What to expect for your queer family photos in Seattle
You might be wondering what the hell happens during a queer family photo session. Because let's be real: most family photography is designed for straight, thin, nuclear families. And if that's not you (hi, it's not me either), you might be nervous about what to expect.
So let me tell you what happens when you book outdoor family portraits with me in Seattle as a queer, polyam, and/or plus size family.
First: you're not going to feel weird
The biggest fear I hear from queer and polyam families is that they'll have to explain their family structure or justify who everyone is. Fuck that. When you book with me, I already know that families look a million different ways. Two moms, two dads, three parents, chosen or found family, however many kids or no kids - all of it is normal and celebrated here.
You don't need to explain your relationship structure or why you have four adults in your family photos. I'm going to ask for names and pronouns, figure out who wants to be in which combinations of photos, and then we're going to make some art. That's it!
The before: completely customized
Before my camera is even out, we meet to discuss you. We talk about clothing, safety, locations, and everything else that comes with a family sessions. I don’t like to make assumptions, so I’ll guide you through my questions so that I can support your family best! And we’ll create artwork that thrills you!
The actual session: way more chill than you think
We'll meet at an outdoor location in Seattle or the surrounding area - we’ve already talked about accessibility and I’ve prepped you for this location beforehand. This will be somewhere beautiful where you can actually be yourselves without a bunch of random people walking through. I scout locations in advance and plan for times when it's quieter.
Then we just...breathe and take photos. I'm going to direct you through movement and activities, but it's not going to be stiff "everyone look at the camera and smile" bullshit. It's more like "hey, can you two hold hands and walk toward me?" or "kids, go run around and be weird" or "can everyone pile on this log together?" Not exactly this, but the same vibe.
The goal is to reflect your actual family dynamic. The way you actually interact. The way your kids actually behave (chaos included). The way you actually look at each other when you're not performing for a camera. If you are a stoic family, I won’t make you cuddle.
Yes, I photograph plus size bodies
If you're plus size, you've probably had the experience of a photographer trying to "minimize" your body or suggesting poses that are supposed to make you look thinner. I'm not doing that. Your body is good today, and I'm photographing you as you actually are today.
That means I know how to use angles and lighting to make you look powerful and beautiful without trying to make you look smaller. Because you don't need to look smaller! You need to look like yourself in photos you actually want to hang on your wall. You are loved in this body!
What about the kids (if you have them)?
If you have kids, they're probably going to be kids during the session. Which means they might be silly, might not cooperate perfectly, might need breaks. That's fine. Expected, even.
Some of the best family photos happen when kids are being themselves - running around, making weird faces, refusing to smile, whatever. I'm not trying to force your kids into some perfect posed situation. I'm trying to capture your family as it actually is. And if your family includes a five-year-old who won't stop doing cartwheels, guess what? We're getting photos of cartwheels.
The session doesn't take forever
Most outdoor family portrait sessions in Seattle are completely custom to your family. My goal is that our session is long enough to get fantastic variety of great images, but not so long that everyone's exhausted and miserable. I’ve had some sessions with toddlers run 15min and others that run 2.5 hours because we are having so much fun playing at the park. It’s up to your needs.
If someone needs a break - kid needs a snack, someone needs to pee, someone's overwhelmed - we take a break. This isn't a military operation. It's a photo session. We're supposed to be having a good time!
After the session: the artwork part
One week later, we'll have an ordering appointment where you get to see everything and choose what you want to order. And here's where it gets fun: I don't just hand you digital files and send you on your way to figure out what to do with them.
I help you turn these photos into actual artwork for your home. Frames for your walls, albums you can hold and flip through, artwork that acts as daily visuals reminders of how loved you are. Our brains have to work hard to remember everything in our day to day life. This artwork is a gift to your future self - on the hard days - to be a reminder that your body is good and you are so sweetly loved in this body.
This is for families traveling to Seattle too
If you're not local to Seattle but you're willing to travel to the Pacific Northwest for your family photos, hell yes! I work with families who come from out of town specifically for these sessions. We'll plan ahead, find the perfect location, and make sure you leave seeing your images that make the trip worth it.
Book your queer family photos in Seattle
If you're a queer family, polyam family, plus size family, or any combination of those things, and you want outdoor family portraits in Seattle that actually celebrate who you are - let's do it. You deserve photos that make you feel seen and celebrated, not photos where you're trying to fit into someone else's idea of what a family should look like.
Your family is good as it is. Today.
