Family Porch Sessions

2020 has been a year for the books! So much commotion, confusion and unrest. What is a photographer to do? How do you make a difference and serve those around you? You reach out to families and offer to document this season in their lives; for a nominal cost.

I noticed other photographers around me were offering to do family photos for anyone that wanted them. I felt this was one of the best ways for me to provide a service that would mean something to those I worked with.

Guidelines I would give my families:

• The families did not need to go out and shop for outfits; come as you are.
• The families could incorporate the activities they were doing in their homes; books they were reading, hula hoops, etc.
• To keep things safe for everyone, I would stay at a distance, at least 6 feet, to get their pictures.
• Then the families would share a brief description of what they were doing in their homes to stay occupied. They gave me permission to share some of their story and their images online. I got some very sweet and fun stories from these families!

Meet a few of my families:

Mecham Family

“Our oldest daughter Lily was supposed to go to Disneyland with the drill team last week. She was sad and so my son and daughter surprised her with a trip to Disneyland inside our house!” -Katie Mecham

Warner Family

“My personal struggle, being a single mom, has been having very little interaction with adults. It’s very lonely and I desperately need to have conversations with others over the age of 11. Regardless, I really do make a huge effort on staying positive. It’s been the saving grace for us.” -Emily Warner

Carver Family

“I have always dreamed of homeschooling my kids but didn’t want them to miss out on school…We have been ‘traveling’ around the world this past week…As we continue traveling around the world we are learning so much about how everyone and every place has to deal with hard things, but if we trust in our Heavenly Father we can make it through anything.”- Kimi Carver

Limb Family

“I’m pretty sure at some point all of us have wanted a week or two at home with no outside responsibilities…I can’t imagine anyone thought we’d get it like this!…I keep telling the littles they’ll remember this forever. I’ve definitely tried to make them pleasant memories.” -Tasha Limb

McClellan Family

“Not only has the world changed; we are changing. And with change comes progress. These aren’t just strange times, they are hard times. Being together as a family, under these unique circumstances, is a true blessing and one of life’s tender mercies of peace during this time of chaos.” -Kristy McClellan

Rich Family

“We have turned the house into restaurants, movie theaters, and also played salon. We have all taken turns playing the parts…The world is a scary place right now, but it has taught me to enjoy the small things that were once overlooked!” -Kimberly Rich

Tripp Family

“It has been amazing (and humbling) to see how fast the world shut down during this pandemic. Our emotions have been all over the place…gratitude for good health, shock at how fast things closed, worry for my pediatrician husband, loneliness for friends and teachers, relief that some things got cancelled, and happiness to have more family time together and to spend more time in pjs.” -Kimberli Tripp

Bass Family

“My family and I have been so blessed through this whole pandemic. We’ve mostly learned invaluable lessons that I will forever be grateful for. Things that we always knew, but have learned in a real, personal, in-your-face way.” -Sierra Bass

Shimmel Family

“For covid, we are hanging out as a clan. I am immuno compromised from cancer treatments so we are being very careful and hunkering down together…We are looking forward to hopefully a summertime full of memories outside of our property line!” – Audrey Shimmel

These aren’t all of the families I had the privilege to photograph, but this gives you a feel for what a lot of families were facing. The re-occuring theme: Family is most important. Especially when life is in full chaos.