Fine Art School Portraits for discerning seattle parents

Remember that awkward photographer guy who would make you put your knees together and at an angel and then call his assistant over to comb your hair with the comb (ew, why were we all sharing a comb?) and tilt your chin at an angel and squeak a puppet at you while snapping your picture? By the time I got to high school I started figuring out ways to miss picture day. Those awkward encounters plus a stiff photograph in front of a watercolor backdrop that had been in use for 30 years have NEVER been my cup of tea.

That is why last year I started offering my own school photography services in the Seattle area! Yes! As a mom, I have sheepishly skipped ordering Ru’s photos two years in a row. One year there were costumes ( WHY? why was my child dressed up like Oliver begging for more gruel?), the next year he just looks like he would rather be anywhere else. We need better options for school portraits! So, in my humble opinion, I

FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY DOES NOT NEED TO BE SEASONAL

All around the country, and especially in the PNW, family photography sessions slow way down following the holidays. Babies keep being born, couples get engaged, and bellies swell and so family photography doesn’t completely stop in Seattle, but most photos that are not time sensitive are pushed back until summer or fall. I continue my fine art school photography, work on the back end of my business and wait for busy season. But is this truly necessary? I don’t think so. There are a few factors that tend to make family photos so seasonal and I would love to address them!

WHY MOMS NEED TO GET IN THE PICTURE...AND WHY IT IS SO HARD

The Struggle to Get in Front of the camera

When Rufus was almost a year old I scheduled family photos to be taken with the ever lovely Lora Grady. I ended up postponing those pictures for a week. One week turned into two, turned into three. Suddenly it was a month later and I still didn’t feel ready. I was waiting to lose weight, see if my thin hair would thicken back up, have the perfect outfit. I was waiting for a magic day when I would feel great about myself. I am lucky my photographer was also by bff, and she gently encouraged me (ie forced) me into photos. I haven’t looked back since.

Self Portraits + My History with Depression and Eating Disorders | Seattle Portrait Photographer

Sometimes I feel so much joy and beauty, that my heart breaks thinking of losing it. Sometimes I am faced with so much nameless fear that I can’t move. I took photos while I was going through this pattern I know so intimately this summer (2019).

A few weeks after I turned 25, I found myself sitting in a hotel lobby outside of Philadelphia with my parents, panic filling my esophagus with acid, watching the Oscars with the other guests and feeling the most surreal I had ever felt. The next day I would check into an inpatient treatment facility for girls and women with eating disorders and all of the other mental illnesses and burdens that accompany them.

Checking In: Changes and Improvements at CMP

First Things First

I heard about Courtney on a podcast. I always have a podcast on. Doing dishes? Check. Driving without Rufus? Check. Going for a walk? Check. It is not surprising then, that a podcast led me to one of the best discoveries I have made for my business. Her story and drive to help creatives really understand how to build a sustainable business resonated with me and I reached out to her that night.

My New Mother Terror and A Seattle In-home Newborn Session

memories from those first weeks

The light is always on.

Rolling over, I push my cheek to your open mouth. I wait to feel your breath.
When that gentle exhale of milky air reaches my face
I savor a moment of relief.
The moment is a mere firefly of hope. It sparks and alights the night, it fades just as quickly.