the Stewart Family

September 12, 2014 •

I’m so, so excited to share these images. I am just head over heels in love with photographing families in their homes and their favorite places. Lindsey is a rad photographer herself, and I was honored to document her family in their home, their backyard hammock, and their favorite park right around the corner. I had to laugh, because Lindsey kept protesting that her home wasn’t beautiful enough, and looking at these photos I’m just giggling. Because guess what. You make your home beautiful. I’m probably going to say that one million times and I don’t even care because it’s so true I just gotta.

We also teamed up with Flower Afternoon to create a simple installation–and with a few ferns and blooms on the nightstands, the space was transformed into a beautiful backdrop for photos.

Thank you so much, Stewart family, for trusting me and letting me hang out with you. It was a delight.

Interested in a lifestyle family session of your own? Family sessions include a 1.5 hour session in your home and your favorite places, and at least 60+ completely edited, hi-res files for printing any size, anywhere. Family sessions are $425. Let’s chat about yours, or see more info about family sessions here.

see ya summer.

August 28, 2014 •

I can’t say I’ll miss this summer allll that much–being pregnant in the heat is no joke. Yahp. Not a pretty sight.

But this little girl, in this swimsuit? Kill me dead. Reason enough to keep hot weather around.

Want your family photographed? Fall family sessions are on sale right now!

Fall Lifestyle Family Sessions

August 25, 2014 •

Welcome to a fresh approach to lifestyle imagery for creative families who ache for authentic, beautiful photos of their family. This is not your average Christmas card shoot; there’s nothing mini about it, and cheese-saying is no longer the focus.

How it works:

Photo sessions will take place in and around your home, in your favorite places and spaces. We’ll start in your home, but your backyard and your porch and the park around the corner you go to every day are not off-limits. It’s about documenting you in your meaningful spaces–something group cheese-saying shots in the autumn leaves just can’t touch.

We’ll spend an hour and a half with your family making photos. If you have specific things you do as a family together, like cooking or reading books, we’ll document those things–but, if you just want love-soaked images full of giggles and funny faces and the beautiful mess that is your everyday life, well, that’s at the top of my list.

You’ll receive a set of completely edited, hi-resolution photos (at least 60+ images) so you can print any size, anywhere. You’ll also have an online gallery to share with family and friends for ordering crazy gorgeous professional prints with extra retouching* and mounting on sizes larger than 8×10. Prints are shipped right to your front door–Grandma will be thrilled!

*Editing services do not include body sculpting, head swapping, skin plasticization, or any other excessive retouching. You are breathtaking as you are. Deal?

At-home family sessions are for you if:

-there are at least two of you and you have a home. I don’t care if you have zero kids or seven, you are a family.

-you yearn for more photos of you with your kids, for someone to see and document all the love you shower them with every day.

-you dream of candid, raw, gorgeous moments to hang on your walls and remind you why you keep opening your heart and doing the gut-ripping soul-bursting work of being a mother, a father, a member of your family.

I’ll be honest. These sessions are NOT for:

-peeps who ‘just need one good photo’

-people who want traditional, posed, everyone-smiling-looking photos. We’ll get a few of those, but they are not the focus of our time together

-large extended families, unless grandma and grandpa have a home in Utah and want everyone to come hang out for the session. (In which case, coolest Gma and Gpa award!)

-those who are worried about what others think of them. These sessions are up close and personal, and some of your people might not get it. Your in laws might want your girls dressed in matching outfits by that great waterfall. If matchy and posed is what you’re after, this session is not for you. We’re going for the whole story of your family.

You have questions. Here are the answers.

But Brooke, my house is just not pretty enough.

If you have at least one window and a door that leads to outside, we are good to go. I know, because you’re here, that your house is full of love, and that’s all I need. I have photographed families in basement apartments and gigantic spaces–please believe me when I say it does not matter. You matter.

What about travel?

Sessions in the Salt Lake City area do not require a travel fee. Families south of Provo or north of Ogden, shoot me an email before you buy and we’ll discuss travel fees.

If you’re far away, please let’s still photograph your wonderful family. Contact me for rates.

Do I get all the photos you take?

