Vancouver Family Photographer

families

honest, authentic, and emotive

vancouver family photography

A lifestyle family session is about finding the belonging between people. It’s about parents giving piggyback rides and blowing raspberries on round little toddler tummies. It’s about exalted moments like breastfeeding and mundane moments like making snacks, and every single silly, joyful, magical, comical, wild, painful, and ordinary moment in between, because you know … you KNOW, that all those moments are equally important in this journey we call life.

So whether we are relaxing in your home or playing at your favorite park, I am not there to photograph a parent, or a baby, or siblings. I am there to freeze in time the memory of a growing family. I may be in the background, giving “starting off prompts” as needed, or maybe I’ll be howling with laughter as I am chased around the swings by the kids, but there is no posing, no forced smiles. Of course, we will capture a family portrait for the grandparents. But otherwise, there is no right or wrong way for you to be living your life. Don’t wait until you have lost some weight, or the house is redecorated, or your tween daughter gets her braces off, or your toddler son calms down a bit.
The emotions that matter are happening right now.

HOW IT WORKS

INVESTMENT

FAQ

outdoor sunset sessions

indoor lifestyle sessions

the process

01.

The penny drops

That moment you think to yourself “They are growing up too fast. When you feel that stirring of unease in your belly that life is flying at breakneck speed. When you find yourself inexplicably crying your eyes out over an outgrown onesie. THAT is when you call me and book a family session. There is a way to make time stand still for a bit.

02.

Getting to know you

Rest assured that a session with this Vancouver family photographer is a completely customized experience. I send you a questionnaire that delves into who you are as a family, what is important to you, and basically, what makes you rock. Based on your answers, I plan a session that tells your story authentically and with so much heart.

03.

Prepping made easy

I know the stress that can come with session prep. Usually one superhero (ahem: Mom!) is responsible for getting everyone outfitted and presentable and snacked up, and prepping the house or getting everyone in the car. I’m with you every step of the way with Pinterest boards, styling advice, checklists, and reassurances that everything will be ok!

04.

It’s Photo Day!

It’s here! Prepare to have a fun, relaxing and memorable session where you feel like you’ve had a chance to truly connect with your family, and shown off the dynamic that makes your story unique and special. There will be playing, there will be laughing, and there will be hugging.
So. Much. Hugging!

05.

The Big Reveal

Within 2 weeks of your session, your full gallery will be presented in a tear-inducing slideshow. Watch (and rewatch!) and decide which collection to purchase. I’m sure you are going to love them all, but my commitment to you is always to only buy what you love, so choose the collection that fits your family’s needs best.

06.

Let’s talk about art

Your photos are part of your story as a family, and it makes no sense to keep those memories sitting forgotten in a dusty corner of your hard drive. Every collection includes a print credit to be used on prints and products to display your gorgeous family photos in your home.

Investment

“BUY ONLY WHAT YOU LOVE”

By splitting up the total investment into two parts, you are assured you’re only paying for the images that you love. Pay the session fee before the session to cover my time preparing, photographing and editing. Then, after you see your photos, you can choose to purchase collections containing 15, 30 or all the digital files. I include gift print credits so your precious memories end up as printed art in your hands.

Session Fee

$250
This fee is non-refundable and payable before your session. It covers my time spent working with you before and during the session, including session preparation, capturing your photographs, and editing your images.
No photos are included in this session fee.

Collections

STARTING AT $500
After your session, you purchase the collection size that works best for your family. Collections all include a number of digital files and a gift print credit that can be used for prints and products in the online store.
The session fee is NOT applied to your collection.

Get in touch for more info!

…she captures those little moments that you want to bottle forever…

I cannot gush enough about the magic Rochelle created with our lifestyle shoot!
It was time to update our family photos and I wanted to capture us as we were, a chaotic family, a busy house with 4 crazy kids. Rochelle seemed perfect for that kind of shoot, but we got more than we expected.
Not only was Rochelle amazing with our kids (including winning over our shy bug and deftly handling our wild child), but the whole experience was easy. So easy.
The best part though, were the shots of the kids. She captured these wild creatures in their natural habitat! I will be able to look back on these photos years from now and I will be transported back to this house, the girls colouring and playing with Shopkins, my son’s obsession with Lego and how they played together. Whether reading as a family, lounging on our bed or making a snack- those simple moments were made magic by Rochelle as she got shot after shot of personality and love in our small interactions.
I cannot recommend her enough for a family lifestyle shoot, as she captures those little moments that you want to bottle forever.

