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Category Archives: Family & Children

Posted in Family & Childrenby

two moms with their preschool son and daughter sitting on the couch with musical instruments Mothers rule because they:

  1. keep going even on little sleep.
  2. laugh in times when they feel like crying.
  3. make the world better with a simple smile.
  4. see the beauty in their child’s creativity
  5. want to make a difference
  6. sacrifice their own needs
  7. will listen to the whole story, even if it takes forever and starts multiple times.
  8. drive here and there and everywhere and back to here and there and everywhere again.
  9. invent amazing meals from limited ingredients.
  10. understand the art of playing games at the right pace so that everyone has fun.
  11. have the ability to translate toddler language.
  12. can find the one clean pair of socks in the house.
  13. can make broken things work again.
  14. know the exact variations on voices that make stories come alive.
  15. believe in their kids and their dreams.

 

Serravision Photography works with families to create custom storybooks featuring their life and their words.

From Serra:
My formal training is as a documentary filmmaker. I am a storyteller who uses photography as my tool. I love making client’s stories come to life, and I make it happen with minimal effort on your part. It’s a bit like magic!

Free consultations always.

#seeyourjoy
#getinthepicture

Posted in Family & Children

toddler boy walks with his pregnant mom through a field in downtown Portland, caption reads, "Suddenly you know it

Spring has sprung! The magic of beginnings – it’s everywhere. What do you see?

 

Serravision Photography works with families to create custom storybooks featuring their life and their words.

From Serra:
My formal training is as a documentary filmmaker. I am a storyteller who uses photography as my tool. I love making client’s stories come to life, and I make it happen with minimal effort on your part. It’s a bit like magic!

Free consultations always.

#seeyourjoy
#getinthepicture

Posted in Family & Childrenby , , , , , , , , , , ,

Toddler is playing peek-a-boo behind a newspaper which, poignantly, is all about the upcoming election

This session happened the day before election day. The whole world was on edge. And, in this house, we were taking a break from the world and playing a rousing game of peek-a-boo by the fire! I love that the mood of the day is written all over the paper he picked up to hide behind. And I also love how much unbridled joy exists on his moms’ faces, because HE is what its all about. <3

Serravision Photography works with families to create custom storybooks featuring their life and their words.

From Serra:
My formal training is as a documentary filmmaker. I am a storyteller who uses photography as my tool. I love making client’s stories come to life, and I make it happen with minimal effort on your part. It’s a bit like magic!

Free consultations always.

#seeyourjoy
#getinthepicture

Posted in Family & Childrenby , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
mom and toddler blowing bubbles together, laughing Close-up photo of a toddler with berry juice all over his face

There’s a special place in my heart, and in the hearts of most northwesterners, for the summer here in our part of the world.

Oregon summers, although they can mean hot sunny weather, ice cream, and swimming like in many other places, are a special time when families can experience a lot of joy outside together. Summer is berry season. It’s river season. It’s bubble season.

What represents summer in Oregon for your family?

Serravision Photography works with families to create custom storybooks featuring their life and their words.

From Serra:
My formal training is as a documentary filmmaker. I am a storyteller who uses photography as my tool. I love making client’s stories come to life, and I make it happen with minimal effort on your part. It’s a bit like magic!

Free consultations always.

#seeyourjoy
#getinthepicture

Posted in Family & Childrenby , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A photo collage featuring a young boy and a yellow tulip - the text reads "Flowers are born in the dirt. They rise up and bloom where they

I have been having a blast creating photo mosaics and posting them over time on instagram. You may also know this phenomenon as the “Grid Collage”.

Have you seen this technique and wondered how to make it happen? It takes a little planning, but anyone can learn to do it. How fun would it be to create a grid collage out of one of your own family’s pictures? This article is what got me started: https://thepreviewapp.com/perfectly-split-instagram-grid-4-easy-steps-twigyposts/

As she says at the end of the blog, “This method may sound a little crazy or time consuming…and it can certainly feel that way in the beginning.  But, I promise you.  Once you get the hang of it…you will love it!”. She was not joking…

Discovering this way of posting was what got me hooked on instagram. It’s so much fun! If this kind of photo geek-ery tickles you as much as it does me, maybe you’ll join me! See what other antics I’ve been up to. :)

Serravision Photography works with families to create custom storybooks featuring their life and their words.

