Studio vs outdoors: what’s best for your family photos in Seattle?

If you’re trying to choose between a studio session and outdoor family portraits, here’s the short version: both can be great, but they feel very different. And your family deserves photos that feel like you, not like you’re trapped in a beige box trying to behave.

Studio sessions (pros + cons)

Studios are predictable. No rain. No wind. Consistent light. Great if you want clean, simple photos and your kid thrives with structure.

Downside: studios can feel awkward and performative. Kids get bored. Adults get stiff. And if you’ve ever felt like “family photos weren’t made for my queer/polyam/plus size family,” a studio can amplify that weirdness.

Outdoor sessions (why I love them)

Outside, people breathe. Kids can move. Partners can cuddle on a log. Chosen family can walk in the lake hand-in-hand. Seattle’s overcast days are basically a gigantic softbox light! We plan for drizzle with layers, umbrellas, and backup options.

Outdoor sessions also give plus size bodies space to exist without weird “minimize yourself” bullshit. You belong centered and comfortable.

So what should you pick?

Pick studio if you want controlled, simple, and low-sensory.

Pick outdoors if you want relaxed, playful, real-life energy.

I photograph outdoor family portraits across Seattle, Everett, Tacoma, Bellingham, Snohomish and nearby.

Afterward, we turn your images into customized artwork: albums and wall art to remind you how loved you are in this body, today.