby, boy, in his arms while his Asian mother interacts with him.

Image of a father, wearing a blue and white checkered button down, holding his 15 month old son on his shoulders, while his son leans down to kiss his cheek.

Image of a father, holding up his smiling, blond, 15 month old son in the air, as his mother looks on and smiles.

Image of a 15 month old baby, boy, in jeans, a wool jacket and sneakers, running away.

Image of a mother and father facing each other and smiling, while their 15 month old son, sits on his father's shoulders and looks at the camera.

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!