A few weeks ago I decided to do our family photos! We were in a cycle of doing them in the winter but we missed last winter. I’m happy to take the opportunity to document our family during our Sassy Summer Shifts. Allow me to explain…
Our family shifts and changes so much every summer. It’s “busy season” for the studio, busy season at Clynn’s work, AND it’s the time we play as a family the most. We pack A LOT into our summers. I have had family visit in the summer and they always leave exhausted by our output this time of year. haha We’re pretty crazy this time of year.
For this reason, family photos may seem like a crazy endeavor in June/July for us….but it’s also the reason that makes doing them in this season absolute perfection. It’s when we’re all shining as our truest selves…
Maybe not Clynn. Clynn LOVES the winter time. We always joke that he is a “moon boy” and I’m a “sun girl”. Clynn keeps us going in the Fall/Winter. He loves the dark and introspective nature of the dark seasons here in the Seattle area…
I suppose what I’m trying to say, is we are DIFFERENT versions of ourselves in the Summer vs Winter. Entirely different. I predict we’re not the only family this way. It is for this reason, I think mixing up the seasons you have family photos taken, can be very valuable to documenting your family throughout the years.
Whether it’s sassy summer shifting to snuggly introspective winters like us, or your own version of non-lateral personality cycles, changing the season you take family photos in is a great idea.
Our pre-covid employee, family friend, and current feature model of the studio, Jay, took these photos for us. THANK YOU, JAY!!! You captured some really special moments in the chaos of our young family with 3 & 5 year old boys.
Lastly, I sincerely hope the family photography industry learns to take family photos LESS SERIOUSLY!!! I am SO IN LOVE with these photos because they are IMPERFECT and REAL like us. I don’t know if there is a single image in here where we are all smiling and looking at the camera at the same time. Some day, that may be our reality but right now, it’s not. So we didn’t force it. We are crazy and fast paced. Just like these portraits.
Give your family more grace in their season. Pick the cute outfits and control what you can before the shoot. Things like talking with your family BEFORE the shoot about how much the photos mean to you so they try their best to stay happy for you. Set up a bribe for after photos to help keep the kiddos attention during the shoot (we do McD’s Icecream cones). Then, show up and LET THE EXPECTATIONS GO.
Embrace the reality of whatever your family chooses to present themselves as.
Welcome to our crazy-fun, wild-sassy summer.
Sassy Summer Shifts
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These are so cute!
Catching the boys’ personalities, wow! So expressive.
It’s so valuable to just let kids be themselves during family photos!
Everyone was happy and I feel like we were more authentically documented because we weren’t stressed over “the perfect photo”. ♥
THANK YOU!