The Zarda Family

When I think back on my favorite photos from my own childhood, they aren’t the perfect family portraits. They’re the ones where I can see how interested my parents were in what my sister and I were doing. They show me our little personalities taking shape and also how amused my parents were by those little (sometimes big) personalities.

There are a million ways to “do” family photos, but at the end of the day, I want you to see yourselves. I want your kids to see the way you beam at them when they do something funny, and I want them to see the pride in your eyes when they work up the courage to do something scary. Because, while I hope you love these photos now, truly, they are for your kids. There are so many things your kids will not remember because they were too young at the time, but photos give them the chance to fill in all those gaps as they get older.

My two cents: make time for family photos frequently. Don’t overthink the wardrobe or the location because its your connections that are most important. Pick some light colored, neutral pieces you’re comfortable in, find a park (or keep it simple and stay home!), and spend a little time loving on each other. Rachel and her sweet little family did it perfectly.

From a fun mentor session with Kaley from Kansas.

Film developed + scanned by The FIND Lab.