There’s a reason families have been lining up for family portraits for generations — those images will matter for years to come. Everyone looking their best, together in one place, proof that this was your family at this moment in time. These are truly important images, and making sure your family has them is always part of what I do. But I also think there’s something more to reach for — images that go beyond a record of your family’s history, and become something closer to art.
Family Portraits, Reconsidered
I’ve been thinking a lot about what takes family portraits from a pretty picture to something that genuinely stops you in your tracks. Something that makes you look longer than you expected — and feel something you didn’t see coming. The kind of image where you notice just how tiny your baby’s hand was, or the way light caught your child’s curls. Little details, seen the right way, can make the most extraordinary photographs.
It’s a question I come back to constantly — and honestly, it shapes everything about the way I work.
Photography tends to live on a spectrum. On one end, there’s the photographer who pre-visualizes every image and executes it precisely. On the other, the photographer who steps back and documents whatever unfolds naturally without interfering at all. There’s genuine beauty in both approaches — and honestly, I borrow a little from each. My work lives somewhere in the middle, which is where, more often than not, my favorite images come from.
I come to every session with a vision — the kind of light I’m looking for, the feeling I’m working toward, the connection I want to draw out. I’m guiding, noticing, adjusting — and then I step back and let things unfold. Because sometimes, in the middle of all that quiet directing, something happens that I couldn’t have planned — and that’s the image you’ll keep coming back to for the rest of your life.
A dad near the window, bent over his newborn. His wife coming down the stairs at that exact moment, her hand trailing the railing. I had set the scene. I hadn’t written the ending.
What I Want Your Family Portraits to Feel Like
Guided, but not forced. Natural, with room for the kind of moments that become the photographs you never forget. That’s the space I’m always trying to work in.
I always want families to walk away with both a beautiful record of who you are, and images that carry the feeling of it too. The way this chapter of your life actually felt. Both matter, and I never want to lose sight of that. And when you get both in the same photograph? That’s when something a little magic has happened.
Hi there! I’m Kate – a Hightstown NJ photographer celebrating and photographing all stages of your unique motherhood journey. From the exciting days during your pregnancy, to the whirlwind newborn moments, to the beautiful chaos of life with littles, my goal is to beautifully photograph each stage so you and your children can have and hold those sweet memories in your hands forever.
For 11 years, I’ve been photographing families in their homes, capturing the authentic, intimate moments that make your story uniquely yours. And now, I’m thrilled to be opening a natural light studio on Mercer Street in Hightstown where we can create beautiful family portraits in a warm, welcoming space designed just for you.
Whether you prefer the comfort of your home or the convenience of the studio, I’m here to document your journey with care and creativity.
You can see more of my work on Instagram, learn more about me, and inquire about a session – I would love to get to know you and your family and create beautiful memories together!
