Why I Love at Home Family Sessions | Tacoma, WA Family Photographer | Heather Hurt Photography
Your kitchen table. Your family room. Your backyard. When you think of where your family spends the most time together and where your family’s story unfolds, these are the places. I love when clients choose at home sessions for their family portraits, here are some of my top reasons why!
1) Authenticity:
Most likely, this is where you are most YOU. It is a more meaningful and realistic glimpse of who you are as a family and what your life together is like. I am so excited when I hear from a client they want to have their pictures done in their home because “this is where we spend most of our time!”
When your kids look back on the wall portrait or album, they will remember what it felt like to be together at that stage. It will remind them of the pictures you had on the wall, that cozy couch you snuggled on, the giggles, story times, and the aroma of their favorite meal coming from the kitchen. Yes, we want to capture what everyone looked like, but more importantly we want to capture something that invokes emotions and sparks memories. Your home is a great place for that!
2) Comfort:
Especially if you have young children, this where they are going to be most comfortable. Every kid knows something is “up” when you’ve dressed them up and someone they don’t know shows up with a big camera. Some kids love the set up, some don’t. Being in their own space helps ease the stress of the situation. They have access to snacks, their favorite toys, books, and even their bathroom. Even if it is a shorter session, kids sometimes need breaks so being at their home makes this easy. Knowing that they are somewhere safe and familiar helps them relax and be themselves!
3) Weather:
This may be location specific (I am in the Pacific Northwest) but planning an outdoor session can actually be quite stressful! What happens if it rains? What if the kids are too cold? What if it is too warm and we’re all sweaty? What if it is really windy, how do I protect my hair I spent so long perfecting? This all becomes easy-peasy when you plan for it to be in your home! Then, if it is a beautiful day, we can spend part of the session in the back yard or walk up the block to your favorite park if you’d like.
Now, I love outdoor sessions, I’m not trying to dissuade you from that if you have a meaningful outdoor spot in mind, but if you are someone who is stressed by the questions above then an at home session may be perfect for your family! It is also a great idea if you have a special milestone (new puppy, “big” birthday, etc) that falls during winter.
Your house doesn’t have to be perfect and magazine worthy for this to be a great option. If you have windows on two sides of the room, you tidy up distracting clutter, and you love being together there, then you have an amazing location for your session!
Lets get planning!!!
