st george utah family photographer | Living Art Photography | Jenny Gillins

People often ask me “How often should we be taking family portraits?”  Have you ever wondered that?  When I talk to people about photography they often admit that they haven’t had updated pictures in years, or that they still don’t have their youngest in any of the pictures on the wall (that is if they have any pictures displayed).  I’ve had people admit their regrets that they wish they would have taken professional portraits before the family pet died, or while Susie was still missing her front teeth, or before Grandma moved so far away.

I’ve been there, as much as I cherish photography and having portraits of my family in every room in my house, I have felt overwhelmed with the task.  Some of the excuses  reasons I’ve heard from others or even felt myself for not having portraits done each year have been

• I need to lose weight
• I don’t know what to wear, or how to dress my kids!
• My husband hates being in front of the camera
• My kids will not behave
• It’s too expensive
• I don’t know what to do with the pictures once they’re done

Sound familiar?  Well, let me ask you something.  When you pull out your childhood photos, or look at that portrait of your grandma on her wedding day, or that portrait of Grandpa before he headed off to war, what is it worth to you?  Do you think your kids will care how much you weighed or if Johnny was picking his nose in every picture?  I think not.

If you want to know who or what someone loves, look at the photographs they take.  That’s what they want to last forever.  For me that is my kids, my husband, my friends and hopefully you someday too!

So, how often should you be taking family portraits?  Well, that depends on how much you love your kids.  Totally kidding!  I think once a year is a great starting point.  Have you ever noticed how day by day nothing really changes, but then you look back and everything is different?  A lot can happen in a year.

There is power in these ordinary days that we take for granted.  Today we might feel settled in, like everyday will be just like this one.  But just like that, kids grow up, loved ones are lost, we age, we lose weight, we gain weight, things change- there’s no stopping it as much as I try!  And I want to capture it all!  The good, the bad & the not so pretty.

My goal with Living Art Photography is to make it easy for you to have it all captured!  I want your husbands to say “Hey that was actually a lot of fun!”  That’s why I’ve been working so hard to be an all-in-one service and resource to make you’re memory making and preserving a piece of cake by holding your hand from start to finish

• Advising on wardrobe styling, shopping & coordinating
• Offering fully guided posing to make you look your absolute best
• Custom designing gallery walls, photo albums & offering unique photo products
• Creating more than a photo shoot; creating a place and time for your family to make memories in a low stress environment
• Overall, making it a smooth experience

If you’re ready to stop making excuses and have some beautiful portraits of your own, GET IN TOUCH!  Email me at jennygillins@livingartphotog.com