I recently posted on Facebook that I would be accepting family commissions moving forward into 2019. Some of my photographer friends asked me (genuinely) if I had lost my mind. And the answer is no – I have not lost my mind. But I have decided that this is something I truly enjoy, and I want to make it accessible for more people. I feel like in the world of Instagram styling and Pinterest perfection, some of my clients feel like if they can’t have a flawless family portrait, that maybe they shouldn’t do them at all. And that makes me really sad. I don’t specialize in the traditional Las Vegas family photos that you might be picturing – think Sears or JC Penney – we won’t be in a studio and I won’t make everyone cheese for the camera. But we will play some fun games or crack jokes or run around in the desert for an hour (disclaimer: you don’t have to actually run if you don’t want to). And we will definitely get some great images that represent your family as they are right now. At this very moment. The moment that will be gone tomorrow.

I think that photographing families can be really scary for some Las Vegas photographers. I know that before I had two boys of my own, I had no idea how to talk to kids or be silly with kids or get teenagers to stop rolling their eyes. Actually, I still don’t know how to do that – because teenagers have been rolling their eyes since the dawn of time, and I definitely haven’t figured out how to stop them from doing that. But, I can make them agree that while it’s not necessarily their idea of a rockin’ good time, that their parents will reallllyyyyyy appreciate these photos, and that someday, they will, too.

My boys are currently one and six, and if I could freeze time, I would. It’s not that I want to go BACK (spit up and sleep deprivation, anyone??) – it’s just that I want to be able to really remember them as they are in each stage. And everyone assumes that I must have a million photos of them. And I do! But truth be told, they’re on my iPhone – just like you. And while I love those candid moments, they tend to be shot in a dark room while they chase each other around with swords way past bedtime, or a dark restaurant while they cram non-organic mac and cheese in their sweet squishy faces. Gasp – the horror.

I am seeing a movement towards reconnecting with what’s real – authentic – more honest representations of our lives. We don’t have to pretend to be something we aren’t. It is really okay to show up – just as we are. And that includes in our yearly family portraits. It’s fine if one or more kids walk off set – in fact, this has happened on every session I’ve ever done! They usually play for a few minutes and then can be coaxed to come back and join us. Sometimes the little ones simply aren’t having it, and I’ll document that, too. Our homes aren’t always spotless or “company ready.” My boys do not have matching outfits – unless you count Hot Wheels pajamas that they outgrew in less than 60 days and now their little tummies poke out of the bottom of the shirts. Their hands are usually sticky – their faces are always just a little bit dirty. But damn if they don’t squeeze me like there’s no tomorrow. Those little hands wrapped around me mean the entire world to me and then some. I am their world, and they are mine. And I don’t ever want to forget that.

So let them bring Hot Wheels, or LEGOs, or naked barbies or whatever floats their little boats this season. It’s your turn! Those little ones aren’t getting any littler (is littler even a word??). I would be honored to capture your family as they are today – even if you think the wildness of the kiddos might scare me off. I assure you that it won’t. I’m not expecting perfectly behaved angels or on-command smiles. I want you to come out and play and let the magic unfold. And then promise me that you’ll print a few and hang them up at home. Because apparently, I’ve been told, they’ll be getting girlfriends soon and then driving actual cars and then moving IN with those girlfriends and they won’t want to hang out with mom anymore. Gasp again. The legitimate horror. Say it isn’t so.

But until then, we can freeze time, if only for a little while. Now excuse me while I book my OWN session for this year with a Las Vegas family photographer – before my six-year-old moves in with his girlfriend. Click below to tell me all about your family and your photo shoot dreams!

PS If you need holiday cards, call me – but don’t wait! My turn time is unmatched and we can totally make it happen!