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.

DECORATING WITH PHOTOS: VINYL FRAMES

Frames don’t have to be made of wood or metal to be fabulous, and here’s proof!

Lots of Moms are completely overwhelmed by how many photos they have. On hard drives, in boxes, in those sleeves from the photo lab, stuffed into albums and drawers and…on other hard drives. Let’s go about about displaying the photos in a simple, sleek way.

First, grab a three-year-old (or child of your choice) and some photos. A few 4×6′s, 2 5×7′s, and an 8×10. Buy a StickR kit from Butch and Harold. It’s $19.95 for the set shown, which is available online. It arrives in super sleek, ultra thin packaging that looks more like an envelope than a bundle of frames!

Peel, stick the vinyl frames, and repeat as often as you’d like.

These frames are fun, bold, paint-friendly, and perfect for kids’ rooms.

Those pictures Julia takes of her dolls, her pets, and her shoes? Display them!

The photos from camp that make your heart melt? Pop a few onto the refrigerator.

Snapshots of the latest family vacation? Stick a few of these vinyl lovelies to the inside of your kitchen cabinets for an ambush of happiness.

A worksheet with mini-stickers of the frames comes for visualizing your creation, too. It was fun to play with the stickers, but I tried to be a bit more random and let the frames fall where they may. These bad boys reposition quite well. They leave no residue behind yet remain sticky enough to stay on the wall.

Be sure to thank any helpers for their assistance with your new home decor, and you’re done.

My job as a Philadelphia children’s photographer involves many activities. One of them is keeping Moms sane and decluttered whenever I possibly can — hope this helps!

Posted in decorating with photos

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Crystal - I just bought these a couple weeks ago from Photojojo and stuck them on the wall in my office (day job). They’re adorable! I filled them with pictures of different flowers I snapped.