How I Became a Family and In Home Newborn Photographer in Seattle, Bainbridge Island and Beyond
Becoming a mother turned my world upside-down, which is probably a common feeling among new moms, everywhere. The experience has also been the inspiration for my career as an In Home Newborn and Family Photographer (I shoot sessions outdoors, too!)
My work has allowed me to see the beauty in my own life, as well as in the lives of the families I photograph.
The day we brought home our first baby, my head was swirling with all of the new things I suddenly had to worry about.
Did my husband install the car seat correctly?
What if the baby started crying on the way home from the hospital?
What would we do with him once we walked through our front door?
I couldn’t believe that, after giving birth 48 hours earlier, the hospital staff let us stroll out the door with our newborn son; no instructions, no warning label. Just a new Mom and Dad and this little baby, about to start the most joyful and overwhelming journey we’ve ever known…
PARENTHOOD.
That was 15 years ago and I’m happy to report that since then we’ve grown into a family of 5, and have enjoyed some of the most precious experiences I’ve ever had. Or could have ever imagined.
There have been countless sleepless nights and many attempts at sleep-training.
We’ve gasped in delight when first steps were taken or first words were spoken, and cheered at baseball games, swim meets, dance recitals and band concerts.
There have been tears of disappointed followed by hugs and reassurances, or frustration and lectures followed by consequences like, “No screen time tonight” or “Go to your room and think about your behavior.”
In a life with kids, there are highs and lows and many beautifully ordinary days in between.
The moment I first held a camera is unclear in my memory, but I remember enjoying photography since childhood. I practiced with an old Kodak Disk (does anyone even remember those?) and with disposable cameras. Many bad pictures were made but I loved looking for things to photograph and watching funny, interesting things that people did when unaware that I was lurking.
As I grew older, my father (a hobbyist photographer) would let me practice with his Canon film camera. The quiet, meditative process of developing film in the darkroom was easy to fall in love with, during a photography course in college.
There is still something so mysterious to me about how light and camera interact to create an image.
Perhaps it’s a bit of magic.
Photographs are treasures of happy times
I pursued a career in the food industry as a pastry chef before photography and loved it for the fast-paced, high-energy environment and the opportunity to be creative. Wedding cakes were a highlight of my job, just as much as shaping a ball of bread dough with my hands covered in flour.
Don’t get me wrong - I still love food. So much that I think about what I’m going to eat for breakfast as my head hits the pillow at night.
But over time, as I began practicing in home and outdoor photography day after day, I realized that what I love to do most is quietly, patiently observe my favorite people and document our lives together.
When I look through the thousands of images I’ve taken over these magical years, some that I thought weren’t good enough at the time, I’m grateful that I have these memories. These are my treasures.
There will never be a time when we wish we didn’t have photos of beautiful moments. I’d be willing to bet that most people only want more photos than they already have.
Let’s capture your favorite people with real, honest, soulful images that you can hold in your hands, and enjoy for a lifetime.