Over the years, I’ve photographed families in a variety of locations, including local parks. But over time, I’ve noticed a shift in how families approach their sessions. There’s more intentionality, connection, and memories made during a photoshoot. Parents are playing fun, silly games with their children, and siblings are fully focused on each other, drawn into their own world of adventure and make-believe.

Moments like these, the ones that unfold naturally in front of the camera, happen through the comfort of home. A space you inhabit every day, where your best memories occur in the flow of the in-between. Through the details below, I’ll share more insights on what makes at-home family photos so special, what you can expect throughout your session, and how you can book your in-home family photoshoot in Edina, St. Paul, or Minneapolis.

It’s Not About How Clean or Styled Your Home Is

The local families I work with for at-home family photos in Edina, St. Paul, and Minneapolis all have the same concern. Their home isn’t tidy enough or perfectly styled, making it worthy of a photoshoot. As a mom myself, I understand how easily that can become a common concern.

But I also understand at-home family photos from a different perspective. Those front stairs, littered with leaves, and that backyard with strewn toys, is yours. It’s the safe space you come home to at the end of a long day that begins with your walk over the stairs, and it’s the backyard where your children will spend their summers; long carefree days filled with one too many popsicles.

That kitchen you’re worried about because you can’t stand the current color of your cabinets is yours too. It’s the space where your children will constantly ask for a snack or what’s for dinner, and it’s the space where you and your spouse will embrace between stirs of the pot you have boiling on the stovetop.

Your life happens every day in each of these spaces, no matter how clean, updated, or freshly painted. It’s where the day-to-day moments become memories that you reach for with the passing of time, adding meaning to the small details that have added up to the beautiful life you’ve built together. 

A Lifestyle Approach to In-Home Family Photography

Once you’ve made the decision to entertain the idea of at-home family photos, you’ve somewhat come to understand that your photoshoot will be centered on a lifestyle approach. The fancy clothes and the picture-perfect poses are best kept for studio photography, leaving the door open to at-home family photos with a meaningful purpose.

In fact, I’m not the kind of family photographer who would ever expect a small child to sit still and forcibly smile for the camera. Children are built for exploration, play, and adventure. They are hard at work taking in their surroundings, navigating their imagination, and you are there, by their side, for every moment filled with wonder.

Your at-home family photos should be a reflection of that sense of play that you work so hard to foster in them. Whether you have your own made-up family game, or you want to playfully chase one another around, or even allow the kids to jump on the bed (just this once), those moments elicit the brightest smiles and biggest giggles. 

While you’re busy encouraging your child to be the silliest version of themselves, smiling at their funny faces and sense of humor, something else happens. You’re creating the memories they’ll hold onto. Moments recalled with fondness, with the beautiful images that uphold the pure joy experienced by hanging out at home together as a family, loving one another in earnest.

At-Home Family Photos in Edina, St. Paul and Minneapolis

I’m Kristen, a mom and family photographer who captures in-home lifestyle photos throughout Edina, St. Paul, and Minneapolis. My approach to heirloom photographs is centered on your family’s connection, driven by the joy that inhabits your home. I firmly believe that family photos captured at home are a time to gather in a relaxed, familiar environment while being in one another’s presence, enjoying the merriment of silly faces and made-up games.

When you reach out to me to schedule an in-home photoshoot, I’ll provide you with a quick guide on how you can prepare your home ahead of my arrival (no deep cleaning required), and you can expect our time together to set the tone for a morning or afternoon built for creating new memories. You can find more detailed information on scheduling your photoshoot when you visit this link.

Or, to step inside more of my work or grab some of my favorite photoshoot tips and tricks through the links below.

• Worried about your home ahead of your session? Read this.
• Printing your photos after your session: navigating the process, including what to avoid.
• Photographing active children and busy toddlers: capturing the fun of it.
• 6 Steps to help you select a newborn photographer in Minneapolis.
• 6 Tips to keep your newborn calm during a photoshoot