Last year, I found myself sitting on the floor with a box of old photos. My mom passed not long ago, and I’ve been moving through the quiet, tender work of remembering her—bit by bit, image by image.
There were snapshots from birthdays and beach trips. Blurry candids of us in the kitchen. One photo where I’m on her lap, both of us mid-laugh. I stared at that one for a long time.
And it hit me:
Photos aren’t just for the now. They’re for the after.
Why photos matter more than we realize
As a photographer in Ann Arbor, I meet so many families who almost don’t book. They’re busy. Their toddler is going through a phase. They’re waiting to lose ten pounds. I get it—truly, I do.
But when I look at that photo of me and my mom, I’m not thinking about what she was wearing or if she had makeup on. I’m just so grateful she existed in the frame.
Our kids won’t remember if you wore the “right” dress.
They’ll remember how your arms felt around them.
How you laughed when they made that face.
How seen and safe they felt in your presence.
If you’ve ever thought, “We should really get some photos taken…”
Please don’t wait for perfect.
Take them because time is already moving.
Because your child’s gap-toothed smile won’t last.
Because next year, they’ll be taller. Different. More themselves.
What I offer isn't just pretty pictures.
It’s proof you were there.
That you loved them fiercely.
That your presence was the backdrop of their childhood.
If you’ve lost someone, you already know how much these photos mean later.
If you haven’t, I hope you don’t have to learn that yet.
But when that day comes—because it comes for all of us—these images will matter in a way you can’t quite imagine now.
Want to create something that lasts?
My sessions are gentle, playful, rooted in connection. We walk the farm, pick flowers, pet goats, and let the kids be themselves. You show up just as you are—and I handle the rest.
You’ll walk away with more than photos.
You’ll walk away with something your children will hold onto for a lifetime.
Reach out here if this speaks to you.
I’d be honored to help you tell your story.
