There are a million different things that make your family, yours

Sitting in front of a fake background with forced smiles and uncomfortable clothing won’t capture any of that uniqueness.

Allison Patel's family, at home.

Self portrait in the playroom at home. Not shown: 6,000 toys around our feet.

Instead, let’s do things differently. Let’s capture what your family does together in real life.

As for my family?

We like to pull the pillows off the couch and jump on them on rainy days. We’re learning how to ride bikes (and how to get back up) on sunny days. We watch Wild Kratts on repeat, have a small (large) Lego obsession, and every car trip must include bringing along a toy, even if we’re just running to the store.

It isn’t glamorous, but it’s us.

What about you?

While your session is all about you and your family, you probably want to know a bit about the person you’re working with before you invite her into your home:

  • I volunteer in the 0-1 year old nursery at my church because I really can’t get enough babies in my life.

  • Three years old is my favorite age to photograph, but not my favorite age to parent.

  • My biggest self pet peeve is being late. I’d rather arrive 10 minutes early and wait for someone, than have someone wait 2 minutes for me.

  • I have a BFA degree from VCU in Photography & Film but I’ve learned more about the art and craft of photography from my daily photo project than I ever did in school.

  • I struggle to get in photos with my kids too. It’s not just you.

Allison Patel laughing in front of a bush, holding a toy camera.
Mom kissing her baby boy

“I love how you don't manufacture the perfect moment. You are just there for when it happens.”

- Dave