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.

FIELD GUIDE TO WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA.

First and foremost, mini-sessions are still up for grabs, so get on that: 11.8.08. DETAILS HERE.

Though I had planned on being out of the country, a last-minute airport-ish snafu caused my girls and I to go roadtrippin’ across the state. First, it was off to see our friend EriK in Chester County, where we hit up Harrah’s. It was rad, and Dawn won over $300. We were out until 4 a.m., eating pumpkin pancakes. PUMPKIN. PANCAKES. They were yummy beyond all description.

From there, we traversed the state and hit up IUP, our college alma mater. Our friend Ryan recently became the assistant director of the Honors College there, and we loved meeting his new wife. While you’re in Indiana, I recommend hitting up Culpepper’s and also stopping into the greatest restaurant chain known to man, Eat ‘n Park. Be sure and get the home fries and Grilled Stickies.

It was delightful to find a decent hotel, new to Indiana, within walking distance of the university and Philadelphia Street. The Heritage House was gorgeous, historical, affordable, and full of original tidbits from its mansion-y past.

We continued our journey to Pittsburgh, where we played tourist and stopped by the Children’s Museum. I CANNOT describe how much this place rocked out, even for a group of 3 27-year-old women. We played, we laughed, we visited Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, and we made our own fountain while wearing ridiculously small raincoats and clogs on the 3rd floor.

Following the Children’s Museum, it was time for the Mattress Factory, a museum housed in an old…mattress factory. This is more of the intellectual, modern, avant-garde artwork, which I ADORE and which Doey HATED.

The best sandwiches on Earth can be found at Primanti Brothers — there’s one in the SouthSide, which I prefer — and which made Doey the happiest sandwich-eater in Pittsburgh. Go there. Do not be scared. French fries and coleslaw on your sandwich = awesome.

Forget the aviary, be sure to visit the Pittsburgh ZOO while you’re in town — even in October, the animals were out and about. The baby elephants were tied with the aquarium as the coolest exhibits…and there were otters, who make me eep. (Eep is my happiest noise.)

It was absolutely fabulous to rock out to new songs — Doey is into Latin Pop, Dawn loves folksy bands, and I shared Flight of the Conchords with my girls — drive a bit, chat a bit, sing a bit, chat some more, and catch up with some of my favorite people.