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. Die-hard beach goers? World travelers? Animal lovers? Trekkies? We wanna see it. 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.

DUCK DUCK GOOSE PETS FOR HAITI

It’s another Philadelphia pet photography session! This one is sponsored by childhood games, beige carpet, and tiny mouse toys filled with catnip. Meet Duck Duck and Goose. Yes, they were named after the favorite game of Kindergartners everywhere, and they’re also the pets of my bestest friends Tim and Chelsea. (Yes, I made them pay for the session so Essential Imagery could donate more money to Doctors Without Borders.) Here they are, rockin’ the Pets for Haiti shoot…

Please don’t be deceived by how utterly adorable Goose looks in the following photos. She may lure you in with her pretty eyes and upside-down playful looks, but you will be clawed and bleeding before you know it. (This pet photography gig is just as dangerous as an Indiana Jones adventure! For real!)

Duck Duck had no real interest in me. She couldn’t be bribed, cajoled, heckled, or otherwise made to do anything she didn’t want to. Which makes her a typical cat.

That last one is 100% Goose. Bad to the bone. Only tolerating humanity because a few humans feed her twice a day. (For the photogs among you, this was shot using available light and the backdrop is the refrigerator.)

As previously mentioned, this was a Pets for Haiti portrait shoot. All Pets for Haiti package proceeds are donated to Doctors Without Borders. For just $65 you’ll receive a 30-minute portrait session for your pet in your home, a 5×7″ metallic photograph of your pet, and inclusion in our Pets for Haiti studio event in early April. To purchase your Pets for Haiti package, just click the link below. We will contact you to set up your pet portrait as soon as possible.