As kids grow up, family photos tend to go by the wayside. The children don't seem to change all that much year to year. There are a lot of weekend activities and sports games to attend, so there never seems to be any extra time during those precious weekend days.

I am always amazed how different kids look when I photograph them a year later.. my own kids included. Seeing them every day, you don't really notice the gradual slow changes that take place. But over a longer period of time, you can clearly see the difference.. which always reminds me how important it is to set some time aside every year simply to photograph the way they look, right now.

The last time Sophie and Alexander's family got professional photographs taken was when Sophie was 2 years old (she is now 9 and her younger brother is 5). And I'm sure they have tons of photographs on their phones over the years, but they didn't have that family portrait where everyone looks good and that really represents them. 

I know how important these photographs are in the long run. But I also know that there's very little time and that weekend days are super busy when you have older kids. So we schedule in between soccer practice. We optimize the time we have together. And we make sure the kids have an absolute blast in the Studio. So a photoshoot doesn't feel like a chore. It becomes part of a fun weekend with the family instead. And the best part is that you get beautiful family portraits to keep in the end!