Hi, I’m Kiana! I’m a Kitsap family photographer who specializes in home-based sessions that truly reflect this season of life for you.
If you’re new to in-home sessions, you might feel iffy about taking your family photos there, and that is completely understandable. In the last few decades, family photography has primarily happened either in studios or outdoors, not in people’s homes; for most of the 80s-2000s, the default experience was studio portraits in places like JCP, and as trends shifted in the 2000s-2010s, we started seeing more of those beautiful outdoor golden hour sessions against striking landscapes. In-home family photography has grown rapidly in the last couple of years, especially as people begin craving something more personal and real. What’s more personal and real than your place of dwelling?!
Here are a few reasons I encourage my clients to choose in-home sessions when they’re on the fence about where they should book their Kitsap family or newborn session:
Your home is where so much of motherhood takes place; it tells the true story of your family.
How sweet it will be years down the road to look back on your family photos and be able to relive the moments held in these walls?! There is so much magic to be found in the mundane and the every day, and I believe it is as important to capture that as it is to capture the “highlight reel” of our lives.
Kids relax faster in familiar spaces, leading to more play during your session.
This is especially for toddler parents–new environments can feel super daunting for our littles, and that is totally okay. If you want to create a more relaxed experience for them, though, keeping things in your home can help them feel more playful and at ease.
Images taken in your home feel incredibly personal and timeless.
Photos taken in your home are naturally going to be filled with more character, connection, and personal touches. This will make them even more magical and timeless to look back on in the years to come.
Homes create built-in variety and places to play & snuggle
I love hopping between the living room, nursery, bedroom, kitchen, front porch, backyard…wherever you’ll let me take photos! This creates more opportunity for play and variety in the lighting and colors of your gallery.
Home sessions feel less like a photoshoot and more like a cozy family date
They’re focused less on performance and more on presence. You can focus on being together and enjoying this quality time in your home.
Home sessions honor this exact season of life
I don’t know that there is anything more reflective of the season of life you’re living in than your home! Messy fingerprints, nursery decorations, toy baskets and books scattered. It is all such a beautiful reminder of how much we have to be grateful for in this season.
What should I wear for my in-home family session in Kitsap?
I am a huge advocate for muted colors and anything with the word “earthy” in front of it–earthy greens, sky blues, muted yellows and beiges, and rust/terracotta. I love using texture and layers to add interest to your outfits, like linen pants or cozy jackets or flowy dresses. Most importantly, I want you to wear something that feels comfortable to move around in. Any outfit you feel you have to constantly readjust or cover yourself in is going to translate to looking awkward on camera!
I recommend avoiding the following:
- True reds. One of the hardest colors for cameras to capture accurately, and it tends to reflect strongly, look “off” or overly bright, and pull attention away from faces.
- Navy blue. This is often considered a safe “neutral” and this is true in real life–but navy is not a great option for photos! Navy can appear much darker on camera than in real life, causing it too lose any texture and almost look black. It has the tendency to blend you into the background, which we don’t want; we want you to pop!
- Pure black and pure white. Two more classics in your day-to-day that are not as flattering in photos as people think they are. Pure black clothing in photos feels harsh and heavy and causes a loss of detail, especially in darker indoor settings. Pure white clothing reflects a lot of light onto the face and can blow out in photos, so detail gets lost again on the other side of the spectrum.
- Busy patterns. Don’t get me wrong–I LOVE big stripes for a family photo session! But tight stripes, small prints, and bold patterns can create visual noise and strange effects on camera. They compete with faces and expressions, which cause the whole of the image to feel less cohesive.
If you’re ever in need of inspiration, I keep a sweet little outfit board updated on Pinterest that you are more than welcome to scroll through:
If you’re a Kitsap or Gig Harbor family and you think an in-home session might be right for you–I’d love to get you on my calendar! You can head straight to my booking tool below.