You’ll receive every good photo, and I promise you won’t miss the ones I weed out–eye blinks, two of the same photo with little hairs in different spots…oh, let me spare you the heartache. I always err on the side of giving more photos rather than less, and you’ll have at least 60 photos from our session. The real kicker: I’ve never had a family ask for more photos.

What are hi-res files?

Hi-res files is just a nice way of saying you’ll be able to print these photos as huge as you like, anywhere you like.

When does my session happen?

Sessions are taking place September 15-20, 2014. See exact times and available dates below.

When will I receive my photos?

14 days or less after our session date, via Dropbox–so you don’t have to wait for anything in the mail!

I want to book a session but I can’t do any of these dates! What do I do?

Send me an email and we’ll see if we can make something work, mdear.

But what if my kids are just going crazy the whole time?

It’s my job to worry about your littles–I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve. It’s your job to show up full of love and with an open heart.

~~Buy a session Monday September 15, 5:30-7:00pm:~~ Sold out, thank you so much!

~~Buy a session Wednesday September 17, 5:30-7:00pm:~~ Sold out, thank you so much!

Buy a session Thursday September 18, 5:30-7:00pm:

Buy a session Saturday September 20, 5:30-7:00pm:

See more family photos here. More questions? Email me here.

The Krason Family

July 8, 2014 •

The Krasons are a lovely bunch, from their sheer cuteness (just wait. til you see. these kids.) to their warmth and effortless fun. Kirsten is the genius behind 6th Street Design School, which you must clear your calendar to fall in love with if you somehow don’t know her work.

So of course, family photos at home were made for Kirsten’s family, but before you see these photos and think, awh man. my house has to be immaculate before i can have photos done there–no, no, a million times no. if you have a room with a window or even a door to outside we’ve got it made.

Kirsten and Josh, Jett and Jane, thank you so much for having me document your fabulous family. Your home is obviously so full of love and joy, I never wanted to leave. Just thank you.

If you’re interested in a family session of your own, details can be found here. Let’s chat.

The Kettle Family

April 25, 2014 •

Jessica is the wonder woman behind Jessica Kettle Photography , and I was honored to photograph her family. We decided to focus on photos of her with her girls–as a mom, you never get photos of your kids with you; add being a photographer on top of that and it’s a recipe for no proof that you were ever even there. Which is ghastly, considering you are the one doing the ins and outs of dressing, helping to the potty, tickling, hair brushing, tantrum managing, and snuggling.

Jessica and family, thank you so much for letting me in on a day in your lives–it was absolutely beautiful.

If these photos speak to you, I’d be over the moon to photograph your family in your home. See the details for family photography here, and contact me about your family session here.

The Bairds: Lifestyle Family Session at Home

February 5, 2014 •

I have known the Bairds since their Ivy was a little babe. Even then she was full of personality, making the cutest and most hilarious faces at every stranger. But now, as a two year old, she is the queen of spunk! It was a joy to photograph her vivacity, and see how much happiness she brings to her incredible parents. Alyssia is my talented friend–I love photographing moms with their babes especially, because we too often get buried behind the camera.

I couldn’t be more honored to be let in on the day-to-day beauty of your lives and love, Alyssia, Dustin and Ivy. Thank you times a million for having me.

Brooke Schultz photographs families at home for the most authentic, love-soaked photos–so you can have real memories on your walls and kiss stress-filled treks to random fields goodbye. If you have a family and a home overflowing with love, she wants to photograph you in it. See the details about having your family documented right here.

Christmas in California

January 13, 2014 •

It was a whirlwind getting there: I shot a wedding and then we rushed to the airport. Lest you think it was glamorous, even a little bit, I will tell you about the Chipotle burrito drippings on my pants, and that we were in such a rush I couldn’t grab any of the pants that were packed away to change, so I wafted through the airport and the tiny plane pretty much reeking of beef and cheese. (Hopefully the cilantro added a little freshness?)

Oh my. Once we arrived, we basked in the sunlight and Christmas junk food and swirls of wrapping paper and it was relaxing and heavenly. Looking out my window at everything brown and dead and cold, I would not say no to going back right about…now.

Miley Cyrus was there…hah.Want beautiful photographs of your favorite people? See the details here, and contact me here.

