PLAY &
CONNEcTIONS
You may be wondering why as a photographer I’ve dedicated an entire page on my website to play and connections. This is important to me because it’s at the core of who I am and how I approach sessions with families. I was a special educator for over 15 years where I was trained in play-based and relationship-based approaches. This has not only shaped my way of being with children, but also the way in which I’ve learned to notice the little things, find ways to build connections, enhance play, and to keep things fun!
Play is how children make sense of the world, is central to all learning, and helps build connections. The way in which your child plays, their interests, and how they connect with others represents who they are at this moment and this changes over time as they grow and develop. This is why every milestone matters, every favorite toy/activity matters. As a photographer, this is what I want to capture! These moments mean everything and are the things you won’t want to forget. And the added bonus is if you are all in — having fun and engaging your child, they will be invested, have fun, and this will lead to meaningful memories to hold onto and will also keep you all relaxed and focused on each other during the session.
INTERESTS
What does your child love to do right now? What are their favorite toys and games? What really makes your child laugh? What special stuffed animals or lovies do they sleep with every night and/or take everywhere? What do you want to remember most about your child right now? These are all things I want to know. Documenting these little moments will create lasting memories and a living history for your family.
ACTIVITIES TOGETHER
Home is such an integral part of a family. Documenting everyday moments can be truly special and there is so much beauty that can be found in the everyday. What activities do you love participating in together? When is your child most engaged? What do you love to do with your child at home? What makes their eyes light up? What really gets them laughing? What do you want to remember most from this time?
“We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply
engrossed in anything than when we are playing.”
CHARLES SCHAEFER
ADVENTURES TOGETHER
Adventures as a family can strengthen bonds and provide new opportunities for your child to play, discover, and connect. Where do you like to go as a family? What adventures do you enjoy most together? What places does your child love to visit and why? Let’s go on an adventure together!
“The greatest legacy we can leave our children are happy memories.”
OG MANDINO
WAYS TO SUPPORT PLAY & ENGAGEMENT DURING OUR SESSION
Children are happiest when they are free to safely play and explore, so I want to be sure to provide ample opportunities for this during our shoot whether at home or on location. This also provides moments to capture a wide range of emotions children readily display, such as happiness, surprise, silliness, pride, curiosity, excitement, uncertainty, etc.
Allow your children to be themselves.
Remember, I'm an experienced educator, so It's fine if your child becomes over-excited or has a lot of energy to burn. We will find a creative way to channel that energy and capture fun moments. Think movement shots! Some children are more cautious with new people and that's ok too. I'll learn about your children before our shoot and I will work hard to make sure your child or children are comfortable and feel at ease with me.
follow your child’s lead.
While we will have some structure to our shoot, I also want your child to have the freedom to play and explore. There is so much beauty in capturing these authentic moments of childhood.
Everyone has to be willing to play
If you are silly, playful, and comfortable, your child will be too! And many connections will follow! Your children feel what you feel, so model what you want from your child. Plus kids love this special time where the entire family is playing together whether at home or on location.
KIND WORDS
“Absolutely adored the photos that Sara took of our family. She has an enormous empathy for children and my kids liked her instantly. The photos she took of them were pure art--thoughtful, poignant, and sweet.”
BRIGHT K.
KIND WORDS
“We really enjoyed the whole experience and are thrilled with the very special moments Sara was able to chronicle during the time we spent together. She captured personalities, character traits, connections, energy, reflections, feelings, love, etc., in us as individuals, sisters, partners, and as a family. Real photographs (I now realize) are the ones that capture life in motion. It’s the space between the obvious that we are trying to see and what we want to remember. That’s what Sara captures.”
MARISA C.
KIND WORDS
“Sara is so good at what she does. She has a great eye and is especially talented at making everyone (especially the kids) feel totally comfortable so she can catch all sorts of wonderful, natural moments. We loved loved loved the photos we got from her and will cherish them forever!”
MEGAN C.
KIND WORDS
“We loved our session with Sara! We were nervous that we would feel awkward, but she immediately put us (and our shy daughter) at ease. Sara perfectly captured this moment in time with our family - we love that the pictures are warm, authentic and really feel like us. We definitely plan to continue to work with Sara for years to come.”
MARGARET F.
KIND WORDS
“Sara was knowledgeable, patient, and kind! She also produced some amazingly beautiful photographs of my husband and I with our children! I'm so grateful to her for capturing my family at this stage in our lives. I want to work with her every year! She is amazing.”
BREE H.
KIND WORDS
“We had a great session with Sara. She is so easy going and immediately put us all at ease. The session was actually fun and felt like getting to know a new friend. She expertly documented our life at this stage and all of the images are beautiful and will be treasured forever. She was great with our 1 year old son, and we look forward to working with her in the years to come.”
RACHEL L.
KIND WORDS
“We absolutely loved working with Sara! She was so well prepared and got to know us and what we were looking for before we even started taking the photos. She is very easy to communicate with and responds promptly. The shoot felt natural and my 1 year old warmed up to her almost immediately. I highly recommend booking with Sara if you’re looking for family photos!”
GRACE R.
