Category Archives: Santa
More time does not always mean better results.
I know that feels counterintuitive. We are wired to think that more equals more - more time, more options, more opportunity for something great to happen.
But here is what I have actually observed after years of photographing families with young children: kids have a window. A cooperative, engaged, genuinely present little window. And when you work within that window instead of pushing past it, the photos reflect it. Smiles are real. Energy is light. Nobody ends up in tears in the parking lot.
A focused five to seven minutes with a photographer who knows how to move quickly and intentionally will outperform a long, drawn-out session almost every time when young children are involved.
That is the whole premise behind the Maclay Gardens Spring Petites. Short on purpose. Effective by design.
*Photos in this post are from a full length maternity session, but each of these were taken in a 5 minute window of time during that session.
Maclay Gardens in full bloom is one of those things that genuinely cannot be recreated.
Not next month. Not next year. Not by finding a similar spot somewhere else in town.
The soft pastel color, the light filtering through the canopy, the feeling of being completely surrounded by spring - it exists for a brief window, and then it is gone.
April 11 is the date. Five spots is the limit. When those are filled, that is it for this spring.
If you have been wanting to get your family photos updated and you keep waiting for the right moment, this one is worth paying attention to.
Link in bio to grab your spot before the blooms move on without us.
My dad was a hobbyist photographer when I was growing up.
Not a professional. Just someone who paid attention, picked up his camera, and kept a record of our family over the years.
Those photos have given me something I did not fully understand the value of until I was older - glimpses of moments that would have otherwise just faded. Seasons of our family`s life that I can actually see, not just try to remember.
That is a big part of why I believe what I believe about this work.
Your family is your legacy. The people in your life right now, at this exact age, in this exact season - they deserve to be beautifully preserved. Not just for you, but for the people who come after you, who will one day look at those images and feel the warmth of a family that showed up for each other.
That is what I am here to help you do.
I’m still sifting through all the December sessions and have so many favorites to share. Thank you to all my families who trusted me to be a part of their photographic legacy. It is an honor and I never take it lightly.
Here’s to another great year!
Tonight I had the first session of the year! It was beautiful. I’m not sure if I love this warm January or not, but it sure made this maternity session more comfortable.
Memberships and Affiliations
Sarah Gray creates timeless and joyful images that are designed for living room walls and photo albums. A tallahassee photographer, Sarah Gray also serves Thomasville, Crawfordville, St. Marks, Gainesville and throughout the panhandle of north Florida and south Georgia.
email us | sarah@sarahgray.com
telephone (850) 321-0208
located in tallahassee, florida
