When is the best time for family portraits?  Is it when all the kids are old enough to listen (wait…. does that actually happen??? ever????)?  Is it before the kids can walk?  Is it a certain time of year?  Or a certain season of life? i’m here to tell you its all the time.  its now.  its tomorrow. its yesterday.

the time is now.

the answer is every day.  right now you should get family portraits done.  call and plan it today.  because after today – the kids aren’t this age anymore.  in two months your baby may have transitioned from infant to toddler.   in two years your baby may be entering fifth grade and not wanting portraits with his mom and dad.  the reality is – there is never a perfect time – because every moment is that time!!  they are only this age right now.  so cherish it – love them wherever they are – and capture it.  freeze this age – don’t wait until they walk or talk or “listen.” (i mean really…. does this ever actually happen???)

they grow up too fast.

i see this every single day with my kids.  i blink and all of a sudden my baby is potty trained and almost ready to go to preschool…. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!?!?! we’ve gotten really good at talking about making plans and less good about following through with said plans.   i wish i could have every moment memorized with them – all of their firsts… heck – i’d take their second, third and fourths!!  we are lucky to experience every moment but we can never get them back.  don’t delay – take the photos now.

hire a professional.

you know me.. i always say i love to document the every day.  and you should 100% do that.  there’s a saying that the best camera you have is the one you have.  its totally true!  whether its your iphone, dslr or point and shoot – they can all capture a moment.. something happens with your kids – put it on there to remember forever!!  but also remember the importance of family portraits – the importance of GETTING IN THE FRAME.  no one looks at your baby the same way that you do – and that should be frozen in time.  think about 30 years from now – when your baby is now looking at his or her baby for the photo… when he or she looks at either of those images they know EXACTLY how that moment felt – and they can feel how much you loved them way back when.  its important to me that my kids see me in their photos – even those moments when my girl is clutching to me and my boy is hiding from the camera.  its them – where they were at that moment – and its our family.

the moral of the story.

document your days – any way you can….and then schedule that family portrait session so your kiddos can enjoy your family story with you in it… how you all looked… and how it felt.