I used to think annual family photos were for families who had it all together (perfect outfits, endless budgets, kids who smiled on command). With a 3-year-old and a 9-year-old, most days feel like a delicate balance of homeschool chaos, work, and figuring out what’s for dinner. Professional photos felt like one more thing I “should” do and honestly it usually brings on some mom guilt because I just can’t quite squeeze in.
I am working on updating our wall gallery and I am hanging last year’s family photos: the four of us at the beach we visit every fall, running from the waves, playing and laughing together. I walk past that photo every day, gosh I have them as my screen saver on my phone and computer and it stops me every time. Not because it’s flawless but because it’s us, right now, in this exact season. And seasons end faster than we’re ready for.
That’s when I realized: family photos every year aren’t a luxury. They’re a quiet way of saving this chapter of your life before it is gone..
Your children are writing their childhood in fast-forward
For my boys ages 3 and 9 everything changes all the time: the way my toddler talks, the baby curls we still haven’t cut. All the way to the first time my oldest walked ahead on the trail instead of holding my hand. Family photos every year is the only way I’ve found to mark these shifts before they blur together. These images are evidence of how far we’ve come and how much love carried us here.
You will never regret having annual family photos—you will only regret the years you don’t have family photos
I’ve never opened a gallery and thought, “We shouldn’t have done this.”
But I already feel a small ache when I realize we have almost no printed photos from the year our youngest was one. Life was heavy that season, and photos fell off the list. Now that chapter feels thinner on our shelves, and I wish I had one more image of those chubby arms around my neck.
One day “too busy” becomes “I wish we had”
Right now the excuse is packed weekends, dance practice, travel baseball, the never-ending laundry pile. One day the excuse will be college move-in day, graduation parties, or wedding toasts. I don’t want “we were too busy” to be the reason I missed capturing the moments of my children growing up. Honestly, it is a gift to them and me. We are capturing the essence of our family that we will be able to cherish forever.
You deserve to feel like the beautiful mom that you are
I see it every single session: moms step in front of my lens and suddenly remember they’re more than snack-fetchers and homework-helpers. You’re radiant, strong, and the heart of your family’s story. Let me show you what your kids see every day.
Phoenix winter light is genuinely magical—and fleeting
From November through March the desert gives us cool air, soft golden light, and mountains that glow. One comfortable evening in that light with your real family—no forced smiles, just connection—creates images you’ll frame for decades. Why candid photography tells the best stories? Because when everyone’s relaxed, the real version of your family shows up.
These photos become your family’s quiet history. When my kids are grown, they’ll flip through albums and see themselves held, celebrated, and loved—year after year. That continuity matters more than perfection.
You don’t have to do full productions every time. Some years we do a complete session with outfit planning; other years it’s a quick 20-minute mini at sunset. Both are enough, because the goal is simply showing up.
So yes—family photos every year are absolutely worth it
They’re worth it for the mom who needs proof these wild, exhausting days are also beautiful. They’re worth it for the kids who will one day need proof they were deeply loved. And they’re worth it for the future version of you who will touch these images and remember exactly how this season felt.
My 2026 winter calendar is open now, and January/February golden-hour weekends book first. If you’re ready to stop wondering and start preserving this chapter, send me a message. I’d love to capture your family exactly as you are right now—perfectly imperfect and perfectly yours.
Call/Text: 602-759-0083
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