The only Family Photo Guarantee in Clarksville, tN!
Let's be real, mamas. No one is looking to spend the time and effort picking out the perfect outfits and getting everyone spiffy to end up with a toddler tantrum in the middle of your photo session.
Proof I’ve seen tears at sessions! (2021)
You've carefully scheduled around nap times. You've packed a Mary Poppins-worthy bag of snacks, toys, and emergency bribes. And yet, somehow, the moment you arrive at your family photo session (or I show up at your place), your sweet angel transforms into a tiny tornado of emotions. The nerve.
It’s enough for some to forgo the whole shebang altogether.
The most common Crankies I see at a family session
Imagine with me: We're standing in Clarksville’s beautiful Rotary Park, golden light streaming through the trees and sparkling gently on the creek behind you. I ask your oldest to make their best fart noise to get everyone laughing but your preschooler is now lying face-down on the grass, screaming because they wanted to make the fart noise. Also, their sock feels "weird." Meanwhile, your baby is concentrating hard on their next greatest novel. Uh nevermind, they need a change.
The truth is, no matter how prepared you are, you need some luck when it comes to kids.
These are the 3 most common types of hiccups I see kids go through at a family session. I’m not including a general warming-up phase here, even us adults usually need some of that.
Clamming Up - This is actually what I see happen most with babies and young toddlers. EVERYTHING about this is weird to them, me, my camera, possibly the location, and what we’re doing. They aren’t scared, but they’re studying and watching so much that they aren’t having fun and being their babbling playful selves.
Getting Hurt - This breaks my heart every time! We are all having fun and everyone is happy when - boom - someone trips and scrapes their knee. Instant tears! And while I usually snap a few photos of mom or dad comforting them which are such sweet memories to have, the injured party usually isn’t too happy about it and isn’t cool with being vulnerable on film.
Fighting - sometimes this starts as good-natured teasing that either goes a step too far, or would normally be ok but feels like too much because, hello! Stranger with a camera here with us!
Believe it or not, most of these situations fix themselves during a full session. I know when to give someone space, break off into smaller groups with the happier folks while the injured recovers, etc.
BUT, like I said before, luck is a factor.
Still got album-worthy memories though.
Why I Created the Cranky-Kid Guarantee
I noticed something happening WAY before we even met for the session: parents were reaching out to me and including the phrase, “I just want ONE good photo.” or “I don’t know if we’ll get any good ones, but we’re going to try!”
After photographing so many Clarksville families over the years, I've seen it all – tears, tantrums, negotiations gone wrong. And with 13 years of photographing families under my belt, (and 10 as a mom with my own kids) my confidence in being able to pivot AND still make beautiful photos is pretty high.
So why not “make it a thing” and do more than reassure you with words and testimonials from other parents?
How Does the Cranky-Kid Guarantee work?
Simply put, it's my promise that if you choose to work with me as your family’s photographer, you WILL NOT LEAVE without photos that you LOVE. This means that if your kiddos are just tired or in full meltdown mode, if you don’t love the photos in your gallery enough to keep the 10 that are included with your session, we will re-do your session at no extra charge to you.
How can I make such a bold promise? Because I've spent my career in the unpredictable world of photographing young children. I've transformed potential pitfalls into magical moments for countless Clarksville families, and I can do the same for yours.
Book Your Worry-Free Session Today
Clarksville families, it's time to let go of the excuse that your kids aren’t "old enough to behave." If you can roll with it, you can rest assured I can too.
Your family's story is happening today, in all its imperfect glory. Let's get out there together, with absolutely zero stress about how your kids "should" behave!
Ready to book yours? Send me a message to get started, and let's create beautiful memories that capture your family exactly as you are—wild, wonderful, and totally worth documenting.
*Not available on mini sessions due to the nature of rescheduling an event like that. :/