2009 March | ESSENTIAL IMAGERY, Philadelphia photographer

You'd love to have a family portrait session that fully captures who you are, how you connect, and how much affection surfaces when all the members of your family are present within the camera frame.

We're happy to capture your family in our studio, complete with gorgeous light and minimal distractions, or in your comfy-cozy home full of familiar toys and routines. No matter where our session takes place, we'll delight in your delight. And we'll encourage you to pay attention to one another instead of the camera, because there's no 'add happy' button in Photoshop.

We don't care whether you're barefoot or wearing fuzzy slippers, and we won't be sending over a twenty-page list of suggestions about what to wear. (We can make you look beautiful in sweat pants if you love each other.) We just want to capture your family. Your habits, your quirks, and your love. And when you view the images we've created together for the first time, we want the depth of love you feel for your family to grab you by the collar and bring tears to your eyes.

The video below provides a peek at how portrait sessions unfold. If you have questions or would like to schedule a portrait session, click on the 'Contact' link above or call 215-206-3689. Oh -- and thanks for stopping by, lovely!

-- Kristen & Haunani, Essential Imagery owners

P.S. That's Kristen up in the header -- Haunani is camera-shy.

Monthly Archives: March 2009

PLEASE, STOP THE TORTURE.

Dear kind blog readers, I need your help. I desperately need a hobby, as I made my hobby my career, and I’d love to have a down-time activity that uses my hands. The following is a result of my being bored, playing with a flashlight, and hunting down my long-suffering pets:

Hobbies I have TRIED VERY HARD to love include knitting, crocheting, and sewing. Mostly, I love touching fabrics, feeling yarns, and buying more and more lovely silky bits of textiles — not actually making anything with them, ever. Same with scrapbooking — I enjoy trinkets, wibbly bits, and found items, but don’t do anything with them.

Hobbies I think are nifty include gardening — but it only takes about 10 minutes to make a terrarium, as I learned last week. Also, cooking. I like chopping, shredding, mixing, simmering and the like — but mostly, I like eating, so this hobby shouldn’t go f ull-throttle.

What do you think? Painting? Encaustic beeswax collage making? What trips your trigger, peeps — or better yet — any local resources for fabulous classes would be much appreciated!

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SOMETHING WITH MY HANDS!

Little Kitty would be most grateful for your help.

Posted in kristen tells all

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WHEN IT RAINS…

When it rains, we just hold the session inside, and I love how hard it is to predict when a touch of magic will hit. The scene: kitchen floor, in the midst of playing, Tyson preoccupied…look at how her eyes are closed. Look at how she’s concentrating all her love into this little man. ::contented sigh::

I can’t even tell you how fabulous it is to have to put my camera down and field hugs from little ones during a shoot…Tyson didn’t understand why I had to keep being NOT fun and taking pictures, when I could be tossing him in the air and giggling like a maniac. Oh, how I heart these two…

After driving their Jeep around inside the house (yep, you read that right), these two were thrown into the bathtub for some playtime. That little bubble beard! Eep!!

And Miss Isabelle, caring for baby — I do believe this is the practice-for-when-the-real-brother-comes doll. There’s such care in this image. Thirty seconds later, baby was dumped from his carseat, lol…

Posted in Philadelphia children's photography

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DIRT. LOTS OF IT!

This lovely family was up for anything, and when I suggested playing in the dirt, Mom was okay with that. There’s a major construction project going on behind the loft, so we’re talkin’ open space for running, markers and left-behind bits for treasure-hunting, AND a giant dirt pile. Dude. I love dirt.

…those vintage Star Wars tees, complete with galoshes? Heart heart heart!

Oh, and voting to make the Giving is Awesome tour happen is ongoing! You can make a tremendous impact in the world by going, registering, voting…the whole deal takes two minutes! Seriously, two! Now go!

Posted in Philadelphia family photography

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IT’S IN THE DETAILS.

My website is going through a total overhaul, behind the scenes, and I’ve been digging through the archives…I pulled this image up just to play a bit, and noticed the cobwebs on the fire hydrant. It’s a detail I failed to see when shooting, and even when sorting images for saving. It was only after seeing this for the third time that I paid the details any attention. (And wouldn’t it be lovely if all fire hydrants served as lovely little nests for creatures because there were no fires in a while…?) Delight in details with me, would you?