Year in the Life: A Deeper Look at Long-Term Family Storytelling (Part 2)
If the first Year in the Life post was about logistics and “how it works,” this one is about the heart of it all. Photographing a family across a full year isn’t just a project, it becomes a relationship, a rhythm, and a story that reveals itself slowly. Here’s a closer look at what makes these sessions so meaningful.
1. What inspired you to start offering Year in the Life sessions?
I’ve always loved the quiet, unscripted moments that happen between the “big events.” A whole year gives me the chance to witness the transitions, the way a toddler’s feet dangle a little lower from the breakfast bench, the shift from warm layers to bare feet in the grass, the new routines that quietly replace the old ones. Families change quickly, and this format preserves the beauty in that evolution.
2. How do the photos from these sessions evolve over the course of a year?
Early sessions often feel cozy and familiar, usually indoors or in favorite spots. As the year moves forward, families tend to get more comfortable on camera and lean into their natural rhythms. By the final sessions, the photos often reflect a deeper ease, new traditions, and visible growth, everything from first steps to new sibling roles to the way the light in your home shifts with each season.
3. What kinds of stories emerge when you document a family over time?
Patterns start to stand out, the rituals that repeat, the personalities that shine through, the ways a family’s love language shows up in daily life. Maybe it’s weekend pancakes, a beloved stuffie, a backyard garden growing through the seasons, or a toddler’s insistence on wearing the same favorite rain boots for months. Over time, these threads weave together into a fuller picture of who your family is right now.
4. How do you keep kids (and parents!) feeling natural with a camera around?
Time is the secret ingredient. Because I’m visiting regularly, kids see me more as a familiar grown-up than a photographer. They don’t feel pressure to “perform,” which means I can capture their real expressions and energy. Parents tend to relax for the same reason, once they realize they don’t have to pose or direct, they simply get to be in the moment. I have actually increased my session time to 90 minutes instead of just an hour. That extra 30 minutes has helped everyone let their guard down a bit more and also allows us all to feel less rushed if there’s an activity planned.
5. Do you approach each family differently, or follow a consistent storytelling style?
The documentary approach stays consistent, but every family truly shapes its own story. Some are high-energy and outdoorsy; some are quiet and cozy; some have new babies and ever-shifting routines. I follow what’s real, your pace, your dynamic, your version of everyday life.
6. What surprises families most when they look back at the full year of images?
Almost always: how much has changed without them realizing it. Parents notice things like the way a child’s hands have grown, how their home has transformed, or how a morning routine has now become a cherished memory. It’s the subtle things that hit the hardest, the details you can’t see clearly until you have a full year side by side.
7. What’s been your most memorable moment or session from a Year in the Life project?
There are always standout moments - a first birthday, messy baking disasters, the joy of playing in the fall leaves - but the truth is, the most memorable pieces are usually small. A child inviting me into their imaginative world, a quiet hug on a couch, a routine unfolding naturally that will inevitably fade as a child grows. Those are the moments that stay with me.
8. Do these photos change in meaning as time passes?
Absolutely. What feels “ordinary” now becomes priceless later. Families often tell me that the photos mean more a year, two years, or five years later than they did when they first received them. Kids grow, homes evolve, and life shifts. The images become a time capsule of a season you can’t return to.
9. What add-ons or keepsakes do families usually choose to celebrate the completed year?
Every family receives an included year-end album, designed to tell the whole story beautifully. Additionally, families love to order prints, framed wall pieces, or an extra copy of their album for sharing with family that may not live close by. The album is especially popular because it brings the year together in one place; a tangible story you can flip through again and again.
10. What advice would you give families who want to start documenting their year?
Don’t overthink it. You don’t need perfect outfits, a spotless house, or a list of activities. The beauty of these sessions is that they’re grounded in your real life. Show up as you are, embrace your routines, and trust that your everyday moments have value. They’re the ones you’ll want to remember most.
Year in the Life Sessions: Your Top Questions Answered (Part 1)
There’s something magical about watching a family’s story unfold over time. The tiny changes in a child’s face, the way your routines shift with the seasons, the small rituals that mean everything in the moment but are so easy to forget later.
That’s why I began offering Year in the Life sessions - long-term, documentary-style photography that captures your family as you truly are, throughout an entire year. Below are the most common questions I’m asked about how it all works.
1. What exactly is a Year in the Life session?
A Year in the Life package includes a series of documentary photo sessions, either 4, 6, or 12 sessions, spread across one year. Each session is 90 minutes and focuses on your real, everyday life. Think: breakfast chaos, park afternoons, bedtime snuggles, rainy-day crafting, or weekend adventures. The goal is to document your family’s story in an honest, meaningful way.