Shannon M.

have questions?

As a Vancouver family photographer, I travel to outdoor session locations like parks, beaches, forests, and urban locations all around the Vancouver Lower Mainland. We decide on the location together, based on your family dynamic, what look you’d like to achieve, and also where you live.

Indoor sessions are held … well, in your home!

You don’t need a designer home with floor to ceiling windows to have an absolutely gorgeous in-home photo session. The beauty of any house is vested in the people that call it home, and seeing your growing family in the surroundings where they feel most comfortable, will make for authentic photos telling an authentic story. In most houses, the main bedroom and the living room receives the best light and so we will use that most, and we will have a few shots in the kids’ room. A simple declutter (read: throw everything into the closet) in these 3 rooms is all that is needed to get your home ready for the session.

I typically book out one to three months in advance, or even longer in busy seasons like fall. So even if we don’t decide on an exact date, let’s at least pencil in something, so you are on the books, and will get priority in booking the exact date closer to the time.

This means that typically, summer sessions start around 8pm , fall session around 5:30pm, winter sessions around 3pm, and spring sessions around 7:30pm. If you have little kids, this may very well mean that a session can start when they’re supposed to be in bed. Let me assure you that most families manage to make an exception to this for just this one day by creatively shuffling the day’s schedule and adding an extra late nap. Because sessions are play-based, your little ones won’t even notice that it is past their bedtimes when we are having fun and running around. If this is absolutely impossible for your family, then consider a morning sunrise session, or a session later in the year when sunset is earlier.

It’s all about the light! When the sun is positioned overhead in the sky, the light is very harsh, and it creates very hard shadows everywhere, including your face. When photos are taken during the day with sun overhead, you will see dark circles under your eyes (think raccoon eyes!), and people will be squinting because it is so bright. There is nothing flattering about this . As a Vancouver family photographer who is not willing to compromise on the quality and consistency of my work (and what you pay for), I only shoot during golden hour, when the sun is low in the sky, and bathes everyone in beautiful flattering soft swaths of light. Golden hour is the hour before sunset, and the hour after sunrise.

I wouldn’t be a real Vancouver family photographer if I didn’t take the rain into account! I check the forecast 3 days before the session. If it looks like it will rain, I will be in touch to schedule an backup rain day. On the morning of your session, I will make a final decision on whether to go ahead with the session, or move it to the rain day. And if you are an adventurous family looking for one-of-a-kind photos, consider a session IN the rain – as long as it’s not pouring or storming out, we will capture wonderfully fun memories.

There is no need to buy a new outfit for every family member (sorry, shopaholics!). Lifestyle sessions are meant to focus on the relationships between family members, and not so much the clothing that they wear. As such, the general guidance I have is to not wear clothing that takes the focus away. Otherwise, be yourself and be comfortable. I truly believe that the interactions and expressions in the photos we create together will be what makes you treasure an image, not so much what you’re wearing or where you’re standing. After booking your session I will send you a complete session guide with home prep advice, clothing guidance, etc.

Each collection offers some (or all) digital files. In addition, I offer unique, heirloom products to show off your beautiful images in your home, which can be purchased using the print credit included in every collection.

I look at each and every image I take at your session and hand select the best images. I am looking for images that are genuine, relaxed and full of natural connections (and flattering to all family members!). I pick a minimum of 60 images (usually more!), so you can be assured you’re getting a great variety of poses, angles and storytelling moments.

The pandemic has certainly taught every Vancouver family photographer how to offer sessions that check all the safety boxes! It goes without saying that the health and safety of both my family and yours is front and center in my mind at all times. I will be rescheduling your session if anyone in my household has displayed any symptoms related to the flu within 10 days of your session, and I ask that you do the same. In addition, upon request, I can wear a mask during the session, and I practice very strict hand hygiene, sanitizing my hands several times before, during and after our session.