I love getting to meet new families and capturing just a piece of their beautiful story. A tricky part of being a family photographer and working with new clients is being able to observe them and figure out their personalities quickly. The poses and prompts that work for one family may not work for another. But that is the beauty in it, getting to see the way they interact and love and capture that in photos. I had the pleasure of doing this for the Douglas family during their beach session at Fort Boykin in Smithfield last week. I know not every photographer loves working with families and children, but I love it. Making magic happen with babies, toddlers, and children and their parents, that makes my heart happy.

Each family I work with is so unique and special. I love getting to meet the mama’s boys that love to snuggle and the daddy’s girls that are free and wild. The sweet sassy little ones and the ones with a shy side. I think we often get so overwhelmed by the daily demands that we forget how little they really are. Capturing those moments, that chapter in life, is so important and you’ll always be able to look back and remember their personality at that age. So although all the planning and preparation may be a bit stressful, take the time to have your family photos taken. Not just for you, but for you children. They’ll love to look back one day and thank you for all you’ve done to get them to where they are.

I’m so glad the sun peeked out to give us some of that gorgeous golden glow for the Douglas family during their session. Here are a few of my favorites!

If you are interested in booking your own family session, e-mail me at danaraephotos@gmail.com. I’d love to work with you and your family and capture your family’s love story!