You're fifty-five. Your youngest child just moved out of the house, and you and your spouse are settling in to your now-empty nest for the evening. If your kids were born in the last ten years, you're lucky to have a few school pictures hanging on the wall. The ones with the blue background that looks like an impressionist rendering of the sky. But you probably don't have any photos of you all together. You might have photos on social media of your kids, but after decades of compression they're all pixelated. Worst of all, your only photos of your family are sitting on the cloud instead of hanging on your walls.
Doesn't sound so great, does it? Technology has made it inconvenient to print photos. Though we can snap whatever is happening very easily with a phone, printing that photo is an arcane process. There are not even many businesses who do photo printing anymore. Before the rise of digital photography, you probably got a stack of prints every time you developed a roll of film.
No prints: No vision. Without vision, there's no purpose. No purpose: no point.
Without visual reminders of the unity of your family around the house, there is nothing to remind you, your spouse, and your kids how much you all matter to each other, and the purpose that you all live for. Those cranky teenagers are less likely to remember "Oh right, my parents love me... I guess I love them too." Your kids may not be reminded of the strong foundation they have to stand on, which enables them to say no to dangerous threats, and yes to challenging opportunities! As a parent, you may be less likely to act from the position of purpose, responsibility, and power that a parent naturally holds.
The extreme end of a purposeless existence is floundering in addiction, depression, and hopelessness.
We are drawn to symbols and ritual. Most of us do the exact same thing every morning (and it usually involves coffee.) The most meaningful symbol in our society is the family unit. We work hard to provide for our families, and we make all our decisions with them in mind. We all need cues to motivate behaviour: an alarm clock, a lunch bell, a sticky note. The meaning behind the cue of a family photo on the wall is huge. That photo triggers your entire vision for your family: a generational cascade of nurturance and success.
Put photos of your family on the walls and you're taking a step towards nurturing a successful life for all of your kids. Even more, you're convincing yourself that it's worth it to make those tough decisions that you know will benefit not only your family, but your world.
You walk in the house on time after a day of work. The first thing you see is the print of your happy family on the wall. Despite being the same length of time as every other work day, the events of the day don't weigh on you at all. You're physically tired, but present and relaxed. You went the whole day with your family in mind; your purpose clear as a bell. Thanks to that, you were able to say "No thanks" to the offer of overtime, because your purpose as a parent and spouse was the priority. You have energy to play with your kids joyfully, to truly connect with them, to encourage them. Your evening is no less packed with cooking, chores, and dishes, and you and your spouse make time to connect after the kids head to bed.
Because you're all living with your values in mind, you're present and connected to each other.
1
You fill out a questionnaire that tells me some important details about you and your family, and if we sound like a good fit, I respond with a link for you to book a consultation call.
2
We get on the phone and talk about some important stuff, especially how we can make photographs that will trigger you into a state of flow and presence.
We choose a location, an activity, and something that would make these photos special to your family.
We pick a date, pick a print package, and you pay a deposit to secure my services.
3
On the day of the session, we have a blast making memories you'll cherish.
Sometimes I'll direct you into particular poses and activities, and other times I'll just be there ready to capture those precious moments that nobody would expect to happen.
4
I spend a few weeks with the photos creating a story with them, colouring them, and making sure they're going to serve you well for many years to come.
When you get the gallery link, you view the photos for the first time as a family.
You pick out the ones you'd love to see every day on your walls.
5
We get together to plan the installation of your prints in your home, in person or over a video call.
This way when the prints are ready, it's just plug and play.
The final printed products are shipped to your house and you put them up on your walls. If you also got a book, you'll find a good coffee table or bookshelf for it to live on.
P.S.
I am highly committed to you and your experience. I believe that love is the thread that holds our societies together, and family is the ultimate place for love to work its magic.
That means I will pull all the stops out, because I know that getting photos on your walls is a powerful way to help your family achieve greatness.
Every session is guaranteed to connect you to your family members in a light and fun way. We will create moments of joy that can be returned to for inspiration over the ages. My packages all include prints and an installation consultation because intentional, repeated exposure to printed photographs is where the value of family photography truly lies.