Each mama has their own, natural way with their children. Some of us are silly and playful, some are real active and vocal, others are quiet and strong. These are all excellent qualities. I tend to lean on the silly and loud side. In our house, we wear our hearts on our sleeves. This isn’t always an advantage. This session’s mama is in the quiet and strong category and a big part of me wishes I had more of that meekness in me. Her children can rest in it and their home was peaceful. I’m also under no illusion that ANY home is always like that. Life with littles in hard and we all reach our limit. I love when I get a glimpse of families whose flavor is seasoned with that gentleness I so long to taste. It is everything “home” to me.
There are certain places that just make everything easier.
The light falls right. The space feels calm. The family relaxes without even realizing it.
I have been thinking a lot lately about the locations I keep coming back to, and what it is about them that works. Some are outdoors with gorgeous natural canopy and soft, open light. Some are quieter, more tucked away. Some I discovered by accident and now I wouldn`t trade them.
What they all have in common is this: they feel true to the families I photograph here in Tallahassee and the surrounding area. Unhurried. Warm. Real. Give me all the "old Florida" vibes.
Swipe through to see a few of my favorites right now. Do you have a favorite spot around Tallahassee, or somewhere nearby that means something to your family? I would genuinely love to hear it - drop it in the comments or send me a message. I am always looking to grow this list.
Seen here are Goodwood Museum and Gardens, St. Theresa, Summer Camp Beach, Park Avenue Chain of Parks, and Dorothy B. Oven Park.
That’s not a filter. That’s the finish.
Editing isn’t about fixing something that went wrong, it’s the last step in creating the image. The light, the color, the feeling. It all comes together in the edit.
Raw files are a little like unfinished film negatives. They’re where we start, not where we land. What you receive is the image as it was always meant to look.
This is the part of the work I genuinely love. And it shows up in every single image I deliver.
These seasons with your family are fleeting.
I know that sounds like something you see on a sign at HomeGoods, but I mean it in the most practical, un-cheesy way possible: the version of your kids that exists right now will be different in six months.
The way your toddler laughs, the way your baby fits in the crook of your arm, the way your whole family piles onto the couch on a Tuesday night - it changes. Gradually and then all at once.
These photos were taken of my daughter on her last week of kindergarten this year. Her playful spirit, in her bedroom, wearing the dress she wore for their Peter Rabbit end of year program. All the sweetness of the year in a few snapshots. I will love them forever.
The photos I make for families are not about having a perfect day or a perfect outfit or perfect kids. They are about stopping long enough to say: this was us, right here, in this season.
That is worth something.
If you have been thinking about it, reach out. We will find a time that works for real life.
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#portraitphotography #portraiture #simplyportraits #portraitoftheday #portraitphotographer #portraitsmag #portraitshoot #photographerofinstagram #photographyofinstagram #photographerlife #instaphotography #justgoshoot #photographylover #baby #familyphotography #tallahasseebabyphotographer #ihearttally #tallahassee #tallahasseephotographer #850 #floridanewbornphotographer #themotherhoodanthology #tma #lifestylelighting
.... now you know.
Which session memory has been living rent-free in your head lately?
Drop it below, I love hearing these. 🤍
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#portraitphotography #portraiture #simplyportraits #portraitoftheday #portraitphotographer #portraitsmag #portraitshoot #photographerofinstagram #photographyofinstagram #photographerlife #instaphotography #justgoshoot #photographylover #baby #familyphotography #tallahasseebabyphotographer #ihearttally #tallahassee #tallahasseephotographer #850 #floridanewbornphotographer #themotherhoodanthology #tma #lifestylelighting
He studied everything first — the trees, the park, me — before he decided we were okay. And then? That smile. 💛 Loved capturing this family`s time with their au pair under the soft Tallahassee light.
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#portraitphotography #portraiture #simplyportraits #portraitoftheday #portraitphotographer #portraitsmag #portraitshoot #photographerofinstagram #photographyofinstagram #photographerlife #instaphotography #justgoshoot #photographylover #baby #familyphotography #tallahasseebabyphotographer #ihearttally #tallahassee #tallahasseephotographer #850 #floridanewbornphotographer #themotherhoodanthology #tma #lifestylelighting
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 Forgotten Coast and panhandle of north Florida and south Georgia.
email us | sarah@sarahgray.com
telephone (850) 321-0208
located in tallahassee, florida
