A: It's not really that different, except it's shorter! And in the studio, where we don't have to worry about the cold, rainy weather in Seattle! We will work through as much as we can in the time allotted. Perfect for shorter attention spans, kids and parents alike! ;)
A: We will take as many photos as possible in the time remaining in your time slot.
A: If you get ill or have an unforeseen circumstance, we can attempt to reschedule during another time slot if there are any available during mini-session days. Rescheduling is not guaranteed. Session fee can be applied to a regular family session in 2026.
A: Due to the abbreviated session time, this session is intended for immediate families only. Please contact me if you would like to bring additional people and we can book a regular session!
Have a quick chat with the family about how the session will go. If you let them know what to expect beforehand, you'll set them up for success because they'll anticipate what will happen
You don't have to get all new outfits (unless you want to!). Aim for coordinating/complementary colors in your outfits, not matchy-matchy. Don't forget to wear shoes you won't mind seeing in photos. I'm happy to consult on outfits if you'd like me to. Send me an email or text with pics and I'll give you my opinion.
It'll help everyone if no one has to run around looking for a shirt that fits, one that isn't wrinkled, or matching socks.
If you "put on your own oxygen mask" first, you'll be less stressed about helping everyone else. Get mostly ready, get the kids ready, then finish up with those last touches before you leave.
Try to set your little one up for a successful shoot by making sure they are well-fed and have napped early enough for you to get ready and be on time for your shoot. Sometimes a quick (neat) snack on the way ensures that they won't be hangry during photos.
If you pack your day too tight, you run the risk of people being cranky... and it's anyone's guess if that'll be the little ones, the grown ups, or both.
Allow time for Seattle traffic, and finding parking. If you give yourself a good buffer, then you'll ensure you get your full session time. (For mini sessions, it's probably safe to park in the loading zones near the building entrance, but please don't park in the reserved spaces.)
It’s amazing how many people I’ve met through Cross Fit. Kim and Matt are two of those many people that I’ve met in the decade that I have been doing Cross Fit. I met them a number of years ago in class, and Kim’s gorgeous smile and sweet demeanor always come to mind when I think...
Summer is finally in full swing in Seattle. I swear we were the last ones in the country still in school! We have only had a week out of school, and all of us are enjoying the luxury of not having to wake up early and a less structured schedule (which means less running around...
I have had the pleasure of photographing this family many, many times. We met at preschool when I was taking Fine Art School Photos and Tatum was just a wee thing. She captured my heart then, and every time she is in front of my camera, she is a joy to photograph. Tatum has always had...
The gorgeous weather that we’ve been having in Seattle has me dreaming of many more beach worthy days this coming spring/summer. It also reminded me of this great mini-session I had at Alki Beach in the fall. I was lucky to work with this amazing mama in a former life. In that life, I was...
My cousin Rich and his wife Alice asked me to photograph their daughter’s 1st birthday celebration in September. A baby’s first birthday luau is a big deal in Hawaiian culture. It goes back to the day when many babies didn’t live to see their first birthday, so the ones that did had very large celebrations....
It’s amazing how many people I’ve met through Cross Fit. Kim and Matt are two of those many people that I’ve met in the decade that I have been doing Cross Fit. I met them a number of years ago in class, and Kim’s gorgeous smile and sweet demeanor always come to mind when I think of her. We didn’t see each other for a few years as they moved cross-country for Matt to go to law school. When they moved back, I saw them again at a social event celebrating one of our former Cross Fit trainers. Miss Josephine was just an infant then, I think only about a month old. When I heard from Kim that Josephine was turning 1, it reinforced the age old saying “time flies…”. I was excited that she asked me to help them commemorate the 1st year milestone with photos.
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Kim told me that Josephine was a “stoic” girl and that Matt would do best “unposed”. I told her not to worry, the candid stuff is my favorite part and the part that makes dads shine. They showed up to their session at Volunteer Park looking effortlessly styled and coordinated just the perfect amount. (I had no doubt they would look impeccable, Kim works at Nordstrom and is always fashionable!) When we got started, Josephine had her serious gaze going while she looked at me with my camera, and Matt was more comfortable wrangling Abby their dog than looking anywhere near my camera. But then we got to our perfect little pocket of color and light that I had found before they got there and settled in. Matt eased into adoring dad and loving husband and forgot all about me. With Kim and Matt as my assistants, even Josephine flashed us a few smiles and held on just long enough for us to take a few photos in her “one” outfit.
We had a lovely morning at Volunteer Park, and the spring colors were perfect!
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Summer is finally in full swing in Seattle. I swear we were the last ones in the country still in school! We have only had a week out of school, and all of us are enjoying the luxury of not having to wake up early and a less structured schedule (which means less running around for us, and less chauffeur services for me!)
I personally love summer and here are a few reasons why:
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Summer also means I get busier with family photo sessions. I love summer sessions for so many reasons. Here are my top 3 reasons I love doing family photo sessions during the summer:
1) The weather is so much more predictable than the fall.
