When my first family photos were taken, I was three 3 years old. No more family photos were taken until I was 34. And I don't blame my parents for that. Where I'm from at least, there weren't but a few photographers, and they mainly utilized their private studios, so they stayed booked for months or years in advance. Photography has changed a lot since then, and a quick internet search will give you the names of more photographers than you can view in one sitting. There is an endless supply of creativity, gorgeous locations, and there is a photographer that can fit in everyone's budget. I learned a long time ago not to tell people what they will regret in life. I don't have the same lived experiences as you, nor can I see into the future. Who am I to tell you that you will regret making a certain decision, because Lord knows I've made my fair share of bad ones. But what I can tell you with 99% certainty is that you WON'T regret taking family photos.
The woman in the cover photo of this blog post is me, and the man in the photo is my daddy. Was I 100% happy with my hair in this photo? No (peep the grays that I didn't have time to cover). Was my make up flawless? Absolutely not. The nails on my fingers: $5 press ons from the drug store. None of that mattered. What mattered was my family. My daddy was diagnosed with metastatic stage 4 pancreatic cancer in September 2024. These photos were taken on Father's Day weekend in June 2025. My daddy had braved chemo and other treatments for 10 months and fought valiantly to stop further spread of the cancer, but despite his efforts, optimism, and strong spirit, he received a terminal diagnosis the week after these photos were taken. A month and a half later in August 2025, my daddy went to be with the Lord, and aside from 34 years of wonderful memories, photos are what I have left of him.
"Brooke, this post is giving guilt trip vibes." I know it does, although that's not my intention. Life happens, photo sessions cost money, and they are a lot to coordinate, so there's no reason to feel guilty about not making time for family photos thus far. Guilting people into doing something generally never produces the desired outcome, and that's not my intention here. My intention is motivation. My hope is that this blog post may motivate you to gather your family and contact a photographer. I would be honored and overjoyed if the photographer you contact is me, but if I'm not the right fit for you, I'll be happy to refer you to a photographer who is.
In short: Take the photos. Just do it. THEY ARE WORTH IT!!
Location: The Glasshouse on Townes in North Augusta, SC https://www.instagram.com/theglasshouseontownes/?hl=en
