Kansas Photographer of the Week: The Wild Child Photography

We forget in the business of life that our family, the people we love the most, is what it’s all about. Family photography has changed over the years, but we had a revelation recently that brought us right back to the heart of what we offer in a photo session.

Kim and I (Amy) are a photography/videography team located in Holton Kansas. We decided to join forces a couple of years ago and it’s been one of the best business decisions (for both of us) that we’ve ever made. Two creative people can sometimes be a tough combination, but for us it just works! We have a lot in common including three kids, (we each have a “Charlotte”, how strange is that?) a love for all things vintage that have some secret to tell, the beauty in the changing seasons of northeast Kansas, and a deep love for our Creator.

While at a photography conference we had a late night talk about why we do what we do and what we really wanted to offer clients. We knew that they could go anywhere for “pictures” but we didn’t want to be just the girls that take pictures. When we quit directing our focus on “us”, (what we could gain as business owners), and started focusing on family, and giving them not just images, but an experience that could even be life-changing, we started to truly love what we do all over again. We believe each person was uniquely and wonderfully created (even difficult clients), and our goal is to bring that beautiful creation to surface with both stills and video. We can’t just go to a session, and start bossing people around, we try to start with a game, with the goal of getting real laughter and real happy moments through play. Taking time for mom and dad is necessary as well… we always photograph them loving each other using ques and asking them to be a little vulnerable with us. These images that we eventually want to get on their walls, have a memory behind them. Not just a photo session, but a moment when they played, they whispered and were completely real for the camera. Kim and I were just there with the proper tools to capture it. When they see these daily, it’s a reminder.. because we do forget, how much we truly love one another as a family.

As a team of two photographers we have a unique opportunity to always have different perspectives, several lens options, and the possibility of video for a session. We love capturing families in this way and have created an all inclusive package, called The Cherish Session, to include video and stills working together. The daughter twirls, the children tackle dad, the sweet sweet newborn lets out a yawn… this is something we sincerely believe in preserving through video. Using a nifty QR code sticker sheet, the client can stick their code on their canvas, on an album, on a desktop photo frame… anywhere they want, to access their family video in the blink of an eye. We LOVE printing these sticker sheets and telling people to go crazy… stick them where ever you want! 🙂

For a wedding, it is very common to hire a wedding videographer. We venture to say that family videography is just as important as that first day you became a family with your spouse.

After the Cherish Session, we typically bring the family back to the studio for their premiere. After the video, we work hard to help find the best of the best images that they would like to display on their wall at home or even at the office. This process is so beneficiary for the client. They aren’t overwhelmed with options, and they leave knowing exactly what they are getting. What we have found is joy. Joy in the session, joy in the reaction, and joy in the delivery of their moments in print, canvas, and video. It is so satisfying, and not just for us, for the client as well.

Thanks for letting us tell you about The Wild Child! We would love to talk, and connect with you too! It’s so amazing to meet other photographers on this journey as well. We have a unique career. Capturing memories, and moments in wisps of hair, tiny dimpled chins, soft kisses, and family being themselves is not just a “job”, it’s such an honor to be chosen as the story teller. Make sure you always remember that!