From Serra:

My formal training is as a documentary filmmaker. I am a storyteller who uses photography as my tool. I love making client’s stories come to life, and I make it happen with minimal effort on your part. It’s a bit like magic!

If you place a high value on your family, and on creating a sense of unity and belonging for yourself and your children, you will love this unique way of looking at lifestyle photography.

Free consultations always.

#seeyourjoy
#getinthepicture

Posted in Family & Children, Newborn & Babyby , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mom flying toddler/baby through the air while his Mama watches, laughing

Every time you point your camera, you’re about to tell a story. What story do you want to tell? This image is all about the fast life of a toddler. Boundless energy shows on his face, while his moms, positioned behind him, are clearly happy…and just a touch exhausted. 😂

 

Serravision Photography works with families to create custom storybooks featuring their life and their words.

From Serra:

My formal training is as a documentary filmmaker. I am a storyteller who uses photography as my tool. I love making client’s stories come to life, and I make it happen with minimal effort on your part. It’s a bit like magic!

If you place a high value on your family, and on creating a sense of unity and belonging for yourself and your children, you will love this unique way of looking at lifestyle photography.

Free consultations always.

#seeyourjoy
#getinthepicture

Posted in Family & Childrenby , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Two preschool boys wearing bright colored red and yellow snow suits play in the snow outside in a portland oregon park

Snow is rare in the Northwest. So when there’s snow – even if it’s just half an inch – there’s no messing around!

It’s all or nothing.

 

Snow in Portland is a precious commodity. We’re lucky to get a day or two of playable snow in an entire winter. Last year, the snow was too powdery to make into snowballs or snow men, and then it turned into ice for days on end. So imagine the delight for kids this year when the perfect packable snow fell and stuck right here in PDX!

Last year, at just over 2, the little guy in red was VERY skeptical of snow. He was ok with being pulled in a sled, but did not really want to stand in the snow, even with boots on. The year before, he was horrified by it. It was tantrum-inducing and not at all intriguing. This year he’s all in – feet first, face first, it doesn’t really matter! Without a question, he and one of his best buddies ran out and started playing hard. And I was lucky enough to be invited to witness the joy.

 

 

Serravision Photography works with families to create custom storybooks featuring their life and their words.

From Serra:

My formal training is as a documentary filmmaker. I am a storyteller who uses photography as my tool. I love making client’s stories come to life, and I make it happen with minimal effort on your part. It’s a bit like magic!

If you place a high value on your family, and on creating a sense of unity and belonging for yourself and your children, you will love this unique way of looking at lifestyle photography.

Free consultations always.

#seeyourjoy
#getinthepicture

Posted in Family & Childrenby

two-year-old boy playing in the kiddie pool and laughing

“Don’t tickle my tummy!” he shouts.

Then, “Tickle my tummy again!!” Oh, to be a toddler…

This child is two and a half now, and we have known each other since he was only a few weeks old. The power of focusing on relationships first is that there’s no pretense. No prodding, or directing. No need for negotiations or bribes like there always were when I worked in the studio world…This little boy is at an age that many people are terrified of.

Because at two and a half everything has to be on his terms. And yet, he is engaged fully with me. He truly wants me to play with him! That authenticity is what makes the child’s true spirit shine through. It’s through that connection that we are able to see his true joy.

And, now that he has a new baby brother who is taking a lot of attention, these joyful memories are going to be all that much more important for him and his family.

 

Serravision Photography works with families to create custom storybooks featuring their life and their words.

From Serra:

My formal training is as a documentary filmmaker. I am a storyteller who uses photography as my tool. I love making client’s stories come to life, and I make it happen with minimal effort on your part. It’s a bit like magic!

