Family Photography that’s more like a pot of slow-cooked chili than a microwave dinner.

Without any “cheese.”

Toddler laughing while being held upside down in his dad's lap in their living room.

Maybe I need a different metaphor, because chili without cheese is not my thing.

But going slow with your family photography, in a world that insists on rushing everything, is definitely my thing.

And if staying home and enjoying your family while I create photos of you all together is *your* thing, you’re in the right place.

No posing, no “say cheese.”

An unhurried process from the beginning, where we start by getting to know each other a little on the phone, and create a family photo session that molds to your family, not the other way around.

And when you see your images later on, you’ll end up saying things like this…

Parents sit with their daughter and dog outside. Dad kisses his daughter on the cheek. Daughter has autism and scrunches her face as he kisses her.

“They made us laugh and cry”

“These are PERFECT! Thank you so so so so much for capturing our family. They made us laugh and cry. I’m so grateful.”

-Audra

Session Rates and Details

A lifestyle photography experience at home, where everyone is the most comfortable and we can document the parts of life you want to remember.

Included in the $300 session fee:

  • Guidance through the process, including a consult call and questionnaire to mold your session around your family

  • 60 minutes of photography at your home

  • Professional photo editing

I believe in the freedom to choose your digital image collection after you’ve seen your photos and know what you love. Each digital collection comes with a print credit, so you can get your favorite pictures printed, where they belong.

The three family/maternity collection options:

Black Walnut ($1100): all of your digital images, $500 print credit

Poplar ($900): 30 of your favorite digital images, $250 print credit

Pawpaw ($600): 15 of your favorite digital images, $100 print credit

Session fee (due to book) + chosen collection fee (due when your photos are ready) = your total investment

What to Expect

  • Before the Photography

    We’ll have a 15 minute phone consultation to go over the process, detailed pricing, your expectations, and any concerns you might have before we work together. Then, the $300 session fee and a signed digital contract will hold your spot on my calendar. I’ll send you a questionnaire to help mold the session around your family, not the other way around.

  • The Photography Session

    I’ll come to you, in Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico, or Hanover. We’ll find the best light in your house and hang out for an hour, doing the things you like to do together.

  • After the Photography

    I’ll edit your photos, and within two weeks of your session you'll receive an email from me with a link to your photo slideshow. You'll be able to view it and share it for 24 hours before you need to decide on a collection. Each collection has a select number of digital image downloads and a print credit for the print store, so you can get your favorite images off your computer and onto your walls or into an album.  

Life isn’t perfect.

But it’s full of personality, special details, and inside jokes that form the connections within your family.

My goal is to help you see past how you think you look in pictures. Instead, I want you to see how you connect with the people you love.

I want to show you what it looks like when you’re laughing with your family, playing at home on a regular day.

  • Most houses with children and/or pets have a lived-in look that won’t fit on a magazine cover. We’re not going for cover photos, we’re going for connection photos.

    Not to worry, though. I’ll give you some prep tips on how to ready your house for family photography (no dusting required). You don’t need to make it spotless, and I’ll help you figure out which rooms to skip cleaning altogether.

    Here’s a letter of encouragement about your house.

  • That’s the beauty of in-home photo sessions: we don’t have to worry about rain. I have a simple lighting setup that I bring with me in case it’s especially gloomy outside, or if we just need a little bit of extra light. If the roads are passable, I’ll be there.

    Here’s a session I did at home on a day with gloomy weather.

  • Whatever your family likes to do together, maybe minus watching Bluey.

    Between the phone call and a pre-session questionnaire, I’ll have a good idea of how your family likes to play together, and we’ll incorporate that into our session.

    Can’t think of anything? Don’t worry, I got you. Click this link to read a blog post about this very thing.

  • I get it - even Beyoncé makes a bad photo sometimes. While I won’t make you look like someone you’re not, I do focus (pun intended) on the love and connection in your family and how your kids look at you all googly-eyed. I’ll also walk you through how to pick clothes that make you feel your best, so you’re not pulling on fabric or worrying about things riding up.

    But also… here’s a blog post on that.

Got Q’s? I’ve got A’s.

“Easy, stress-free and fun!”

"Allison made this whole process easy, stress-free and fun!  And we could not be happier with the end result.  I have two young boys, and they did not complain even once about the photo shoot!!  We all had fun!”

-Melissa S.