Last summer I was sitting on the beach with a family I was photographing. Their kids were running amuck—we were all laughing, and a little out of breath, but taking it all in. An older woman walking with her husband was making her way down the beach, and I noticed her watching us as she got closer with a warm smile on her face.
When she reached us, she stopped and said, “Capture this… all of this. When you’re my age, you won’t care about smiling pictures or matching outfits. This is absolute perfection.”
Cue the tears. What she said—that’s exactly why I do what I do (and yes, I definitely teared up and barely managed a choked-out thank you with one of those trying-to-smile-through-big-feelings faces).
I know the thoughts that run through your mind when you consider booking a family photoshoot:
“My kids won’t sit still. They’ll run in every direction. They’ll get silly or stubborn or completely unhinged.”
“I don’t have the energy to wrangle them for pictures. It’s just too much.”
“Other families look so put together in their photos—mine would be a chaotic mess.”
Mama, I hear you. I am you.
As a mom of four incredibly energetic kids, I understand that some seasons of life feel too wild, too exhausting, too impossible to capture. It’s easy to let another year pass without scheduling photos, thinking maybe next time, when things feel calmer.
But what if this season—the one that feels like a blur of noise and motion—is the most vibrant, beautifully imperfect season to remember?
Because right now, their laughter is unfiltered, and their joy is boundless. Right now, their little hands reach for yours without hesitation, their tiny voices call for you a hundred times a day, and their world still revolves around you.
What if, years from now, your kids don’t care whether they sat perfectly still or wore matching outfits, but instead, they look back and see the way you held them, the way their silliness made you laugh, the way their childhood felt?
What if, years from now, your kids don’t care whether they sat perfectly still or wore matching outfits? What if, instead, they look back and see the way you held them, the way their silliness made you laugh, the way their childhood felt?
Because these photos aren’t just for you. They’re for them, too.
It’s easy to think of family photos as something we, as moms, will cherish when they’re grown. And that’s absolutely true. But these photos do something just as powerful for your children—they show them where they belong and how deeply they are loved.
Studies have shown that children who see photos of themselves displayed in their home develop a stronger sense of self-worth and belonging. It reinforces their place in the family, reminding them daily that they are loved, that they matter, and that they are an important part of something bigger than themselves. When kids see themselves in images around their home or in photo albums, it creates a powerful sense of security and identity.
Childhood is fleeting, and memories fade faster than we want to admit. These images will also become tangible pieces of their story—reminders of the way they fit perfectly in your arms, how they ran barefoot through the grass, how they giggled until their belly hurt.
One day, your kids will want to look back and see what life was like when they were little. These pictures will hold memories they might have forgotten—the way their little hands held yours, the way their nose scrunched when they laughed, the way they fit perfectly against your chest.
One thing I’ve already learned as a mom… years from now, you won’t want a picture of what you hoped this stage of life would look like. You’ll want to remember the truth of it—the way they jumped on you like a feral little thing, the way they wanted a million butterfly kisses, the way their tiny feet never stopped moving.
So let’s capture it. Let’s play, let’s laugh, let’s make space for all of it—the joy and the chaos. Let’s hold on to these moments… because they’re fleeting, and because they are worth remembering.
