portland FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY
Before I photographed families here in Portland, I was mainly a wedding photographer, but then my couples started having babies. It didn't take long to realize that I was meant to capture couples in this new phase of life. Now I photograph families, just as frequently as I photograph weddings and I really enjoy the variety and change of pace that each life event offers.
Family sessions are all about documenting the small moments that won't seem small in years to come, when you want to remember how life felt in a certain phase of life. Capturing your family in tangible form is a chance to encapsulate a personality trait, a facial expression, a silly dance move, and a unique family dynamic, in a time when a child is growing and changing so fast. The storyteller in me enjoys capturing the really vulnerable moments you share with your children. I always aim to to create images that are tender, genuine, and heartfelt.
I am more than happy to provide location recommendations in or outside of Portland, in addition to outfit suggestions. Shooting in your home can be really unique and special too!
More families on the blog
RELAXED, NATURAL, HEARTFELT + PHOTOS
Most of the family sessions you see here are a result of families giving me more than an hour of their time. You can find me eating dinner with families, spending the first 30 minutes of our sessions just getting to know one another, rolling on the ground with the kids, feeding their chickens, making art with them.
Family dynamics are unique, vulnerable and sacred. Sometimes more time and a bit of patience gives me a chance to really capture the true essence of a family. I like to think of family photos of a day-in-the-life-of and I just happen to be there hanging out, camera by my side, waiting for moments to unfold naturally.
The reason longer sessions work so well is because it takes the pressure off the kids to perform. No matter the age, I never experience temper tantrums. Kids enjoy having a new guest there to play, and once they've had a chance to relax and ease into their element, they forget why I am really there.
With that said, I do occasionally host mini sessions if you are still dying to have photos but prefer something brief. Pricing on those vary and starts lower than my base family pricing listed on my info page. Reach out if you'd like more info.
a note about
portland family sessions.
More families on the blog
Family session in the columbia gorge
motherhood session in hood river
Portland in home family session on film
Tanvi + Reza
Hiring Alexandra was everything I wanted for our Portland family photography session. She was extremely professional, very responsive, and answered all of my questions (I had a lot) in a detailed, kind way. Portland weather is always so tricky, but she never made me feel bad about my anxiety over whether or not our photoshoot would go smoothly. She had great feedback, and backup plans for if the weather wouldn't cooperate. The day of the shoot, we were all very nervous (and NOT good in front of a camera, with a 4 year old and a dog) but she was fantastic! She immediately put us at ease, joking around, making us feel great, and was easy going and flexible. My daughter loved her, and all of us had a great time.
However, the biggest draw for Alexandra has to be her AMAZING ABILITY TO TAKE PHOTOS. She turned a fairly awkward family into gorgeous, magazine worthy photos. We've never looked better! I can't believe how well she captured exactly what I was envisioning: the gorgeous Portland fall, and our family looking beautiful, happy, and natural in a scenic, beautifully lit, setting. The entire experience - from beginning to end - was wonderful.
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REVIEWS
Robyn + tony
My family recently did our second family photo session with Alexandra and we couldn't be more happy with the experience and photographs. I was looking for a lifestyle photographer with an eye for beautiful natural light and Alexandra was perfect. Her photographs are just beautiful and I'm so impressed and thankful for the intimate moments she has captured of my family, even when kiddos are tired and a bit wild and an energetic dog is thrown in to the mix.
Alexandra is easy to get along with and made us feel comfortable, which is tough to do when being photographed. It was windy and raining on our shoot date, but knowing how Portland weather can change by the hour, she was super accommodating and let us make a final call to reschedule as we saw how the day went. You are her priority for your shoot- she went over and beyond to make sure she captured plenty of photo options for us and was not in a rush or watching the clock, which I find is rare these days.
We will be using her again in the future!
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REVIEWS
Lauren + Quinn
Alexandra was absolutely amazing to work with for our newborn shoot. Admittedly my husband and I aren’t the most comfortable in front of the camera, but Alexandra was an absolute pro in helping us come out of our shell and create pictures that perfectly dictate our new family.
Upon seeing our house, she had an amazing vision of some places to shoot that wouldn’t have ever crossed our mind, and the photos turned out even better than I could have anticipated.
I love love love our family photos so much, and you can really tell the care that she put into editing each and every one. I can’t wait to do another family shoot with Alexandra.Every step of the way working with her was absolutely seamless!
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REVIEWS
LIZ + JEFF
If you’re looking for a photographer (think: real life best friend) Alex is your girl. If I could convince my kids to do more sessions, I’d do them every season bc her images are just that dreamy.
After using her for the past few years, I’ve come to look forward to her easy going nature to get my family into the groove. She is as friendly as they come, super helpful and knowledgeable about what will be a good shot or what won’t and in general a kind human that I love supporting.
She can give suggestions or happy to let you guide your direction which I appreciate. Ive been drawn to her editing style and love that she often captures little candid moments that are the big ones I want to always remember. Well worth it and never regret using her. I’ll be her customer as long as she will have us!
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REVIEWS
Jessie + David
Hire Alex, you won’t regret it! We hired Alex for Maternity and Newborn photos in Portland. She came highly recommended by other photographers in the area as I was booking last minute. She was super flexible with availability and met our needs easily. She had great recommendations for locations and outfit ideas because I am clueless with that stuff!
The days of the shoots with her, she was responsive and punctual. She’s super easy going and made us feel comfortable instantly. She was able to get us to look natural in front of the camera and just be ourselves with easy “posing” that didn’t look posed in the final product.
She provided us galleries that gave us so many great photos to help us remember this special season in our lives. She worked with us, our kiddo, and our pup beautifully and we will cherish the pictures forever! To spend the money on a quality experience with an amazing product will always be worthwhile.
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