Throughout 2011, Jensey and I have been much more open to taking on family sessions. We’ve started slowly with past clients and it’s been an amazing opportunity. Not only is it wonderful to catch up with everyone (and meet their babies!), but it’s amazing to think of the importance of these images years down the road.

I like to think that when little Asher is storming through his terrible twos (and threes), or eventually slamming his bedroom door because he can’t borrow the car for the night, Kelly can look back at the photos we took and not only remember how cute he was, but how she felt holding her newborn baby boy.

(That might be wishful thinking; I don’t have a 15 year old just yet!) I like to hope that the images we capture are so much more than portraits, they’re memories that will help families relive times that fly by so quickly.

During the session above, we simply let Katie and Declan climb a tree. I love how true and honest that is to childhood!

That got me thinking. While we have to capture the posed family photos on a wedding day, it doesn’t really tell the story of a family at all. Jensey and I both realized we couldn’t recall more than one professional photo we had growing up; and that makes us kind of sad. (Well, I vaguely remember an Olan Mills session where I dressed up in camo with my best friend, but those photos are probably lost and certainly not on top of my mom’s computer desk any more!)

As photographers, this is probably pretty obvious. When we have kids, there’s no doubt that Jensey and Nate Jr (placeholder names, fyi) will have thousands of photos to enjoy one day. A camera is part of our daily lives and the 50mm is almost always within reach.

At this point it probably sounds like I’m just trying to sell you on a family portrait session. While we’re happy to book those, that’s not actually my intention here.  It’s to drive home the simple importance of photography. Everyone hires a wedding photographer because that’s just what you do. You have a specific date you need them for and that’s that. But when that baby comes, it’s easy to put a million other things first and I wouldn’t blame you for those first 999,999. But make that last one to factor in photography. It doesn’t have to be us but it ought to be someone. Budget for it, save up for a yearly session, make it work; your kids will thank you for it some day.

Ooh, and when that second or third bundle of joy comes into the world… don’t give them a complex. Schedule a session for them too! ;)

Cameras on tripods with timers don’t count, k? See how well it worked for me when I was 5?