2. How is a Year in the Life package different from booking individual photo sessions?
Booking a single session is wonderful, but it offers just a snapshot in time. A Year in the Life project shows the evolution, tiny milestones, growth spurts, shifting routines, and the beautiful mess of real life. It also creates a cohesive visual story instead of isolated moments.
3. Who are these sessions best suited for?
These sessions are ideal for families who value authenticity over perfection and want to remember the little things that often fade fastest. They’re especially loved by families with newborns, toddlers, or big life transitions, but truly, any family who cherishes their everyday moments is a good fit.
4. How often do the sessions happen, and how long is each one?
The frequency depends on the package you choose:
4 sessions: One per quarter of the year/season
6 sessions: Every other month
12 sessions: Monthly
Each session is 90 minutes, giving us time to settle in and let genuine moments unfold.
5. Can we choose the season, timing, and location for each session?
Absolutely. Each session is completely customizable. You can choose the month, the time of day, and the location - your home, your neighborhood, your favorite park, or a place that holds meaning to your family. Many families love mixing indoor and outdoor sessions to show the rhythm of their year.
6. What kinds of moments do you typically capture during a Year in the Life session?
Anything that feels true to your family. Some favorites include:
Making breakfast together
Walks to the local coffee shop
Bathtime routines
Park play and nature walks
Bedtime stories or slow weekend mornings
Family adventures around town
The everyday things are often the ones parents cherish most later.
7. Do we need to plan activities for each session, or can we just do our normal routine?
Most families do a mix of both. You don’t need anything elaborate, your normal routine is perfect. If you want guidance, I can help brainstorm simple, meaningful activities that fit your family’s personality. I also provide a booklet at the start of the year with monthly seasonal ideas.
8. What happens if we need to reschedule a session?
Life with kids is unpredictable, I get it. If you need to reschedule, we simply choose a new date. Flexibility is built into these packages so the project stays stress-free.
9. What’s included in the different package options (4, 6, or 12 sessions)?
All packages include:
Your chosen number of 90-minute sessions
A beautifully curated online gallery
High-resolution digital images
A final year-end family photo album with highlights from each session
Optional add-ons include prints, wall art, and extra books to gift extended family.
10. How do you deliver the photos after each session, and what do we get at the end of the year?
At the start of the year, after your first session your family’s year-long gallery will begin. After each session, you’ll receive an email and text alert when your most recently edited images have been added to your family’s gallery. At the end of the year, I create and design a final photo album that pulls together the best moments from your family’s year, preserved in a printed visual narrative you can revisit forever.
Why I Shoot Film on Summer Vacation (and What I’ve Learned From Mixing Formats)
Discover why I bring film cameras on vacation, the gear and film stocks I pack, and what I’ve learned after two summers of traveling with family and film.
The slower I shoot, the more I remember. Film gives our summers space to breathe.
Why Summer Is Made for Film
Summer, for me, holds a kind of dreamy chaos, sun-drenched, sticky, wild, and a little nostalgic even as it happens. When we pack up for our family trips (road trips, camping weekends, or just a few days at the coast) I always make space in my bag for film.
There’s something about the way film renders the season: light-soaked, imperfect, honest. It doesn’t capture everything, and that’s exactly the point.
Choosing Film on Purpose
Digital photography is efficient. Convenient. Sharp. But when I shoot film, especially while traveling with my family, I slow down. I see things differently. I don’t take the same photo five times; I wait for the photo.
It’s also a boundary. I’m not scrolling through the back of the camera while the kid and dog are sprinting toward the tide. I’m just… watching. Waiting. Remembering.
Film slows me down.
It teaches me to shoot less.
The results feel like memories, not records.
What’s In My Bag
This year I’m keeping it simple:
Nikon N80 – My go-to 35mm camera. Lightweight, reliable autofocus, and perfect for chasing kids and dogs along the beach.
Fujifilm GA645 – A dream for travel. It’s compact for a medium format camera, and the fixed lens rangefinder style works beautifully for scenic landscapes. I don’t bring it everywhere, but when I do, it’s the one I reach for when the light and the view demand something special.
Lenses: Just two: my trusty 50mm f/1.4 and a 24mm f/2.8 for wide, environmental frames.
I carry everything in a Think Tank Retrospective 5, and I use Moment’s film pouches to organize rolls. Last year I brought both a Canon 1N and a Nikon FM2, but I found that the Canon, while excellent, was just too heavy for travel. It’s my main 35mm for client sessions now. As for the FM2, I love it, but with a fast-moving little one and a dog in the frame, autofocus wins. If I still had a slow moving baby I would likely stick with the slowness of the Nikon FM2.
