hey, IM em

and you? I see you. You're a busy, hard working mom... you don't need another thing to do

Listen. I could tell you about my love of photography starting at age eight. I could tell you how my dad used to run around with a tripod and flash at family gatherings, trying to capture every moment, and how I somehow subconsciously took on that role before I ever thought of myself as a photographer.

I could tell you about my five younger siblings who gave me a lifelong older-sister complex, my love of decaf coffee that I insist tastes exactly like regular coffee, or the family I'm now building with my sweetheart in New Hudson.

But you're not really here to learn about me. You're here because you feel deeply. You love your family fiercely. And you want to document this season well. And you're also trying to do it all. You are sporting a minivan, a phone running at max capacity, and multiple lukewarm drinks. You have 23,747 photographs of your beautiful children sitting on your phone, but somehow you're still worried you aren't documenting their childhood well enough.

You can feel the seasons changing faster than you'd like. One minute they're tiny, and the next they're suddenly too big for the clothes you bought six months ago. You want to press pause but your weekends are full of sports, church, birthday parties, family gatherings and things that weren't even on the calendar when you woke up that morning.

So when would you even take pictures? You don't want "just a few updated photos" of everyone standing in a row, smiling at a camera. But you also don't want to spend an hour chasing your toddler while your husband silently wonders why he agreed to this. You want photographs where you look beautiful, where your kids to look like themselves, and you want your husband to actually enjoy being there. And maybe, most importantly, you don't want another 400 digital files to sort through someday. You want the photographs that actually matter. 

My job isn't just to show up with a camera. I'm here to take over (in whatever ways you need) and create an experience that is truly fun for everyone.

I'll help you figure out what the family should wear (I'll come over and look at your actual clothes if you need me to). I'll help choose a location that would fit your family's vibe. I'll think through the timing around your family's actual life. I'll tell you what to do when you don't know what to do with your hands. And when your toddler refuses to cooperate? Good. We'll work with that. When your family is loud? Even better. When someone is shy, wiggly, awkward, overstimulated or absolutely convinced they are not participating in family photos? I've got it. I will get to know the family you actually are and capture the best parts of your life right now.

You don't need to add "plan the family photos" to your list. That's what I'm here for... you bring your people and I'll take care of the rest.

Let's tell your family's story.

Em | Walnut Grove Photo Co
Family and extended family photography in Michigan