Philadelphia child photography

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.

07.02.10

GIVE A DOG A BOWL CONTEST IN WAYNE

Haunani and I have the distinct pleasure of sponsoring the Give a Dog a Bowl contest at Wayne’s Color Me Mine studio! Budding painters of all ages can decorate a dog bowl for their lovely pups at Color Me Mine. The top three dog bowls win fabulous pet photography from Essential Imagery! Other prizes include goodies from our friends at Braxton’s, too…

Stop by Color Me Mine (beside the Gryphon Cafe — ask for the New Orleans style Iced Coffee) in the next few weeks and paint your heart out. There are mugs, magnets, platters, figurines, and cute trinkets to paint while wearing artist smocks. It’s the perfect summer rainy day activity, if you ask me!

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07.02.10

EVAN, THE PROFESSOR.

Evan is a lovely mutt who lived for TWO full years in a no-kill shelter before his Mama found him and swooped him up. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had uncorked a bottle of red wine and started discussing Dickens’ finest novels. Evan needs a pipe as well, ’cause he’s just too sophisticated for dog toys and jumping about like a silly old canine.

He sits with his arms crossed ever-so-gently, too.

Posted in Philadelphia pet photography

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jefra - these are beeeeautiful! the first and SECOND ones kill me.

johnwaire | photo - i LOVE that 3rd shot kristen!

06.30.10

ORGANIC, AND ALL THAT.

There are three pots on the porch, and they’re full of organic growing goodness. Lemon balm, chives, sweet basil, italian basil, oregano, and tomatoes are fresh and lovely. Matt actually remembers to water our tiny little garden, while I just sit by the plants and smell them. (Grocery store vegetables and herbs rarely have any smell…such a shame.)

Anyone have tips for cooking up fried green tomatoes? ;)

Oh, and these were shot with the iPhone and processed with the CrossProcess app.

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Jess - Tip from a native Southerner: fry ‘em up in a light cornmeal batter and serve with crab in hollandaise. Heaven on Earth!

06.28.10

MISSY THE WONDER DOG

Missy is a downright lovable German Shepherd hailing from Malvern. She enjoys blue toys, long naps on the porch, and mothering everyone she meets. Her owner describes her as being on her “last legs” due to an incredibly long list of medical ailments, but Missy perked up and played with me for the duration of our portrait session.

There’s so much spirit in those big eyes of hers…

Love her ears and her paws in this feisty little number…

Since Missy and I became fast friends, she let me climb over her to get this shot of her ears and fur. Love that delicate pinky-gray color!

If you’d like to schedule a portrait shoot for your pets or kiddos in our brand spankin’ new natural light studio, today is the perfect time to head on over to Living Social for a simply fantastic offer. It’s only good until Midnight, when it turns into a portrait pumpkin and vanishes forever. ;)

Posted in Philadelphia pet photography

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06.25.10

RUDY, FRENCHIE FABULEUX

If Rudy was a cartoon character, he’d be Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast. He is a lover and a charmer, the first dog ever to straight-up nibble my ear. (Oh yes, nibble.)

He’s also a player, and shows no attention to you until someone else is paying attention to you, at which point he must make his bid for affection. And he moves in for the kissing kill miiighty quickly, which makes getting shots of him from more than 3 inches away pretty difficult.