I cannot be certain, but I am almost positive that by the time you are reading this, you have maybe seen some of my work and can confidently confirm — I am not a family photographer.

But I do photograph families. I photograph families all the time. At weddings, at maternity shoots and at the beginning stages of newly formed families of past wedding clients. But what is expected of a family photographer and what I deliver for work are sometimes two very different things.

Side note: I will absolutely take on new clients for family shoots.

But if you are only looking for that one perfect photograph of everyone arranged neatly, smiling toward the camera to put on a greeting card, I don’t want to disappoint you with a bombardment of artsy shots of hands, touching, gestures and cute candid moments. Because that is what you will get! If you are okay with that, then you have come to the right place.

Luckily, this is exactly what Kassi and Phil wanted. They booked me for their micro wedding during COVID’s peak and we vibed immediately – both super kind and relaxed. Kassi wearing Birkenstocks with her bell sleeve wedding gown and Phil cracking jokes left and right. They are both in the healthcare field, have so much love for each other and have a blast together and now they have a sweet babe.

This is the fourth time I have captured their dynamic as a couple. They had me photograph their pregnancy twice and now their first shoot as a family.

A family shoot can often feel stiff. Lots of poses, “look over here!”, “wait let’s try that again” – but I try to shoot with an organic style that gives the family some things to do together that I capture them doing. Whether it is walking, playing with something on the ground, exploring a new area or touching wildflowers – it engages both the children in the group (yes, please) and allows for the parents to relax into parenting mode versus trying to be prefect looking while their kids are uncomfortable or disinterested. All the while, I am capturing the nuances. The organically unfolding moments. The authentic versions of yourselves and your family dynamics.

We had a blast (as we always do).

Their baby girl laughed and smiled and had some fun with their pups at the end of the shoot. They wanted to grab some of them as a family in their backyard with their doggos. Sign me up!

If you connect with these photos or want to learn more, I would love to hear from you. You can reach out here 🙂

About the author:

Britt Hill is a wedding and elopement photographer that creates film inspired photographs for those that love some adventure, who live intentionally and for those looking to do things their way.