1. Sessions are fun for everyone!

BELLA LUMIERE FAMILIES

For the happy, fun-loving families who adore traveling,
spending time together, and making memories.

 We’ve heard many reasons why families have their portraits taken.  For some it’s tradition, for others it’s for gifts.  Everyone has their reasons, but after blending our two families when we got married 2016,  we’ve come up with 10 reasons why EVERY household should get on board with family photography. If you’re unsure about whether to book a session, read on and we guarantee you'll find your reasons why! 

We are natural light, outdoor photographers. Gone are the days of stiff, staged studio portraits!  We're all about kids and parents having FUN together!  We don't want to produce overly posed images of your family.  We are looking for natural emotions like laughter after being tickled and curiosity about the ant crawling around on the flower petal.  We love seeing how cute kids can be when they warm to the camera!  After leaving a session with us, you'll not only leave with striking images, you'll also leave with fond memories of the session experience.

2. Capture special moments

Sometimes, in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it's easy to forget to stop and appreciate how your child looks at you.  During a session with us, we never stop shooting.  We're always looking for "the shot"... the candid, unposed moments that make your heart melt, like when a daughter steals her Daddy's kisses or when a son hugs his Momma out of the blue and tells her he loves her.  Kids will be kids, and capturing them being themselves is also important.  We love watching their little personalities come to life as they make those funny expressions. Candid images are so significant in remembering the early days of life and we're always on the lookout for those special candid moments for parents to cherish.

3. "They grow up so fast!"

What parent doesn't get emotional when their tiny little baby grows into a larger clothes size, crawls and walks for the first time, or says their first word? We used to think the phrase "they grow up so fast" was just a cliché line said by older parents.  But now we cherish how important it is to document each little milestone.  Believe it or not, your kids will grow up, move away, and become "too cool" to have pictures with their family.  They’ll be busy working, going to college, and moving on with their own lives. 

No matter how old your child is when you come for your session, there will always be something new about them, like a funny expression they’ve been doing recently.  Whatever it is, we're looking for it.  And if we witness it, we'll shoot it!  When it does happen, it’s a picture to cherish.  Without that photo, the memory might have been forgotten. So, no matter how insignificant something may seem, we hope it will make you smile in years to come when you look back.

4. Get the family together

While parents and children are the main ones to meet for a session, we highly encourage you to invite grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins - even god parents!  A photoshoot is a beautiful excuse to get everyone together!  As family members move away, get swallowed up by busy jobs and fast-paced lifestyles, it's nice to pause for a moment to enjoy being together.  Why not set a date, pick a location, and get everyone together to create new memories for you to look back on for years to come?

5. Give them as a gift

When you can get everyone together for a session, it’s such a lovely idea to give the images as gifts to the rest of the family. The smiles on their faces as they receive their beautiful picture will be a gift in itself.  Not only can the images make a great present - so can a family session.  Lots of families put it off when they become too busy or when life gets in the way.  So if you know someone who hasn't had a family photo taken in a while, or ever, why not give them a gift certificate as an extra nudge to create some stunning memories and images? 

“cherish the moments - tomorrow they'll be memories"

6. Brighten up your house

We all take pictures on our smartphones!  But as much as we love our iPhone pics, and as good as they look on the screen, they don't compare to the beauty of a professional image hanging on your wall.  We strive to produce the highest quality images we can because we want them to last forever.  Professional images aren’t just 'pictures,’ they are pieces of art that you can proudly hang anywhere in your home!

7. Parents are always behind the camera

We know we aren't the only parents to get stuck behind the camera trying to capture something special or cute that our kids are doing.  We're always taking pictures of our family, and if we hadn't asked complete strangers for help, we wouldn't have pictures of all six of us together to celebrate certain moments.  And the pictures that we do have, often have bad lighting and harsh shadowing.  Most times, it’s rare to get a decent family picture like this.  When you hire us,  you can relax and hand over the responsibility to professionals.  Let us worry about whether the kids are all smiling or if someone is blinking so you’ll not only enjoy having your photo taken, but end up loving every shot.

8. "I hate having my picture taken!"

In our experience, the main reason why people don't like having their picture taken is that they feel uncomfortable during the process.  There are many reasons for this, and we, as professional photographers, focus on helping you feel comfortable. The best images come when you are being yourself, so let's talk about your "why" and find solutions that will allow you to enjoy the session.  We expect you to be nervous at first.  It's normal!  But by the end of your session, we want you to have had fun, feel more confident in yourself, and look forward to your next session, especially when you see your images. 

9. Photos can out-live you

What kid doesn't love looking through their parents' high school yearbooks or old family photos!  Pictures of parents with 80s hair cuts, perms, and pants rolled tightly at the bottom; pictures of grandpa in his military uniform during the war and grandma holding a young child on her hip; great-grandparents or great-great-grandparents that you don't remember or sadly never had the opportunity to meet.  What better keepsake to pass down to your future children, grandchildren even great-grandchildren than high quality digital photos that will last forever?

10. Life’s too short to NOT get
them done

Unfortunately we can't predict when someone will be called to become an angel, so please stop saying "we'll do it next year," "we're too busy," or "we'll do it when we lose weight."  Just book your session! You never know what’s around the corner, and you don't want to miss out on the opportunity to have a beautiful family portrait made while you can.