I am Jenn, the photographer behind the lens!
My jam is photographing family’s that are looking for a causal, connective & laughter filled session!
Clients mention how much they LOVE looking through their images after their gallery is delivered!! They remember the joy, laughter & connective moments from their session with their family all over again! Hearing those comments make my heart sing!!
As a mother myself, I completely understand the craziness that comes with having children, some days you barely remember to brush your teeth never mind remembering to print out family memories! That is where I step in…as a full service photographer the experience is about you & making sure you receive printed products find a place in your home where they can be enjoyed everyday!
You have booked your session,
I know for most people, the prospect of a family session is daunting!!! My sessions are casual, natural & are full of connection between family members! Depending on the ages of any children, don’t be surprised if your asked to make a silly face at each other, get into a tickle fight or have a impromptu competition of who has the best fake laugh!! These little prompts help for everyone to begin to relax & allow them to be themselves!
From the moment you book your session, you will be guided through the whole process!! There will not only be this welcome guide, but a separate guide to help you chose what to wear, helpful tips on how to prepare for the session & guidance on choosing the best way for you to display these images on the walls of your home! After all…seeing your images everyday is the best way for you & your family to enjoy them!!
One of the most common worry from clients about a family session is the concern of “will my children behave?” What I see as children misbehaving won’t be the same as you see them misbehaving…for example when they are giggling, making jokes or acting silly! You may consider this misbehaving but I see it as a photograph showing their true nature!! Laughing, having fun with each other & feeling comfortable enough to make the silly faces!! As a mother to six children, I COMPLETELY understand how nerve racking a session CAN be…but I will let you in on a little secret!
Children feed directly on our emotions….yes, they do! If we are nervous, stressed or snappy before or during our session, they will sense that & often will react differently than usual. Best advice?! Take as many deep breaths as you need, engage with your family…laugh, tickle, make funny voices, tell a joke, play tag or make a silly face!!! Once your children see that you are relaxed & ready to have fun…they are more likely to do the same!
Another idea is the begin talking to them about the session prior to our time together!! If you children are anything like mine were when they were younger, they didn’t like surprises that were just sprung upon them! Instead, start talking about the session, how much fun we will have together, show them a picture of me from this welcome guide & explain “this is Jenn & she is going to take pictures of our family!”. Make it sound fun, relaxing & it will be entertaining!! Think of possibly having the session at your home or at their favourite park..they will feel more comfortable in a location they are familiar with!
Before we get started into clothing tips, I like to start on tips for choosing your location for the session! It’s the perfect place to start, as your location determines what clothing options to consider. I encourage clients to choose a location that the whole family can be relaxed in, especially if you have young children! Is there something the whole family enjoys doing together ?! Nature lovers?? A walk along your favourite hiking trail might be a great idea! Or love time at the beach? Plan a beach location, bring along a change of clothes just in case! Campfire enthusiasts? Get cozy beside the fire with smore’s & snack…thinking of an activity you enjoy together will help you to chose a location & gives you something to do during our session!
Session locations can be just about anywhere, your local park, own backyard, riverside property, neighbours field, hiking trail, your family cottage or even inside your own home! Don’t worry too much about the background, as I can photograph a session near a sand hill, garbage cans or even at a parking lot…the most important is the light!!
Speaking of light, if you have dreams of images with a field lit with a glowing light…that is sunset & your images will look completely different with harsh light at 2pm! Keep in mind the ages of your children, youngsters are generally in better spirits before 11am! While teenagers are typically more alert for a evening session…try not to schedule your session during nap or snack time!! Generally, if clients would like outdoor images we schedule the session for either early morning or before sunset! Depending on the season, that can range anywhere from 7am-10am or 4pm-7pm
Last tip for locations, if you are totally stumped on ideas…my husband’s family owns a dairy farm & there are TONS of location options available at our home property! Many clients chose this options, as they love the resulting images from previous sessions! Like to know what that looks like?? Let me know & I will direct you to some blog features for you to check out!
I am often asked by clients, if they are able to incorporate their furry family members into their session…the answer is always a resounding YES!!! By nature, I am a animal lover…expect for snakes…nope, don’t bring one of those to your session!!! But otherwise, it’s always a yes!!
Prior to being a photographer, I attended college for Equine Studies & I have plenty of experience with large animals!! Even during childhood, we always had dogs & even smaller pets such as hamsters…I would venture to say I am comfortable with any size of pet!
When including your pets, whether it’s your dog or larger animals there are a few things to keep in mind or to prepare for:
make sure the location you chose suits them, if your animal tends to get nervous in new spaces keep your session in an area they are comfortable in.
keep your pet on a leash or lead line, even the most well behaved pet can become distracted or startled
clean any tack, leash or collar
dark coloured items work best, bright coloured items can be a distraction in your images
have a cute bandana to use? make sure it coordinates with your family’s clothing
animals have a short attention span & their involvement will be brief
plan to have either a helper that can take care of your pet, know your dog will be fine sitting in your vehicle or can be safely put away
ensure to bring water for them, being a model is hard work
What happens if Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate on the day of our session?? Rescheduling our session is completely up to the client, but being a wedding photographer I am used to handling & adjusting plans due to weather. We just may need to change our location, going from outside in the field to in your home or seeking shelter inside your garage, barn or under a veranda. The weather can change SO quickly & we may luck out with the rain changing into sunshine half way through our session!
If you really would like to reschedule your session, that’s no problem!! I will send a link for you to choose your date, but let’s try to get your new date on the calendar ASAP!!
Once our session is finished, everyone is always eager to see a sneak peek from their session & I am super thrilled to send you one, clients can expect to see their sneak peek within 48 hours after our session & will be sent privately through email!
Your full gallery of images will be ready within 2 to 3 weeks & I highly recommend you set aside time to really ENJOY your images with your family! Whether it’s on the couch with your children, after everyone is tucked in at night or over Sunday morning breakfast…the whole family will be eager to view your images by a slideshow plus through an online gallery!
You will have access to view your full gallery for ONE WEEK after you receive your viewing links, this is the time to download your images & use your print credit for items work best for your family!!
Need some extra help?! No problem, just reach out & I can help you to narrow down you choices to work within your home!!
Let’s chat a moment about digital images…USB’s are not designed for long term storage, neither are CD’s or DVD’s. Technology advances at an alarming rate, where once we used to have floppy disks & now there are flash drives! You would be hard pressed to find a gadget that uses floppy disks now! In 5 to 10 years time, USB’s may be obsolete & heaven forbid you aren’t able to access your images…what then?
Printing out your images is truly the only way to ensure these memories aren’t forgotten in a drawer somewhere or stored on your computer. Print them, hang them, make or purchase an album & give yourself the ability to enjoy them everyday!!
Studies have proven that when children look at their family’s printed images they have feelings of a stronger connection to members of their family, have a stronger sense of their identity, increases their self esteem, enhances their imagination & give them the feeling of being a valued member of their family!!
While looking through a photo album together you can’t help but share stories of the moment in the photo, help children to talk about their emotions & create a better connection to the people or events in their life! I must admit, my own children prefer to look at printed photos rather than digital images!! There is just something about holding the print in your hands, being grateful that you have these memories documented…it just warms your heart!!
