West Virginia Family Photographer

Your Family Doesn't Have to Behave for Me.

I don't need your toddler to sit still.

I don't need your teenager to suddenly become enthusiastic about family pictures.

I don't need your partner to know what the fuck to do with their hands.

And I definitely don't need everyone smiling at the camera for sixty straight minutes.

We'll get that photograph.

You know the one.

The everybody-look-at-me-and-please-for-the-love-of-God-don't-blink photograph that goes on Grandma's wall.

Then we move on.

Because I want the belly laughs. The bear hugs. The missing teeth. The weird sibling dynamics. The way your kid launches themselves at you when you crouch down. The face your partner makes when somebody says something inappropriate.

The stuff you couldn't perfectly recreate even if you tried.

Your family as it actually exists right now.

Because someday, that's the version you're going to miss.

I'm a West Virginia family photographer based in Fairmont, and I photograph families the way they actually are: loud, quiet, affectionate, awkward, chaotic, weird, and everything in between. No perfect behavior required.

“Okay, But My Kids Are Kind of Feral.”

Perfect.

I've met children before. 😂 In fact, I am currently raising one myself.

Kids cry. They get shy. They decide halfway through the session that sticks are considerably more interesting than whatever the adults are doing. Toddlers develop deeply held political opinions about being picked up. Babies need to be fed. Teenagers occasionally look like they've been sentenced to sixty minutes of hard labor.

None of that ruins your session.

I'm not expecting your children to perform for my camera.

If somebody needs a break, we take one.

If your toddler wants to run, we run.

If the baby needs fed, feed the baby.

If your kid needs ten minutes to decide whether I'm a trustworthy human being, I'll give them ten minutes.

And if everything goes completely off the rails?

Sometimes that's when we get the best shit.

You Don't Need to Parent for the Pictures

This one matters.

You don't need to spend the entire session saying:

“Look at the camera.”

“Smile.”

“Stop doing that.”

“Put that down.”

“Come back here.”

“PLEASE JUST TAKE ONE NICE PICTURE.”

I'll handle the photography.

You just be with your family.

Play with them. Chase them. Snuggle them. Make them laugh. Comfort them when they need it.

The less everybody worries about performing "correctly" for the camera, the more your photographs start looking like you.

Your Family Session Can Actually Be Fun

We can absolutely meet at a beautiful park around sunset.

There's nothing wrong with that.

But that's not your only option.



Your family session could look like:

A picnic at your favorite park: Bring snacks. Bring a blanket. Let the kids run around.

An afternoon at home: Make pancakes. Bake cookies. Play in the backyard. Read books. Jump on the bed. Document the place where your actual life happens.

A little adventure: Go hiking. Explore a creek. Skip rocks. Pick wildflowers. Wander somewhere you've never been.

A day in town: Get ice cream. Visit a bookstore. Walk around downtown. Stop somewhere your family loves.

Something your family already does together: Fishing. Camping. Gardening. Board games. Music. Riding bikes. Working on cars. Sunday breakfast.

Or we can do absolutely none of that.

Maybe you just want a beautiful location, cute outfits, and some updated family photographs for the walls and social media.

That's allowed too.

You don't have to manufacture an experience just to prove your family is interesting.

The goal is simply to create photographs that feel like the people in them.

BUT CALMNESS PHOTOGRAPHS WELL, TOO.

Family sessions begin at $399. Most families choose the $549 Sundance Collection for up to an hour together.