FAQ

I prefer shooting my sessions within a few hours of sunset when the light is best! However, if you have a special request, I will do my best to accommodate your needs. 

After booking a session and getting to know you a little bit, we will (together) choose a location that will best tell your story.

 I do have some preferred places!

Nature session: Lake Ahquabi, Annette Nature Center, Dale Maffitt Reservoir, Water Works Park, Ewing Park, Pammel Park, Bridges of Madison County, Winterset City Park. Summerset/Banner Lakes. 

Urban Session:  Downtown Des Moines, Sculpture Garden, Cowles Commons, Court Avenue.  Des Moines Art Center & Rose Garden, Greenwood Park, Gray's Lake, East Village, Iowa State Capitol grounds, Iowa State Fairgrounds, Robert D. Ray Asian Gardens, Murals downtown and city streets!  Winterset town square!  

Activity ideas:  Get ice cream with your family! Visit a pumpkin patch, stomp through a creek or go U-Pick berries or apples! Play baseball in your backyard. A blog post is coming soon with more ideas- or contact me and we can discuss how best to capture your family! 

**(Price of admission to any of these places is not included in the cost of the session, and will be the responsibility of the people being photographed!)

The outfits and colors you choose to wear for your pictures reflect you and your style, so take the time to find outfits that make you feel like the beautiful people that you are.  

If you need help or inspiration with finding outfits or color schemes, let me know and I’ll be happy to help, but don’t feel pressured.  I’m more interested in connections and fun and genuine expressions!

 However, for those of you looking for a more helpful answer... some things photograph more nicely than others. Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way:   

• Bold pops of color (reds, yellows, blues, greens) photograph so nicely! Pair with pretty patterns to avoid too many bold pops of color. 
• Neutrals are also super nice: think browns, creams, tans, khaki. Soft blues, greens and gray!
• Things that are fancy-casual are so good for adventuring AND looking nice! (Fancy casual = things you could dress up or down depending on where you are going, but that you can still move and be comfortable in!) 

I love when moms wear something beautiful and easy. (Maxi dresses  move and photograph so nicely!) I also love when kiddos can get a little dirty or wet without mom or dad worrying about the grass stains on their knees. The magic happens when it’s okay for the kids to play without fear of getting too dirty!

Things to avoid: everyone wearing all-white shirts, everyone matching, neon colors, large logos, bulky sweaters/layers! 

I have two goals in mind when I shoot a family session.

(1) Capture your family in photographs you can look back on forever! AND

(2) Have fun during our session!

Most of our time will be spent interacting with each other and having fun finding ways to tell YOUR story. We will make time to pose (and I will do my best to get a money shot of you all smiling at the camera), but my main goal is to capture the love and emotion and connection of your beautiful family. To take photos that you can look at years later and laugh and smile and remember things you swore you would never forget. All I ask from you is that you come with an open mind and a willingness to have fun! Once you are ready to book, contact me and we will figure out how to best tell YOUR story! 

When you book a session with me, I hope you know you are not just coming to smile for a photo! You could breastfeed your babies, hold hands on a walk around the lake, or pick flowers. We could play tee-ball in your backyard or walk to the local ice cream shoppe for ice cream cones! Trust me, I have three uncooperative kids of my own and I know how frustrating it can be when they won't sit still and pose and smile for a camera. Together we will figure out how to best to tell your story, and then from there -- you will worry about having fun with your family and I will worry about capturing your messy, beautiful life.