Life with littles can be stressful...ha, ha I know what you’re thinking, “Thank you Captain Obvious!” But seriously, you know what I mean! The things that were once simple to organize now feel like these huge mountains to climb. Like family photo shoots for example! You want to schedule one to capture your children at this stage of life but a lot of factors come into play that may prevent you from scheduling it. Not only do you have to strategically figure out a time of day when all of your children are in a good mood, you also have to pick outfits, convince your partner, double check schedules and make sure no one messes up their hair or spills OJ all over their new shirt while in transit to said photo shoot. And then there’s the stress of worrying about all of the details… is my family going to smile naturally, are they going to listen to the photographer, can you see that little stain where my child smeared Peanut Butter on me (where in the heck did that even come from!?!), do I look okay, do we look happy enough???

I totally get it!! I know where you’re coming from. You’ve put a lot on the line to get here today and this is the part where I tell you… it’s all going to be fine...in fact, it’s going to be more than fine, it’s going to be fantastic!! I KNOW the struggles and stressors and nagging feelings you face because I am a parent too and I feel them. And that is why I am passionate about giving you a family photography experience that eliminates all of that and allows you to see your family for who you really are. Beautiful. Loving. Imperfectly perfect. Wonderfully special. Unique.

As a family photographer, people often tell me their struggles or biases about family photo shoots. I often feel the pressure to deliver photos of everyone in the family looking at the camera and smiling. You know, the one for the Christmas card? And while I will do that, and I want to give you that, I also have to tell you a secret. Those aren’t the images that light me up as a photographer! Sure, they’re beautiful and yes I am proud to deliver them to my clients but the ones that make my heart skip a beat are the moments in between. The moments when mom and dad are just being mom and dad. When they are playing with the kids or tickling them to encourage a natural smile or chasing them to get a laugh. That’s real life. The crazy reality we are living in and I love to just live in it with you...while capturing some really wonderful photos of your current season of life.

You might be wondering why I am rambling on about this and here’s the reason. A few months back I spoke to my friend Laura over the phone about setting up her family photo shoot. She really wanted some authentic photos of her family in their current season of life. She had done portrait studio milestone pictures and tried a couple other photographers in the past. Her previous experiences had left her feeling like her family wasn’t good at taking photos. If I remember right, her exact words to me were, “It just didn’t work out very well and our family is not so good at taking pictures”. Immediately, my heart leapt at the opportunity to change this mindset. I desperately wanted to get my camera on her family. I envisioned myself throwing on a cape and flying through the air, cute camera bag slung over my shoulder, ready to take on this challenge by slaying each bad photo and erasing them from her memory… whoa sorry about that… got a little carried away. Okay so it wasn’t that dramatic but in my mind I was hoping and praying she’d say yes to booking so that I could help her overcome these feelings.

I wanted her to see her family the way I do. The way the rest of the world now will. She is beautiful and kind and fiercely loves her two babies and husband. And man do they love her. Travis, her husband, watches her with reverence and admiration. He smiles at the way the children wrap up in her arms and the way she so effortlessly makes them laugh. Her son Bodee is always chasing her around, waiting for an opportunity to jump into her arms. Little Kambree lights up when her mama is near and smiles with the brightest eyes.

The morning we spent together was full of tiny little moments that all added up to be extremely special. I got to (and I hope she’ll agree) show Laura that her family is amazing at taking photos. I also came to my own revelations about what an important job I have. I am not just taking family pictures. I am helping to create memories and moments for families and that feels so special. It’s a very vulnerable act to get in front of a camera and I am honored that so many families put their trust in me.

I’d like to end this post by saying this: Each season of life brings challenges but each of those stages is equally worth documenting. If you find yourself wanting to embrace the crazy with me and my camera, email me at jennifer@jenniferbridgephotography.com I’d love to work with you and I might even put on a cape if you ask ;)

PS~ IF you are struggling with how to get ready for a family photo shoot... check out this 'How To' guide on the blog!