I have a family that has been coming to me since the very beginning. And I mean the very beginning. Twin girls, fresh and tiny, just days old. That first session was full of the kind of magic that only newborns can bring, two little humans brand new to the world, curled up and perfect.
That was years ago. Last month, the same family came back. The reason? The girls got kittens.
I love everything about that.
This is exactly why family photos are important. Not just for the milestone moments, but for the ordinary ones that turn out to be anything but ordinary. A first pet is a big deal in the life of a child. Those kittens are going to be part of their story. And now that moment is documented forever.
Why Family Photos Are Important
A Story About Twins, Kittens, and Growing Up Too Fast
Your Kids Are Changing Faster Than You Think
It is one of those things every parent knows is true but still manages to be caught off guard by. You look at your child one morning and suddenly they are different. The baby roundness is gone. The lisp has disappeared. They stopped reaching for your hand in parking lots.
Photographing your kids every year creates a visual record of all the versions of them that exist along the way. The chubby toddler and the gap-toothed kindergartner and the kid who just got their first pet and cannot stop smiling about it. Each version deserves to be remembered.
You Don’t Need a Milestone to Book a Session
One of the most common things I hear from parents is that they are waiting for the right time. A birthday. A holiday. A new baby. But documenting your children’s childhood doesn’t have to be tied to a major life event.
New kittens are a perfectly good reason. So is a new haircut, a lost tooth, or the fact that your daughter has been obsessed with sunflowers all summer and you want to remember that about her. The best sessions often come from the simplest reasons.
The Photos You’ll Reach For Most
Think about the images you find yourself looking at most often. Chances are they aren’t always the perfectly staged holiday portraits. Sometimes it’s the one where your kid is laughing so hard they can barely stand up, or the quiet moment where they are focused on something small and completely unaware of the camera.
When you photograph your kids regularly, you build a collection that tells a real story. Not just what they looked like, but who they were. What they loved. What made them laugh. Professional photos capture a quality and a feeling that a phone snapshot simply cannot, and those images become more valuable with every year that passes.
A Relationship That Grows With Your Family
One of the things I treasure most about this work is watching families grow over time. When a family comes back to me year after year, something special happens. The kids remember me. They walk in relaxed and comfortable, and that ease shows up in every single image. There is no warmup period, no shy hiding behind mom’s leg. We just get to work, and we have fun doing it.
The twins who came in as newborns walked into my studio recently as little girls, each cradling a kitten and beaming from ear to ear. I knew their faces. I knew their personalities. And I got to document this new chapter of their lives with the same care I gave their very first one.
That continuity is one of the most meaningful things I can offer a family.
How Often Should You Book?
Once a year is a wonderful rhythm for most families. Kids change so much in twelve months that each session feels completely fresh. Some families come more often, seasonally or whenever something worth celebrating comes along. There is no wrong answer. The only thing I would caution against is waiting so long that you look back and realize you missed it.
If you have been thinking about booking a session, let this be your nudge. You don’t need a special occasion. You just need a reason, and honestly, you don’t even really need that. Reach out through the contact page and let’s find a date that works for your family. Your kids are only this age once, and that is reason enough.