If you place a high value on your family, and on creating a sense of unity and belonging for yourself and your children, you will love this unique way of looking at lifestyle photography.

Free consultations always.

#seeyourjoy
#getinthepicture

Posted in Family & Children, Maternity, Newborn & Babyby

Lesbian couple hanging out and laughing outside their home with their newborn baby and two black and white cats.

#1: Do you like them as a person?

In order to walk away with pictures that will trigger good memories, you need to have a good time taking them! You need to be comfortable with your photographer, and enjoy being around them.

#2: Does their work make your heart happy?

Make sure to look at your photographer’s portfolio. Do you like their work? All of it? If some of it sits the wrong way with you, that is a huge red flag that you might be hiring the wrong photographer. You should love everything they put out! That is the only way to feel confident that you will love the work they do for you, too.

#3: How much is this worth to you?

Just like with most things, the more you pay for family pictures the more you will get out of them. Are you wondering why some photographers charge a lot more than others? It’s usually for two reasons. First, they have enough experience to know that they can deliver on their promise. Second, they are running a legitimate business and doing things by the book, so they have calculated what they need to charge to pay their business expenses.

For more tips, including the number 1 question to ask yourself before selecting a photographer, and the number 1 mistake people tell me about, click through to the original blog, “What To Look For In A Family Photographer: The Important Stuff”

Serravision Photography works with families to create custom storybooks featuring their life and their words.

From Serra:

My formal training is as a documentary filmmaker. I am a storyteller who uses photography as my tool. I love making client’s stories come to life, and I make it happen with minimal effort on your part. It’s a bit like magic!

If you place a high value on your family, and on creating a sense of unity and belonging for yourself and your children, you will love this unique way of looking at lifestyle photography.

Free consultations always.

#seeyourjoy
#getinthepicture

Posted in Family, Family & Childrenby , , , , , , ,

happy mom and two kids playing on a see-saw in the park Do you feel like it’s too late to start taking family pictures?

Many of us struggle with this idea of it being too late to start something. Too late to learn something new, or start a project, or write a journal, or make a new tradition.

For me, I think this ties into a sort of “perfectionism” – wanting to get it “right” from the start.

The thing with life is, though, that there’s never a clear start. When does your family story begin? When you’re a child and dream of having a family? When you are pregnant or exploring? When your first child comes home?

Your story starts now. It always has.

 

Click through to the original blog, “Do you feel like it’s too late to start?”

 

 

Serravision Photography specializes in teaching families how to improve the pictures they take of their kids, and in capturing lifestyle photography of families : step into your life and experience the truth, the joy, and the beauty that is already present every day.

#seeyourjoy
#getinthepicture

Posted in Family & Childrenby

Rockaway-Beach-Photographer

Who’s ready for spring!?!? All this snow and ice this winter is making me long for the warmer days of spring! This is a fun capture from an extended family portrait session in Rockaway Beach, Oregon. They thought it would be a wonderful time to capture their family when they all gathered from across the country on their annual Spring Break family reunion vacation to Rockaway Beach. The whole family pulled together shades of blue and neutrals to coordinate their wardrobe rather than matching each other. I love when my clients follow this advice! I also love being able to capture true personalities of my clients by allowing them to interact with one another in a natural way. The beach is the perfect place for a family to have a good time together and capture the fun being had by all. You can plan a blanket picnic, bonfire, toss a football or frisbee, or fly a kite during your portrait session. The possibilities are endless! Set the stage for fun beach activities and I’ll handle the rest!

Photography by Jaime Kae Hazen, Portland and Rockaway Beach Photographer, traveling nationwide.

Posted in Family, Family & Childrenby

familyphotographyportland25

Having your portraits done in a natural setting is a double win because you get a beautiful landscape to compliment your beautiful family.  Courtney Delano Photography loves to combine the gorgeous Oregon outdoors with fun and loving families.  Some tips for having a successful family session with a little one: schedule the session for after nap time and don’t forget to bring snacks and water.  Babies pick up on your stress, so let go of the idea of being perfect and just play with and love on your baby.  A good lifestyle photographer will help keep you calm and allow you to be yourselves. Visit Courtney Delano Photography to see more of her work or to book your session!

