san clemente family session

I always ask for the names and ages of the kiddos before any family session. seeing the names increases the chance of my terrible memory bringing them to mind and knowing their ages lets me prepare the appropriate amount of knock knock or fart jokes. when mama myrna wrote back saying her kids were pre-teen to full on teen age my stomach did a flip and all my middle school nerves rushed back into my heart. but these beautiful blonde babes couldn't have been more fun to photograph. they trusted me and twirled with me and even though it was clearly apparent that they're cooler than I ever have been or will be, welcomed me with open arms into their lovely family. enjoy

the mcguires | in home family portrait session pasadena

this mama is one of the best around. so genuine, so lovely inside and out. her kindness will melt you into a puddle and your four year old will covet her "elsa braid" every time you run into her. this little family of three (soon to be four!) welcomed me into their warm and musical home and gave a peek into their daily life. it's an intimidating thing, opening your home and giving free reign to someone else to document every nook and cranny. i never take for granted the trust that my clients give me as i step into their personal, safe space. christie expressed her hesitations about shooting in their home but as her husband's job will move them to oregon soon, she recognized the desire to document their time here in california as a family, to record the little spot they brought their newborn baby to. and i'm so glad they did. thank you for sharing this tender season of life with me, mcguires. xo

in home family sessions and a mother's day special

I love photographing families. it feels to me like the most important images I can be taking right now. documenting these tiny years, these formative days and these irreplaceable relationships. so when a mama contacts me about scheduling a family portrait session, I always push for shooting in the home. I know in the season of wrangling a young family the very idea of having your house documented forever may give some of you a small heart attack, but hear me out.

your home is your space. the place where your lives unfold. it's where you make room for each other, learn to dance around and beside each other. this is where you argue and cry and forgive and love. within these walls you learn and grown and pour yourself out over and over and over again. it's not perfect or always tidy because people are truly living there, enjoying the space fully. in twenty years you won't remember the mismatched curtains or stain on the rug but you will remember the height chart on the wall and the way baby fit just right in the kitchen sink at bath time. I don't care what your home looks like. I can work around the hole in the wall that still needs to be patched and the weird 1970's counter top. in fact, we'll embrace it. it is part of your story and the place where your family thrives. there is beauty in every corner, I assure you.

the space is sacred, for the children it is safe. they belong there, are nurtured there. they are free to dream and imagine and play and run wild. the chance to photograph seemingly mundane every day activities is a priceless one. it's the opportunity to document the real beauty of this stage of life - the giving and sacrifice, the nurturing and the care. the unconditional love that's put into every sliced apple and skinned knee. 

book your family session for the month of may and receive the mother's day special : one hour session in your home with online image gallery and the hi-res digital files for $350 (typically $600). travel fee outside of los angeles county may apply. email lily@lilyglassphotography.com to book.