This a favorite picture of my family.
(in photo above: my husband: Omari, son: Gavin, daughter: Natalia, and me: Claire)
Keep scrolling to see the outtakes before we got to this final image.
HI THERE...I'M CLAIRE!
I specialize in maternity, newborn, and family photography for the Philadelphia, PA & Wilmington, DE Metro Areas/Delaware Valley.
I help parents capture those little moments that become big memories.
The families I photograph want more than snapshots of their family trapped on their phone. They want to celebrate their memories with beautiful photographs displayed in their home so they can be enjoyed daily. Families that understand that it is not about just having a great image for their holiday cards but to create a legacy for generations to treasure. Families that don't want a stuffy, formal portrait but imperfectly perfect, casual family photos that celebrate the love between family members and the playfulness of childhood.
MY EXPERIENCE
Before switching careers to photography, I spent 10 years as a commercial interior designer and helped design hospitals all over the country. My education and career helped me develop my creative eye, especially my sense of color, composition, and light. I changed careers to photography after the birth of my first child. The next ten+ years have been spent as a professional family photographer. It has been a blast getting to know amazing families and watching their children grow over the years.
As a photographer, I have been fortunate to work with local small businesses, such as Linvilla Orchards, photographed for local magazine Garnet Valley Living, was published in magazine's like Today's Parent and Juno, and have had a large amount of photos purchased and used by Shutterfly. (Fun fact: One of my images was used as a mural in the Shutterfly headquarters.)
After decades in the creative world, I am able to use years of education and experience to creatively and authentically document your family's memories. My experience of being a mom for over twelve years has prepared me to handle any emotion or behavior your child will "showcase" during our time together. The one word that has been repeated by many of my families about me is patience. Combining a large amount of patience with empathy allows me to win over even the toughest family member.
MY APPROACH TO PHOTOGRAPHY
The picture you see above is a favorite of my family's because it is so very "us". We rented a house in Canada a few years back. It was an adorable cottage directly on the lake, which made life so easy. The kids were old enough to be out on the water by themselves and were having a blast using the stand up paddle boards, kayaks, and floating dock. We went horse back riding, saw a moose at their provincial park, and went to a Native American Pow Wow. It was the idyllic family get away and we had a phenomenal time. I knew this would be a memory that I would hold dear to my heart when the kids got older and had families of their own. A moment where everything felt heavenly.
On the last evening of our trip, the sun was setting beautifully behind the trees and I ran to get my camera and threw it on a tripod. This shot was rushed because this type of lighting shifts incredibly fast. We are all wearing our bathing suits here. I do have a cover up on and my guys are wearing shirts with their bathing suit bottoms. However, my son’s shirt is actually inside out and backwards. No one’s hair was combed and no makeup is worn. (Thankfully my daughter just happened to be having a fantastic hair day because those wonderful curls can take on a life of their own.) I love this image because, in addition to the picturesque location and lighting, we are all so happy. It is a posed shot but the smiles are genuine and we are nestled in together. This picture represents our love of family time, exploring the world together, being outside, and our relaxed nature. I am grateful to have this memory documented forever and will treasure it always.
While I love how this picture turned out, taking my own family photos can be a stressful process. For instance, the yellow chair we first started to use to pile the family on literally broke into pieces. (Thankfully the homeowners were super cool and knew it was old.) We quickly swapped it out with a much sturdier red chair. I ran back and forth like a madwoman hoping that one would be a keeper. There was immense relief when I fell in love with the last image.
Much like my own family photo, I don't want you to stress over looking or being perfect. Perfection is not what creates a treasured photograph, happiness and connection is what is important.
My goal is to provide you with an environment that makes you feel comfortable connecting with your family while I snap away.
{A few additional pics from our Canadian vacation are below.}
TIDBITS ABOUT ME
I get very excited about pockets, especially in dresses.
My husband and I have been to all 50 states, our 50th state was North Dakota but my absolute favorite state is Hawaii.
I will dance to anything with a beat no matter where I am, even the grocery store.
When I am not binging sitcoms and murder mysteries from start to finish, I am geeking out on NPR or Audible.
You can easily win me over with chocolate ice cream on a pretzel cone or Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
LET'S GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER
I would love to get to know you better and find out how we can document your family's memories.
Click on the "Get In Touch" button below to fill out the contact form and I will be in touch within 24 hours.
TESTIMONIAL
"I can't say enough good things about Claire and her photography. She did our family photos this fall and was so kind and understanding of our baby and his moods! :) The photos were high-quality and turned out beautifully. Claire will now be our go-to for any photography needs in the future! Highly recommend.
~ Caitlin
AS SEEN ON
In addition to photographing families, I have been fortunate to work with a number of companies. You might have seen my images associated with some of the following businesses:
