Shortly after moving to Utah in 2016, I started a small photography business with a focus on capturing families and couples. This creative outlet kept me busy during the slow season of being a stay-at-home parent to my one and only little girl. I filled evenings and weekends with photo sessions, particularly in the fall and spring. To my surprise, my schedule filled up fairly quickly and it was a joy to photograph young families during a stage of life when I had more flexible time on my hands.
Clients would often stress about their photo sessions - about what to wear, whether or not their children would cooperate, and if this financial and time commitment would be worth it. As a photographer with (at the time) even just a little bit of experience, I knew I could capture quite a decent collection of beautiful photos, despite the session feeling frazzled and frayed. Coaxing any number of children into cooperating for a family photo session is a lot of work but always worth the effort.
The messages of glee I’d receive after delivering an edited photo gallery to my clients proved what I knew to be true - that amidst their doubts about the success of the session, a gorgeous collection of images was awaiting their enjoyment. They could rest in the fact that when a good photographer does his or her job well, no one would have a clue about the level chaos happening behind the scenes.
Which brings me to this post. Kristen Law Photography captured our family in late October on what turned out to be a frigid morning, in the midst of an otherwise mild fall. I checked my app when we arrived to our 10am photoshoot and it was 29 degrees and windy. And if you know anything about the western Salt Lake Valley - we hardly have trees (or no big ones to speak) so that wind - there’s no stopping it. When it blows, you’re at its mercy.
Our kids were having an otherwise happy morning but the second we stepped outside to brave the cold in front of a camera, of course (because who could blame them) they fell apart. We’ve had many, many family photo sessions over the years (because it’s something I highly prioritize) and have dealt with our fair share of stressful sessions. But this one felt particularly intense. Our toddler face planted into a rocky hill near the beginning of the session. Then our 8-year old daughter tripped into a small cactus, landing hands first. Sobbing ensues and we spent a while picking out painful prickles. The last one standing was our 4-year old, but that bitter cold wind was taking a toll on him too.
For all practical purposes, we were a hot mess. In that moment, I vowed to never again schedule a photo session for (unpredictable) October but knew we had to get through the session before us. We pulled out every silly antic we could think of and managed to reveal a few smiles here and there for Kristen to capture. I felt calm and confident that she would beautifully capture this season of our family life in a way that reflected our joy, without revealing too much of the behind-the-scenes chaos. And she did just that. And (after that lengthy introduction), I’m here to share a few favorites.
Very true. Last year, our kids pulled their coats on between every.single.picture. I didn't think we'd make it through! Sometimes it's the memories with the pictures that make them beautiful. :)
Beautiful family photos! And yes, you’re right, they are always worth it 💗