Upstate NY Photographer and Designer

This session in Clifton Park, NY with Cindy and her sweet son Jack was soul-filling! We chased crunchy leaves, spotted huge bulldozers, and even had a tickle fight! I left feeling so thankful to this family for spending the morning with me.

I am a photographer specializing in high energy kids and their families! With two energetic kids of my own, ages 5 and 3, I know just how it feels to spend hours choosing the right outfits, stress out the morning of, trying to get everyone dressed and in the car (where are your shoes we just bought?! Everybody go potty! Stop hitting your brother!) Truth be told, I choose our own photographers based equally on their work and their ability to calm my own family during our session. (By the end of our beach session, Jessica’s relaxed and encouraging energy had us all dashing into the ocean playfully!)

It wasn’t until after a recent session with one of my favorite families that the mama turned to me and sighed, and as we both watched her son happily bouncing off into the field, told me how relaxed she felt during our session, and that every other session she’s had left her feeling frazzled and stressed. She said that my calming presence and patience helped her to actually ENJOY her session! It was the most remarkable feedback I could have received. Here are a few tips I’ve learned being both behind the camera and in front of it to bring some namaste to your session.

Tips for a relaxing session with your high energy kiddos:

Bring layers. (whether your session is hot or cold, you can add or remove outer shirts for your kiddos to help them be most comfortable! Bonus: if they get dirty, you have a backup!)
Trust your photographer. We’ll chat beforehand, and I’ll ask you what your hopes are for the session. The more information you share with me about your kiddos’ personalities, the better prepared I am to jump in and play games with them! (Are they Team Chase, or Team Rubble?) I build a shotlist for every session, and come prepared to help guide you through your session. You’ll feel confident knowing I have it handled, and you can relax and enjoy your session.
Embrace the chaos! It may feel like craziness to you as the mama, but know that all of the magical candid photos that occur during your session are happening in the middle of all of that. I just need a few seconds to capture that heartmelting smile!

Cindy and Jack embraced all of these, and came into our session with the most open minds and hearts—I had the most incredible morning with them, and left feeling so thankful that this is my job. Thank you so much, Cindy and Jack!