Growing up in my childhood home, I remember my mom had this wall with multiple glass shelves stocked with assorted picture frames. She updated it frequently with photos of our family. There were frames filled with pictures everywhere. It’s kind of uncanny that now my ‘real job’ is a professional photographer now, because I always made fun of the fact that my Korean mother fit the ‘Asian paparazzi’ stereotype. Ha.
But here’s the thing: It’s the effort of documenting and carefully displaying your family portraits that I appreciate more and more each day.
You see, something happens to us when we see photos of our families. We well up with pride and want to show people; we travel back in time and can see and feel details long forgotten; we’re reminded of what matters and how time moves too quickly. We treasure the moments we have today.
Pictures, like memories and stories, are part of our legacy. We hold them close, we pass them down. It’s a gift to be able to share a visual of moments, details, people, places and things to those we love, so that they, too, can feel even a glimmer of the joy we feel when we reflect on those times. I certainly hope that this is the case for artist Allison Reimus’ family. They recently moved from Chicago to New York City. And I have to say, their lifestyle family session I did for them is PURE GOLD.
So, without further ado, allow me to present to you their rad in-home lifestyle session feature here:
Aren’t these two little cute goofballs just adorable?!!
I could just play with them and photograph them
ALL.
DAY.
LONG!
I’m a wee bit obsessed with their light-filled sunroom. And that awesome acrylic coffee table. I’m daydreaming of weekend mornings, sipping my coffee in a room like that.
Stella’s room is just darling. Swooning!
Henry reminded me sooo much of my own little studmuffin at home- loves cars, jumping on beds- what else could be more fun?!
I always say that I’m entitled to skipping gym day when I do a family shoot like this- it’s a WORKOUT folks!
Allison + Matthew + Henry + Stella
Married for almost 9 years, Together for 17 years.
Their family session was photographed in the suburbs of Chicago, and they now call Park Slope in Brooklyn, New York home.
How did you guys meet?
We have different memories of how we met, but my story is this: I walked into a mutual friend’s dorm room and saw him playing the guitar. He looked up from a mop of hair and mumbled an indifferent “hello”. Ha! I love a challenge 😉
MOM’S HOMETOWN:
Saginaw, Michigan
5 WORDS that describe yourself (mom):
Creative, introspective, early, sarcastic, hungry.
HER FAVORITE THINGS:
Contemporary painting, inclusive feminism, and the taco truck parked outside of our new apartment.
DAD’S HOMETOWN:
Jackson, Michigan
HIS FAVORITE THINGS:
Data, charts, graphs, his kids, and me 🙂
5 WORDS to describe Your Spouse + each kiddo:
Matthew is analytical, stable, kind, sarcastic and not hungry.
Henry is capable, musical, hilarious, curious and fast.
Stella is determined, theatrical, silly, sweet and empathetic.
BEST VACATION:
I spent six weeks in Berlin on an artist residency before I had kids. My husband and I met up at the end and toured London, Liverpool Edinburgh and Dublin. I still think about that vacation! With kids, my favorite was a road trip we took to Dallas to attend the opening of an art exhibition I was in. The kids, surprisingly, love road trips and we find it’s a great way for us to introduce them to areas of the country that are different than where they live.
BABY/KIDDO ITEM YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT:
Does Netflix count?
ADVICE FOR ROOKIE PARENTS:
Do things your way! You’re doing great! Also, never underestimate the importance of getting away from your kids now and then. You need alone time/ couple time, and will be a more patient parent because of it.
WHICH IMAGE TAKEN DURING OUR SESSION IS YOUR FAVORITE + WHY?
Hard to pick a favorite! But since I HAVE to, I’ll go with the family portrait of all of us laying on the bed. A big smile on my face, my husband nuzzling his face into mine, my son cracking up, and the coy little smile from my sweet 3-year old. What a great moment to have frozen in time!
(P.S. Clearly Allison has excellent taste because that very same favorited portrait also received one of my top honors in the most recent 2018 Shoot & Share contest:
Top 10% in Family Photography
This particular image placed #1,751 out of 41,257 total entries in this category worldwide. Holy smokes!)
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR BEFORE HIRING ME? DID IT COME TRUE, AND IF NOT, WHAT HAPPENED INSTEAD?
My biggest fear was that you wouldn’t measure up to my ridiculously, probably (okay, definitely) unreasonably high standards when it comes to images. After looking at your gorgeous portfolio and seeing your work in the home of a friend, I figured you could do no wrong and I was right! I think every parent worries about whether or not their kids will cooperate in something like a photo shoot, especially when your investing money to do so, but you were WONDERFUL with my kids. They said they loved and missed you after you left. I had a conversation with someone recently, and in describing the experience, I believe I used the word “magician”.
IF YOU WERE TO RECOMMEND ME TO YOUR BESTIE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
Girl. Hire her!
ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE?
I can never thank you enough for capturing such special moments in our Chicago home. We will cherish the memories of our first home forever, and now have beautiful, heirloom quality images to help us do so!
P.S. You GUYS SHOULD CHECK OUT ALLISON’S incredible work here. AND BE SURE TO FOLLOW HER OVER ON THE ‘GRAM: @ALLISON_REIMUS
Want a turn?
Photo Cred: Nicole Defilippis
xo jenny
