Kansas City FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER
We talk first. A short conversation about your family, your kids, what they are into right now, where you feel most like yourselves. That conversation is where the session begins, before I take any photographs.
Then we go do something together. A location that means something to you, an activity your family loves, your backyard, your kitchen, the park you always go to, nature, city, a walk you take every Sunday. I have prompts and games to keep the energy up, especially with kids who have decided cooperation is optional. For the classic lineup with everyone smiling, I have a joke or two to get those real smiles.
Sometimes my documentary instinct from weddings takes over. I am watching. I am looking for the moment your youngest does the thing only she does. The chaos of getting everyone out the door that somehow ends up in a beautiful photo. I love to get those candid photos where your family lets their guard down.
Tiffany found me when she was visiting Kansas City from Tulsa: "ATN was the absolute best at communicating, working with our schedule, offering options and locations due to the weather but still met with us outdoors at our planned location even though it had rained all day. Thank you ATN for capturing these sweet pics of my family I will forever cherish."
I am not going to pretend I have a professional technique for managing children in front of a camera. The truth is simpler. I genuinely like being around kids and I am curious.
When I was young I made a promise to myself to never forget what it feels like to be a child. I kept that promise. I was a scout leader in France for years, animating groups of kids, creating games, making things happen with energy and imagination rather than authority. I have five kids at home. I am the fun uncle by instinct.
So when your four year old decides she is done cooperating, I am not stressed. I get down on her level. I have a game. I have something ridiculous to say that makes her laugh before she realizes she is laughing. I am not trying to manage her. I am playing with her. That is when the photos happen.
Hannah noticed it at her wedding: "He even got down on the dance floor with the kids to capture some incredible moments." That was a wedding. Imagine a session where the kids are the point.
You are not alone. A lot of adults dread being in front of a camera. If that is you, my job is to make you forget the camera exists. No awkward posing and forced smiles, just a good time between us, and I will catch your beautiful smile.
Abiola put it this way: "I have never liked taking pictures, and honestly I lost sleep worrying beforehand. What I expected to be uncomfortable actually turned into something beautiful, enjoyable, and genuinely fun. He completely changed how I feel about being photographed."
That is what I am here for.
There is no one size fits all. We talk first and figure out what makes sense for your family.
A short session covers the essentials in about 45 minutes to 1 hour at one location. The family photos you need for the wall and the Christmas card, done fast with real smiles.
A longer session runs a couple of hours and gets more personal. Multiple locations if you want, a change of clothes if that matters, an activity your family loves in the middle of it. The photos look like your family, not like a family session.
A full documentary session runs a few hours or more. Breakfast to grandma's house, backyard to favorite restaurant, birthday party from setup to cake. No agenda. Just your family living your life while I document what I find funny, tender, real.
Sessions start at $300. Longer and more personal sessions run higher. We can talk through what fits.