Posted in Family & Childrenby

lifestyle photographer Serravision Photography celebrates world kindness day by allowing her toddler to play with his food Unexpected Kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change.
Make someone’s day today. November 13 is World Kindness Day.


Join in this fun game started by Red Tricycle:
Take a photo of your kids doing something silly with peas
Post and tag with #ParentsForPeas  #SeeYourJoy #WorldKindnessDay on Instagram, Twitter and/or Facebook.

Serravision Photography specializes in teaching families how to improve the pictures they take of their kids, and in capturing lifestyle photography of families : step into your life and experience the truth, the joy, and the beauty that is already present every day.

#seeyourjoy
#getinthepicture

Posted in Family & Children, Maternityby

Pregnant mom, husband, and son race each other down the sidewalk

Maternity photos are all about celebrating how amazing your body is! They should express your spirit. They shouldn’t be awkward, posed, or done in a studio. The whole point of lifestyle photography is to see people in context. Families play together, people love each other, and life never stands still. That’s why I love this pregnant mom running a race with her toddler and husband! It’s the life they live every day, and it’s beautiful.

Serravision Photography specializes in teaching families how to improve the pictures they take of their kids, and in capturing lifestyle photography of families : step into your life and experience the truth, the joy, and the beauty that is already present every day.

#seeyourjoy
#getinthepicture

Posted in Family & Childrenby
This is a spread from the book Serravision Photography made for her son

How a professional lifestyle family photographer documents her son’s first year of life.

Monthly baby photos for the baby’s first year are part of our fabric these days. If you are on social media, you’ve seen them. If you have a baby, BOY have you seen them! People desperately want to hold onto these times. They want to remember the small details. They want to see the changes from month-to-month. They want to see how quickly their child changed.

As a lifestyle family photographer, I got to see all of this first hand when I had my first baby. And here’s what I believe about what is truly important to capture when documenting baby’s first year….

Lifestyle family photography is all about everyday situations. When toddlers are involved, and you’re walking through the Hawthorne district, that could mean just about anything. I love how his “ride bikes” hoodie and orange pants perfectly match this alley. That’s just how cool real life can be. And my job is to turn it into a story. My job is to make art out of the everyday moments.

Serravision Photography specializes in teaching families how to improve the pictures they take of their kids, and in capturing lifestyle photography of families : step into your life and experience the truth, the joy, and the beauty that is already present every day.

#seeyourjoy
#getinthepicture

Posted in Family & Childrenby

Albany 1st Birthday Photographer-9

When Ella’s Mama asked if she could be in a few of Ella’s First Birthday Portraits, my heart soared. Let me tell you why.
1. FACT.  Mom’s are never in enough pictures with their kids. They are usually too busy momming, or hiding their imperfections to be IN the pictures with their kids.
2. What do one-year-olds love more than their parents? NOTHING. Want a happy smile from your child who has just developmentally started to care about strangers vs. familiars? Let them play with their people.
When you think of your most special portraits from your childhood, do they include your loved ones?
This portrait session reminded me how important it is to get in front of the camera. I hope it inspires you too!

 

Posted in Family & Childrenby

urban toddler adventures - toddler in bright orange pants heading down an alley with a motorcycle and traffic cones. this lifestyle children

Lifestyle family photography is all about everyday situations. When toddlers are involved, and you’re walking through the Hawthorne district, that could mean just about anything. I love how his “ride bikes” hoodie and orange pants perfectly match this alley. That’s just how cool real life can be. And my job is to turn it into a story. My job is to make art out of the everyday moments.

Serravision Photography specializes in teaching families how to improve the pictures they take of their kids, and in capturing lifestyle photography of families : step into your life and experience the truth, the joy, and the beauty that is already present every day.

#seeyourjoy
#getinthepicture

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