Nikon N80 + 50mm 1.4 + 24mm 2.8, Fujifilm GA645, and used film waiting to be developed from our last vacation.
What I Shoot With (And Why)
My summer film choices are simple, budget-friendly, and beautiful in bright light:
Kodak Gold 200 – Perfect for high sun and warm tones. I love pushing it to 400 for a little extra grit.
Ultramax 400 – A reliable, flexible stock with good latitude and pop.
Ilford HP3 – My favorite black-and-white. I’ll push it all the way to 1600 when I want mood or need extra speed.
I’ve experimented with Fujifilm 200 and 400 but found they didn’t match the tones or contrast I was looking for. The greens never quite landed for me, especially compared to Kodak’s warmth.
This summer, I’m sticking with just two color stocks and one black-and-white. Simple is better when time is short and film is precious.
Lessons From Two Summers
The first summer I brought film along, I didn’t fully commit. I had my digital camera with me at all times and juggling both left me feeling stuck in my photographer brain. I’d swap cameras mid-scene, scroll through previews, and try to make quick choices that pulled me out of the moment.
In the end, I liked my film photos more. They told the real story. My digital files? Still buried on a hard drive.
These days, one of the biggest perks of film is how manageable it makes my personal work. There are fewer files to cull, no RAW files to edit, and when the scans come back, they’re usually 95–100% done. I don’t obsess over color or crop. They’re just… ready. Ready to print, ready to frame, ready to share.
It’s also a relief to leave the tangle of chargers behind. No more worrying about whether everything is fully charged before we head out for the day.
Film doesn’t just change how I shoot. It changes what I bring home—and how much energy I have left to enjoy it.
This Year’s Game Plan
This summer, I’m packing intentionally:
One 35mm camera with two lenses. One medium format camera for scenic shots.
A handful of rolls: two color, one black and white.
Film pouches organized and pre-loaded.
No backup gear “just in case.”
A point-and-shoot for my son, because he wants to remember too. I chose the Kodak Ektar H35 (a half frame point and shoot) for him this year instead of disposable because it actually gives him more frames when I pop in a roll of 36.
The goal isn’t to capture everything. It’s to be in it, and come away with memories I actually want to hold onto—not hundreds of files I’ll never sort through.
Vacation doesn’t need to feel like work. And film helps me draw that line.
Why I Keep Choosing Film
Even with the unpredictability, the delayed gratification, the lab fees, film brings me back to something simple. Something creative. And something grounded in trust; that I don’t need to see the image to know it mattered.
It reminds me that summer is fleeting. That my son won’t always climb into bed with sandy feet. That I won’t always have to pack six kinds of snacks before we leave the driveway. These are the messy, beautiful years. And film sees them the way I do.
Last year one of our family vacations was a camping trip to Cape Disappointment State Park. There’s a long jetty you can walk out onto as the waves break on the rocks around you. My son waited and waited to be sprayed by the perfect wave to hit the rocks. The first photo below is that mist splashing him. I’ll never forget how happy he was when it finally splashed him and how wet his face was after. The second photo, backlit in golden sun, he was still wet as we hiked back to the car.
I don’t need 2,000 photos. I need 20 that make me feel something.
Curious About Film?
If you’ve ever been tempted to shoot film on vacation, I say try it. Just one roll. Just one walk. You don’t need to get it all right, you just need to let go of perfect and let it feel like summer.
Baby Raena - Fresh 48 at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett
Welcome baby Raena! Everyone is so excited you’re here. Especially your big sister who couldn’t take her eyes off of you.
Date & Time of Birth: 3/11 at 7:04 am
Weight: 7lb 15oz
Length: 21.25”
Summer's End - Seattle Documentary Newborn Session
So newborn session myth #1: Newborn sessions have to be scheduled within the first 2 weeks after birth.
NOPE!
Guess what? You can schedule them whenever you want or whenever works for your family.
Because I had taken their birth photos too, this family wanted to wait a little for their newborn photos. And that totally works!
While many people want to schedule newborn photos within the first two weeks at home, in reality there’s nothing wrong with waiting a few more weeks. If you think you missed your window because you didn’t schedule something sooner, I’m here to tell you, don’t stress about it. Just take the photos. Babies don’t last.
This family became so special to me. Not only was I their birth doula & photographer, but I had also taken (documentary) maternity photos for them as well. It was so fun to watch their family grow in front of my eyes and camera. As summer crept to a close it was fun how I had spent that entire season of the year and life with them.
LOOKING FOR A NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER?
