A Storytelling Session Just Hits Different

Why a Storytelling Session Just Hits Different

You know those family photo sessions where everyone is dressed just right, the light is golden, and the smiles are perfectly timed? I still do those. I love those. There’s something really beautiful about a well-coordinated lifestyle session in a gorgeous location, where we laugh and play and capture you all looking your best.

But sometimes…
You don’t want to “perform.” You just want to be.

And that’s where a storytelling session comes in.

What Is a Storytelling Session?

Imagine this:
Instead of asking, Where should I put my hands? or Is my kid smiling enough?, you’re too busy playing tag in the backyard. Or melting popsicles by the pool. Or baking messy cookies while your toddler sneaks bites of dough.

A storytelling session is centered around what your family actually loves doing together. It’s less about posing and more about presence.

The Difference Is in the Feeling

Lifestyle sessions (the pretty outfits, the dreamy golden light) are wonderful. They feel polished and a little magical. I guide you with prompts, we twirl and cuddle and play. They’re joyful and still very much you—but with just a bit more structure.

Storytelling sessions? They feel like your favorite Saturday. The kind that ends with dirty feet and full hearts. The focus isn’t on looking at the camera—it’s on looking at each other.

We pick an activity you all enjoy. Skateboarding. Water balloon fights. Board games. Backyard camping. A beach day. I give you a little direction, maybe set up a “scene,” but once we start, I step back. I want to capture your natural rhythms—the way your daughter tucks her hair behind her ear, how your son always climbs onto dad’s back, how you instinctively reach for your partner’s hand.

“But What If I’m Awkward in Front of the Camera?”

Let me tell you something: everyone thinks that.

You’re not awkward. You just need something else to focus on.
When you’re engaged in something familiar and fun, your brain isn’t looping “what do I do with my hands??” It’s busy being in the moment with your kids. That’s the magic of a storytelling session—it gives you something real to sink into. You don’t have to perform love. You just get to live it.

Remember That Box of Old Photos?

You know the one. Maybe it lived in your grandma’s hallway closet or up on a bookshelf in your parents’ house. You’d pull it down and get totally lost flipping through faded photos of you splashing in a horse trough in your swimsuit, hair tangled and cheeks sun-kissed. Or building a fort out of couch cushions. Or making the world’s messiest PB&J.

Those pictures? Those were storytelling sessions before they were even a thing.

This is your chance to give that kind of nostalgia to your own kids.

You Can Have Both

Just because you love the look of styled sessions doesn’t mean you have to pick one or the other. I offer both—because both are meaningful. Both tell your story. The difference is in the tone. One is dreamy and curated. The other is rooted and real.

So if you’re craving a slower pace…
If you’re tired of begging your kids to “just smile one more time”…
If you want to look back on photos and feel what life was like…

A storytelling session might be just what you need.

Let’s create something you’ll want to pull off the shelf 30 years from now.
Let’s make photos that feel like memories.

Let’s plan your session → Click here to chat/book your session