Storytelling Sessions vs. Portrait Sessions: What’s the Difference & Which One Is Right for You?

When you book a session with me, I have two different session offerings: storytelling or portrait. Both are rooted in my belief that photography is a powerful way to remember not just what life looked like, but what it felt like. The main difference lies in how we get there.

Each session is designed to serve different types of moments and families—and understanding that difference will help you choose the one that feels like the right fit for yours.

Storytelling Sessions: Real Life, Beautifully Told

Storytelling sessions are centered around connection. They’re relaxed, candid, and often centered around a simple, meaningful activity—something your family already loves doing together. That could be a slow morning making pancakes, playing in the backyard, reading stories on the couch, or anything else that feels like your version of home.

These sessions aren’t about posing or forcing smiles. They’re about photographing the rhythm of your life—the quiet gestures, the belly laughs, the glances, the chaos, the calm. And yes, we’ll still get a few beautiful, composed portraits along the way. But what you’ll really walk away with are honest images that feel layered with memory.

The beauty of storytelling sessions is that they grow more meaningful over time. These are the kinds of photos your kids will look back on and feel something. They’ll see the way you looked at them, the way you held them, the environment they grew up in. It’s the gift of being seen and remembered, just as you are.

One of the reasons I started offering storytelling sessions was because after years of really only shooting portrait sessions, I realized that not every family enjoys the pressure that can come with a portrait session. Some kids are slow to warm up or don’t want to smile at a camera—and that’s completely okay. In storytelling sessions, there’s no pressure to perform. You can just be with each other, and I’ll handle the rest.

Portrait Sessions: Simple, Beautiful, and to the Point

Portrait sessions are shorter, more structured, and perfect for when you want updated family photos without the full storytelling experience. They’re ideal for holiday cards, milestone moments, or just refreshing the photos in your home.

These sessions aren’t activity-centered like storytelling ones. Instead, we focus on natural posing and light direction to guide you throughout. The more at ease and connected you are with each other, the more candid and relaxed your portraits will feel. That said, there’s usually some level of prompting involved to help everything flow.

Even within a structured framework, there’s always room for the in-between moments—those little bursts of laughter or tenderness that make a photo feel real. I’m always here to read the energy, give as much or as little guidance as needed, and make the experience feel easy and enjoyable.

So, Which One Is Right for You?

If you’re looking for meaningful, layered images that reflect your life as it truly is—messy, beautiful, emotional, and honest—a storytelling session might be the way to go.

If you want timeless portraits with a bit of candid charm, and a quicker, more straightforward experience, then a portrait session may be the better fit.

Whichever you choose, you’ll end up with photos that matter—and that feel like you.
In the gallery below, the first block are from storytelling sessions, and the second block includes portrait session examples.

If you’d like to see more blog posts, check them out here!

If you’d like to get in touch regarding booking a session, you can do that here.