2) Relaxed vibe of Seattle in the summer.
3) Sunsets (and sunrises) are THE BEST in the Pacific Northwest!
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I have had the pleasure of photographing this family many, many times. We met at preschool when I was taking Fine Art School Photos and Tatum was just a wee thing. She captured my heart then, and every time she is in front of my camera, she is a joy to photograph. Tatum has always had amazing glasses. I think the first time I met her, she had these awesome blue glasses that happened to match her blue dress. She’s since had many different pairs, each one perfectly suited for her. Tatum calls me Miss Kellie and though I never use the word “cheese” and try to tell the parents of my families to not coach the kids to say cheese, kids still do, and she is one of them. However, a second after she says it, she goes back to being herself, and she will gaze into my lens with bare curiosity. She’s become a muse of sorts for me, because I love the innocence and pureness she exudes. Her little sister is quite the opposite. This happened to be a session to commemorate Kensie’s 2nd birthday. It seems like just yesterday that I was taking maternity photos and her newborn photos! Kensie is always on the go, and she had me running back and forth across the Bell Harbor Conference Center overpass and all around the waterfront near the Great Wheel. I was working hard to get candid shots of her. It’s not unusual for me to “chase” kids around just following their lead, and some of my favorite photos are the result of me running around after kids.
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Misty and Justin are also fun to photograph. They have learned to “ignore me” and just play with the girls (as opposed to just looking at the camera). They’re so used to me, Justin was even watching a Cubs game on his phone at one of our sessions when he wasn’t in front of the camera. Since it was a playoff or World Series game, we ended up incorporating that into the session, with both of them checking the score on his phone. This particular session we were up against a few factors, super bright sun, Justin feeling under-the-weather, and an unpredictable 2 year old in a busy place. After playing a bit at the Bell Harbor Conference center steps and exploring that area, we stopped at Starbucks for a little refueling, and then took a few final shots at the waterfront near the aquarium and Great Wheel. I think the session felt a little crazy to Misty since she was managing the girls a bit more than normal since Justin didn’t feel great, but we still ended up with awesome shots.
I am so thankful when my families come back for more photos. I love building relationships and becoming friends with them, and watching their little ones grow before my eyes!
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The gorgeous weather that we’ve been having in Seattle has me dreaming of many more beach worthy days this coming spring/summer. It also reminded me of this great mini-session I had at Alki Beach in the fall.
I was lucky to work with this amazing mama in a former life. In that life, I was a senior account manager at a national telecom provider and Sarah was a strategic sales representative. We worked (at what seemed) endless hours on our accounts together. When I left in 2009 to have my daughter, I had a feeling that she wouldn’t be far behind me. I was right, and she had her son about a year after Carli was born. We both happily left the corporate telecom world to be full-time mamas and have barely given a glance back over our shoulders! I feel very lucky to have Sarah’s early support for my photography career, and we met at Alki Beach in West Seattle for some to commemorate R’s 2nd birthday with some family photos. I was especially excited when we lucked out on gorgeous weather in November… in Seattle. (Yes, this blog is for photos taken in November. There will be more OLD sessions posted too.) R was a fun-loving, typical, on-the-go boy, but we did manage to capture a few of his precious nose-scrunch smiles. So cute! I had fun chasing R around the beach and seeing how much he loved being there with his mommy and daddy.
Carli and I just recently had lunch with Sarah and R before they made their big move from Seattle to Boise. It is so bittersweet that they moved away and that is what finally got us together, but I am so happy that we did. Sarah and I are each expecting our second child, so we’re determined to keep in touch and be our own little support group to get through the next crazy chapter of motherhood. 🙂 I wish them the best of luck with their big move to Idaho, and can’t wait to meet their new little girl the next time they’re in town!
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My cousin Rich and his wife Alice asked me to photograph their daughter’s 1st birthday celebration in September. A baby’s first birthday luau is a big deal in Hawaiian culture. It goes back to the day when many babies didn’t live to see their first birthday, so the ones that did had very large celebrations. In Hawaii, it’s not unusual for a baby luau to rival a wedding in terms of scale and decorations.
While N’s luau was not in Hawaii and not as large as a wedding, it certainly had all the elements of a luau with some extra culture added in. N’s luau had an imu (in-ground oven) to roast a pig, a bouncy house, a balloon man, and also a Korean 1st birthday ceremony. The weather could not have been more perfect for an outdoor celebration, and the festivities were at my other cousin’s house in Orting. Rainier in the background made for a gorgeous backdrop for N’s ceremony where she chose from a number of items that were set in front of her. They were supposed to symbolize what field she will be in when she grows up. N chose a rattle, which represented music.
The day was full of food, family, friends and love. It could not have been a more perfect 1st birthday luau.
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(206) 954-7450
kellie@kelliepecoraro.com
Seattle, Washington