Hello!  I'm Leah-, a Jesus loving Oregonian currently serving the PNW. I have a love for fish tacos, iced chai, hallmark movies, and all things creative and I'm excited to share what I do with you!

Leah Beachy

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{  Mini Family Photo Session  |  Iowa City, IA  }

When I married into the Beachy clan last summer, I gained 6 siblings (in-law) and 5 of the cutest (and most spirited) nieces and nephews! We spent a good chunk of Thanksgiving “Break” with this crew and I’m so glad that we took a few of our spare minutes to snap a few family photos! This won’t be the last time you see these folks gracing my website and social media.

Historically I have offered one family portrait package for my clients. It includes a 1-2 hour photo shoot in an outdoor location. It is basically the same session that I offer for my seniors, engaged couples and other portrait sessions, and it gives us enough time for an outfit change, and a variety of shooting locations.

But…. let’s be real. What kiddos have the capacity for that long of a session? The “you’ll get ice cream if you’re good” bribes usually lose their luster after about 45 minutes, and I can only give so much “yay! you smiled” candy to a 2 year old.  I love the variety and pace of the longer sessions, but the time commitment combined with the idea of keeping littles clean, happy, and compliant for over an hour is often daunting enough to keep most parents away from the family photo scene… and if there are kids with various nap times involved, forget it.

ALL the time I hear “I can’t remember the last time we had a real family photo,” from longing parents, and yet, nothing is done to remedy that because the thought of putting the kids (and the husband) through that form of “torture” just isn’t worth it.

I loved this session for a variety of reasons. #1,  Duh, adorable children (not biased at all.)  #2, This session took place in a dry creek bed right next to the parking lot, and required no long hike into the woods, which meant no tired kids.  #3, Our photo session was 20-30 mins tops. Just long enough to give my “client” over 60 photos, but not long enough for the kids to lose interest. #4 It was fun! While that’s ALWAYS the goal, it is far more likely that “FUN” will be the take home message when the session is brief.

I’m being won over to the “mini session” side as I think it is the perfect solution for parents and kids alike (and I don’t mind it too much either) 😉  Next time you find yourself contriving excuses for your empty frames where the family photos are supposed to go, consider checking in with your local photographer about a “mini session,” or better yet, book one with me!

Love you Miller fam!

xoxo

Leah

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  2. Carolyn Beachy says:

    Whoa, I’m way behind the times, and I have a puzzle of the one family photo, but these are GOOD.

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