Family Photos, Fumbled Bluetooth, and a Lot of Laughs

Fun fact about me: despite being a professional photographer, my family and I have never taken professional photos together. Wild, right?

We meet up a few times a year, and between the chaos of catching up, cooking too much food, and caravanning from winery to winery, we just never made it happen. But this time, I finally packed my gear, wrangled everyone into somewhat coordinated outfits (or at least clean clothes — close enough), and set out to snap some images of us together.

And like any of my other stories, things didn’t go exactly as planned.

The Plan vs. Reality

I brought my trusty gear, picked a beautiful little outdoor section with soft natural lighting by the BnB we were staying at, and had every intention of making this a breezy, picture-perfect session. I even synced up my phone's Bluetooth trigger (and tested it the day before) so I wouldn’t have to sprint back and forth between shots. We know where this is going, right?

Cue the drama: once everyone was in place and I set everything up, my trigger completely gave up on me. No warning, no polite “no connection” flashing. It just… ghosted.

So what did I do? I did what any self-respecting, natural-light-loving, Alaskan photographer would do — set the camera timer, hit the shutter, and sprinted into place like my life depended on it. I was definitely breaking a sweat and had to air myself out a little so you couldn't see any sweat stains.

Why I Loved It

And honestly? It was hilarious. Everyone was enjoying themselves, spending some quality time and watching my awkwardness jump up and down, and the photos turned out better than I expected.

If you've been following along, or know me personally, you know family photoshoots are not my normal bread and butter. But the natural light was perfect, we were all semi-matching, and the images feel warm and authentic. Plus, we now have these frozen memories of us, from our time of Birthday Hell Week 2025.

The Takeaway

Whether you’re doing a branding session, family portraits, or snapping some mountain photos, things will go wrong. Gear fails, people blink, someone trips over an imaginary stair (guilty). And it’s fine. The best photos come when you let yourself laugh, go with the flow, and focus on the moment instead of perfection. If you’ve been thinking about getting in front of the camera — for your business or just because you exist and you deserve to be documented — do it. Bring the weird moments, the awkward poses, and the unexpected laughs. I promise those are the shots you’ll treasure most.

Looking for an upbeat and quirky photographer in Anchorage?

I specialize in portraits, branding photos, and those candid, personality-packed images you actually want to hang on your wall. Shoot me a message — let’s have a day full of giggles that when you look back at it, it gives you the warm fuzzies.