The Best of 2013

January 6, 2014 •

It seems absolutely ludicrous that my life could just get exponentially better with every year that passes; but, that’s exactly what’s happened. Sometimes the cynic inside freaks out, certain it will all have to come crashing down around me at some point. That may be true, but the more I wade through experiences happy and sad boring and thrilling drudgerous and dangerous, the more sure I am of how resilient I have the power to be. Maybe that’s too cocky to put out into the universe and I’m surely asking for it now, but here goes. Do your worst, world.

2013 brought me the greatest joy I’ve ever known: baby Vienna girl. She is more beautiful and exquisite than any photo I could ever create, and I sit in awe on a daily basis at the fact that I created her. She is so sparkly, vivacious–I’ll never get enough. I thought about not saying that, because shouldn’t my greatest joy be my Jared? But it was so binding for us, and as wonderful as young love is, this kind is deeper and it grips your heart so sometimes you can’t even breathe with how amazing and huge it is.

But before Vienna girl, I was full of uncertainty, having to make a dozen plans without any idea how I’d feel. Oh, you’ll just want to stay home, person after person told me. That’s the problem with advice: people can only give it from the belly of their own experience, but even with that caveat it’s preached like gospel truth. I was swimming in fear, apprehension, and the biggest anticipation of my life.

Then she came and everything made sense. Of course I would still photograph. I was still me. She just added a zillion dimensions, a million laughs and face-splitting grins, and a smattering of moments where I wanted to rip out my hair.

There’s power in closure. It’s something I’ve ached for in so many relationships, so it feels good to be able to snap up a calendar year and breathe in the success, the failures, the crap and the glory. And I won’t lie, it feels good to curate some highlights and not acknowledge the junk for a minute.

These photographs. Many of my favoritest favorites from 2013 I can’t share yet, but here are some that spoke to me. Thank you times a hundred hundreds to you fabulous people who trusted me to tell the stories of your wedding days, your love, your families. You are all stunning and I’m just really grateful to you.

Hope you love.

2014 is already shaping up to be fabulous. I’d love to photograph you this year. Let’s make it happen.

The Beechers: Lifestyle Family Session

December 11, 2013 •

Meeting this little Madison girl was exquisite. I just kept hugging her and hugging her. What a precious soul.

You might remember this beautiful family from their maternity photos when Madison wasn’t here yet. Now she is and she’s the dreamiest little one–I heard her cry mayyybe twice through the course of a week. No exaggeration. She’s got the aloha spirit from her mama for sure.

Garrett and Alisha, I love you both more than I’ll ever be able to say. Add Madison in the mix and my heart is positively exploding.

Interested in a lifestyle family session of your own? See more family photos here, and see the details for a family session with Brooke Schultz right here.

Is it worth $1 a day?

November 8, 2013 •

family photographers in salt lake city Today I’m gonna get right to the point.

Is it worth $1 a day to have photos of your family this year?

Lots of people spend more than $1 a day on coffee, or those ridiculously hugenormous Big Gulp gas station drink things. Even if you’re not a coffee drinker or a Big Gulper, think of all the little things you spent $350 on last year. Eating out? (A lowball estimate for you, just to prove a point). Pedicures, accessories you may or may not have worn, a new piece of furniture? I’m not saying you shouldn’t ever spend money on those things. Just that when you leave family photos to the “do we have any leftover money” category, you’re making your priorities manifest, even if your logical mind says you’d never pick a handful of nice restaurant meals over photos that you’d treasure forever. If you gotta make a choice between Big Gulps and family photos and Big Gulps win out, it’s no skin off my nose. It’s just that we all get snatched up in day-to-day stuff, urgent but not important stuff, and if at-home family photos speak to your soul I want to give you a chance to say YES. An opportunity to say yes to the things we claim are most important, yet often find our real life not reflecting those priorities. This $1 a day thing doesn’t even paint the full picture. It assumes that the photos we make this year are completely worthless next year (snort!), and doesn’t get a hold on how much delight you’ll feel looking at these photos alll year, whether in a beautiful album or a giant print or two. It can’t tell you how relieved grandma will be that she can finally order prints of your beautiful babes with a few quick clicks, and how your heart will feel all warm and fuzzy because you have tangible proof of the love and effort and sacrifice that goes into your incredible family every minute of those 365 days. Just a few sessions are left before Christmas, so if that little voice in you is quietly nudging, see the details for at home family sessions here. Hugs and happy weekend, mfriends.

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