Why Grow With Me Photography Is About More Than Photos

Sometimes, the best way to explain why families choose to grow with their photographer is to let one of those families tell you.

Every once in a while, I ask a client a question that I genuinely want the answer to.

Recently, I asked one of my longtime clients something I've been curious about for a while:

“What is it that makes you loyal to me? If you had to tell someone else why they should do the Grow With Me package, what would you say?”

I wasn't looking for a compliment. I really wanted to understand what keeps a family coming back year after year, especially when there are so many wonderful photographers out there.

Her answer was more meaningful than I expected.

She told me that the biggest reason she keeps coming back is trust. I've photographed her maternity photos, birth, his newborn photos, his annual pictures every year since he was born, and even Christmas and Easter sessions. Now they're starting that whole journey again as they prepare to welcome another baby—from maternity to birth, newborn and beyond.

Then she said something that really stuck with me:

“At this point, it feels like you’ve grown with our family.”

And honestly, I don't think I could have described the heart of my Grow With Me experience any better myself.

I've watched Jackson grow.

When Your Photographer Becomes Part of Your Family's Story

When you choose a photographer for your maternity or newborn photos, you're trusting them with a pretty important part of your story. But when you continue working with that same photographer as your baby grows, something different starts to happen.

They aren't meeting your family for the first time at every session.

They know you.

They know your baby's personality. They remember how tiny they were as a newborn. They watched them go from those sleepy first photographs to sitting up, crawling, walking and developing all those little expressions that become so completely them.

They know the things that make you laugh. They know the way your family interacts. They know that maybe your toddler absolutely refuses to cooperate the second the camera comes out, or that your baby has a particular little smile that you hope someone remembers forever.

And eventually, the photographs become more than a collection of pretty images.

They become a record of your family growing.

That's one of the things I love most about being a family photographer in the La Crosse area. I don't want to simply show up, pose your family, take some pictures and send you on your way. I want to build relationships with the families who invite me back into their lives over and over again.

Because years from now, I want you to look at those photographs and remember more than what everyone looked like.

I want you to remember who you were.

What Is a Grow With Me Photography Experience?

A Grow With Me photography experience is designed to document your baby's journey from pregnancy through those first incredible months and years of life.

But here's the thing: I don't believe every family's story should look exactly the same.

Your Grow With Me experience can be completely customized around the moments that matter most to you.

For one family, that might mean maternity photography, birth photography and a newborn session. Another family might want maternity, Fresh 48 and newborn photos, followed by milestone sessions throughout baby's first year. Someone else might want to focus on newborn and milestone photography without maternity or birth photography at all.

There isn't one “right” combination.

Maybe you want to document the bump, those first hours after birth, baby's first days at home and their first birthday. Maybe you want fewer sessions but want to make sure you capture the really big moments.

We can build your experience around your family, your baby and the memories you know you want to hold onto.

That's what makes a Grow With Me experience different from simply booking a series of unrelated photography sessions.

From Bump to Baby and Beyond

There is something pretty incredible about seeing an entire story unfold through photographs.

You see a growing belly and remember the anticipation of wondering who this little person would become.

Then you see the tiny newborn you waited so long to meet.

You see the first days when everything is new and you're learning one another.

Then suddenly, that tiny baby is smiling at you.

Sitting.

Standing.

Taking those first wobbly steps.

Celebrating a first birthday.

And before you know it, you're looking at photographs wondering how on earth that little newborn got so big.

Baby photography is often talked about as a way to capture milestones, and it absolutely is. But I think there's another piece of it that sometimes gets overlooked.

You are changing, too.

Motherhood changes you. Fatherhood changes you. Your relationship changes. Your family grows and shifts and finds a new rhythm.

The photographs aren't only about remembering how small your baby was.

They're about remembering you in that season of your life.

Why Trust Matters So Much

My client also talked about something that I think is especially important when we're talking about maternity, newborn and birth photography: comfort.

There is something different about inviting a photographer you've known for years into an intimate moment compared with meeting someone for the first time.

Birth photography, especially, requires an incredible amount of trust. You're inviting someone into one of the most vulnerable and emotional experiences of your life. You shouldn't have to spend that time wondering whether they'll understand your wishes, whether you'll be comfortable around them or whether they'll know when to step forward and when to simply document what's happening.

When we've already worked together, we've already built that relationship.

You know me.

I know you.

And we've already figured out that whole “camera in your face” thing together.

Apparently, we've even reached the level of trust where my client felt the need to remind me:

“Plus, you've seen me naked!” 😂🤭

I mean... she's not wrong. (Birth and Boudoir sessions!)

That's probably one way to measure a successful photographer-client relationship. 😂

But underneath the joke is something I don't take lightly.

Trust matters.

Especially when I'm photographing your pregnancy, your birth, your postpartum days, your brand-new baby and all of the beautifully imperfect moments that come with becoming and growing as a family.

Your Baby's First Year Doesn't Have to Look Like Everyone Else's

One of the reasons I love offering a customizable Grow With Me experience is that families don't have to choose their memories based on someone else's idea of what they “should” document.

Your baby doesn't have to fit into a predetermined photography plan.

Maybe you don't care about a six-month session, but you desperately want photographs of those first days at home.

Maybe birth photography is incredibly important to you, but you don't need four milestone sessions.

Maybe you want all of it because you know you're going to want to look back and see every stage.

We can talk about what matters to you and create a plan that makes sense for your family.

Because the whole point isn't to collect a certain number of photography sessions.

It's to tell your story.

The Beauty of Having Someone Who Grows With You

When I think about that conversation with my client, I keep coming back to those words:

“You've grown with our family.”

That is such an incredible thing to be told as a photographer.

I've gotten to photograph her family through so many seasons. I've watched Jackson grow. I've been trusted with some of their biggest moments. And now I get to do it all over again with another baby.

That's not something I take for granted.

Being a La Crosse maternity, newborn, birth and family photographer allows me to meet so many wonderful families. But the families who continue to come back and allow me to grow alongside them are incredibly special.

Because eventually, I'm not just photographing a family I met at a session.

I'm photographing a family whose story I know.

And when you can look back through years of photographs and see that story connected from one chapter to the next—from bump to baby and beyond—there's something really special about that.

That's what Grow With Me means to me.

Not a package.

Not a checklist.

Not a certain number of sessions.

It's the opportunity to document your family as you become a family, grow your family and watch those tiny people you love become exactly who they're meant to be.

And if I get to be the person behind the camera for some of those moments?

Well, that's pretty darn special to me, too. ❤️

They're getting ready to do it all over again!

0 Comments

Why Grow With Me Photography Is About More Than Photos

I've watched Jackson grow.

When Your Photographer Becomes Part of Your Family's Story

What Is a Grow With Me Photography Experience?

From Bump to Baby and Beyond

Why Trust Matters So Much

Your Baby's First Year Doesn't Have to Look Like Everyone Else's

The Beauty of Having Someone Who Grows With You

They're getting ready to do it all over again!

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