This is one of those small world moments. When I first moved to the UK, I got a job working in a local café while I built up my business in this country. One day, a woman walks in and orders her coffee. She has an American accent. It’s like my accent. We do the typical thing people do when they hear the voice of “elsewhere” and ask: “Where are you from?”
She answers: “North Carolina.”
I’m surprised, “No way! Where abouts?”
“Raleigh,” she replies.
The shock intensifies. “ME TOO!” I practically bellow over the counter.
Turns out, we’re from exactly the same city and now find ourselves in this little village-like town in England, over 3,500 miles away.
Fast forward a few months and I’m in the woods spending a wonderful couple of hours with Clare’s family. Exploring, playing, scavenging, and generally having fun.
These types of family session are among my favourite because it’s an opportunity for you to spend quality time as a family fully engaging with one another while taking home photos as memories to look back on.
One thing I hear constantly as a photographer is how families wish they had more pictures with “all of us in it.”
Let’s be real–with today’s technology and our phones with incredible capabilities in our pocket, we’re able to take fantastic photos ourselves and of our kids. But, how often are you in those pictures? How often is the whole family in one shot? How often are you disengaging with being present while trying to fumble with your phone to take a photo only to realize that the moment has actually passed?
This is why I do what I do. It’s more than taking pictures. It’s having an experience together as a family where you’re fully invested in each other in that moment. Nothing staged, nothing forced. Life captured as it is.
Looking for a photographer?
If you’re interested in booking a family photo session with me, read more about the sessions here. I photograph families primarily in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, but can travel.
