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.

LONG LIVE POLAROID – main line child photographer

I’m the most impatient person I know when it comes to everything but kids. A baby can take three hours to give me three minutes of cuteness, and I truly don’t mind. But waiting to see images, if they’re on film, or being processed? TORTURE!

Thus, it is with great joy that I announce: I have a new buddy. I call her Pola. She is beautiful, and makes images like this:

Best of all, Pola produces these images INSTANTLY AND MAGICALLY, with a special sauce that makes pretty pictures appear from mere gray nothingness. There were grabbed at the Ambler Asbestos Factory, which has long been abandoned and which first sparked my interest in photography.

So, I was trespassing quietly and softly, then “EEP!”ing with delight every time I hit the shutter button. There is such joy in this process! One more for you…the vines, the romantic quality, the light, the delicious-ly-awesome-Pola!

Finally, you know I *HAD* to bring my new toy to yesterday’s newborn session. And then I learned that Autofocus on a 30-year-old camera = back up. Back up some more, or it’s blurry.