Where your family becomes art.
Family
Shaping your story
Your session begins with vision. How would you love to enjoy these portraits once they are finished. A statement piece for your bedroom, an heirloom album that tells the story of your child’s beginning, or framed artwork for the spaces where you spend your days.
When we know what matters most to you, we can shape your session so that every choice: wardrobe, location, and tone, flows seamlessly into the way your artwork will be experienced in your home.
end in mind
Begin with the
Your portraits are transformed into heirloom artwork: albums, gallery walls, and statement pieces designed to be lived with and passed down. These images shape your family culture and the way you see yourself within it.
After Your Session
With professional hair and makeup provided, and a calm pace throughout, you’ll be free to feel present and cared for. I’ll gently guide you so that what unfolds is intimate, and beautifully true to you.
On Your Session Day
Every detail is thoughtfully considered, from complimentary wardrobe to creative direction that reflects the feeling you want to bring into your home. Together, we’ll shape a vision that feels both natural and artful.
Before Your Session
I
Prior to our style consultation, draw inspiration from the resources below. Together, we shape the emotional tone you want your portraits to hold; soft and nostalgic, light and playful, or timeless and composed. Every detail, from colors to location, flows from that vision.
Before Your SEssion
Creative Direction
The first step is completing your questionnaire. This gives me insight into your style, your family, and what matters most so I can prepare with intention.
Pre-Session Questionnaire
Styling
During our video consultation, we’ll refine wardrobe, select a location, and talk about how you hope to enjoy your portraits afterward; whether through a framed gallery wall, a hand-bound album, or both.
Wardrobe & Styling Consultation
Styling
After our styling consultation, I’ll create a visual style board tailored to your session. This brings together wardrobe pieces, color palettes, and location inspiration so you can clearly see how everything will flow. It’s designed to help you feel confident that every detail is cohesive, intentional, and true to you.
Custom Style Board
Styling
If you’d like, we can schedule a time for you to try on pieces from the studio wardrobe before your session. This allows you to see how the gowns feel and move, and to confirm which looks you love most.
Optional Wardrobe Try-On
Styling
Whites, creams, pale blush, and muted grays. Creates an airy, timeless feeling that emphasizes tenderness, calm, and simplicity. Perfect for portraits you want to feel gentle and ethereal.
Soft & Serene
Color Stories
Notes of Spring
Earth tones like terracotta, camel, olive, and muted golds. Brings depth, intimacy, and a sense of connection. These tones photograph beautifully in natural settings and translate into artwork that feels rich and lived-in.
Warm & Grounded
Down to Earth
Color Stories
Clear blues, fresh greens, corals, and brighter accents. Adds energy and movement, evoking playfulness and celebration. Ideal if you want portraits to reflect joy and vitality.
Vibrant & Joyful
Al Fresco
Color Stories
Monochromatic palettes in soft neutrals or classic tones like navy, charcoal, or ivory. Creates a refined, composed atmosphere. Perfect for gallery walls and artwork that feels sophisticated and enduring.
Elegant & Timeless
Ocean Mist
Color Stories
Before we determine wardrobe or a location, we begin with how you want your home to feel when you see these portraits: calm and airy, warm and intimate, quietly confident. Once we name that feeling, we’ll shape a cohesive color story, location, and wardrobe to serve it.
Every choice intentional and aligned.
Let The Artwork Lead
Mt. Tamalpais, Filoli, Del Valle
the great outdoors
Legion of Honor, SF City Hall, Palace of Fine Arts
architectural
Santa Cruz, Carmel, Big Sur, Rodeo Beach
by the sea
A few favorites to spark ideas, the best location is the one that carries meaning for your family.
LOCATIONS
san francisco bay area locations
This is your time to feel cared for.
Session Day
On Your
Many parents feel the need to prepare their children by saying things like “look at the camera, smile, and do exactly what the photographer says.” I want to encourage you to take a different approach. Your children don’t need to perform or get it “right.” They are already enough, exactly as they are.
My role is to meet your children where they are, whether they feel curious, shy, playful, or reserved. I’ll get down on their level, connect with them genuinely, and create space for their natural personalities to shine through. I believe children are inherently good, and they always do their best according to what they understand in the moment. That is what I want to honor in these photographs.
Every child is unique. Some will dive right in, others may need a little more time, and that is perfectly fine. If there is anything you would like me to know about your children beforehand, please share. It helps me approach the session with sensitivity and respect.
If you would like, small treats or breaks can sometimes be helpful, but what matters most is setting the tone before you arrive. Let them know this is not about following rules. It is about being together, having fun, and being seen as they truly are.
Together, we will create images that feel natural, joyful, and deeply true to your family.
How to Prep the Kids
Your hair and makeup will be professionally done the day of your session by one of my trusted artists, typically 2–3 hours before we begin. You’ll receive all details one week prior.
In the days leading up to your session, keep skin hydrated and schedule any waxing, shaving, or manicures a few days in advance.
If you plan a haircut or color, aim for at least a week before. Arrive with clean, dry hair and minimal product, my artist will refine your look from there.
Feel free to bring inspiration images to your styling consultation. This is your moment, and we’re here to help you feel like your most radiant self.
Your Beauty, Refined with Care
Complimentary
HAIR &
MAKEUP
- Allow yourself time to rest before your session.
- Bring touch-up makeup if you wish, though I will be watching closely to ensure you feel at ease and beautiful.
- If children or a partner are included, I will guide them with patience so that your connections feel natural and true.
The Day Of YOUR
PORTAIT SESSION
Florals can be a beautiful way to enhance the tone of your portraits. Whether a simple bouquet, a flower crown, or artful arrangements in your home, I can coordinate with trusted designers to create pieces that complement your wardrobe and color palette. If you’d like to include florals, we’ll discuss this during your styling consultation.
Floral Add-On
Optional
When little ones are part of your session, I want you to feel completely at ease. I offer trusted nanny recommendations or encourage having an extra set of hands so you can relax during your solo portraits, knowing your children are cared for close by. During the session, I keep simple, beautiful toys and soft blankets on hand to gently engage kids when it’s their turn. This way, the focus stays on connection, and you can enjoy the experience without distraction.
Family Care Add-On
Optional
Pets are often a meaningful part of the family story. If you would like to include your pet, think about bringing a neutral toy or treat and, when possible, arranging for someone to help after their part of the session is complete. This gives you the space to be fully present with your family for the rest of our time together.
Pet Care Add-On
Optional
Your portraits are meant to be lived with and loved daily, not tucked away on a screen.
After Your SEssion
Artwork & Legacy
Delivery & Installation of your Artwork
Eight - Ten weeks after your Design is Approved
Design & Ordering Appointment
two - Three weeks after your session
when to expect your photos
A single hero portrait presented with museum-grade materials, matted or floated with generous negative space, creating a quiet focal point that invites you to pause.
Statement Frames
A curated arrangement scaled to your architecture and finishes, designed to your exact measurements and ready to grow as your family does.
Gallery Walls
Hand-bound, layflat books that preserve this season of becoming, with archival papers and bespoke covers, made to be held, revisited, and passed down.
Heirloom Albums
From prints that become keepsakes and albums that become heirlooms, bring your images to life with the magic of prints. Ordering details will be provided with your gallery.
Transform your images into timeless treasures
HEIRLOOM PRINTS & ALBUMS
— Laurel Smith
This guide is meant to inspire you and spark ideas before our styling consultation. During our consultation, we’ll refine your preferences together. Afterward, I’ll create a custom style board tailored specifically for your session so you can feel confident in every detail.
