When I was 13 my parents got me a point-and-shoot digital camera for Christmas, and of course, the first thing I started photographing was my family – my 7 brothers and sisters and my parents. Of course, being just a little competitive, I wanted my family pictures to be better than everyone else’s, and I wanted them to look like magazine images. I fell far, far from my mark. 

But, that has always been in the back of my mind, I think, buried somewhere: what if I could give families – hardworking, loving, kind, crazy, thoughtful, normal families, like mine – incredible, magazine-style photographs? Where everyone could be a model? Everyone could get that all-star treatment? 

And then three weeks after I became a mom, that all became crystal clear again, and I realized two things: I needed to show off motherhood to the world as the beautiful, powerful role that it is, and I needed to give families the incredible, gorgeous studio portraits they deserved. Why can’t your family photo look like the Kardashians? Why can’t you look like that, too? What makes them so special, while you have to be stressed and go to a field outside at sunset in the cold? Did someone tell you that? Did someone say, “Well, you’ll never be a model“? Did someone say, “Just go with the so-and-so photographer, they’re more your style“? Did someone say, “That doesn’t look good on your body type, you should get this instead“? Did someone say, “Don’t be extra“? Did someone say, “Stop showing off“? 

How about, “YES, this can be ME.” How about, “YES, I choose to embrace my style and show how bad-a$$ my family photo can be”. How about, “YES, my kids deserve to have their portraits on my walls”. How about, “Oh, ‘don’t be extra’? Watch me.”. How about, “SEE? I told you I could be beautiful, too.” Or… how about hearing those incredible words, “WOW, you look like you belong on a Vogue cover!”

Someone told me recently that their spouse said, “I don’t want to be photographed by Anna – she only photographs beautiful people.” Incorrect. I photograph ALL people, and EVERY person is beautiful in their own light. It’s just my job as a photographer to find that light and highlight you in it. There is no such thing as an ugly person, only ugly light. 

Anyway. I loved photographing this young family. You’ll easily see that two-year-old H was the most charming little lady-killer ever; you never met a sweeter little boy. Enjoy these vanity-fair, vogue-esque family photos taken at my studio on the historic square in the fair city of Georgetown, TX.