Laicee Thill Photography - A Review
We hadn’t had our family photos taken since Flora Fae was 2 weeks old (3 years ago) and I was getting desperate for a picture that included the three of us together. I found a photographer through the coattails of someone I follow on instagram and the portraits she had taken of another couple in their home looked like it should have been featured in Dwell Magazine. They were crisp and warm and artsy and I loved it. I followed the crumbs to the photographer’s site and their gallery was full of photos that had heART. I started following her and inquired about booking a shoot. It was a very smooth and simple process with lots of room for inspiration and she responded with sweet candor and enthusiasm. We set a date and paid the deposit, joyfully.
We live in an old farmhouse (1800’s old) that needs a lot of love, thankfully we have a lot to give but it has taken us a lot of time to get where we are and we aren’t even close to done. To be honest there are like 2 rooms in the house that are technically complete and the exterior that we started painting 2 years ago remains on the incomplete list. So, as far as rooms to have our picture taken in, that look great, there wasn’t a lot to choose from, but we love our home and it carries us none the less. I cleaned those 2 rooms extensively in preparation for shoot day, and left the remainder of the house very untidy (qeue creative family with a toddler) expecting to not be photographed in the mess. The weeks leading up to this shoot have been difficult for me as well, so though I was excited I was also tired and not feeling my best.
Laicee arrived and we went through what I was thinking for the shots and apologized for the messy house. She asked permission to take photos of us among the mess if she saw something beautiful. I got nervous, but loved the question and agreed. It was an invitation to be vulnerable in our own space and we accepted. Throughout the shoot she did find beauty in our chaos and there is something healing about being seen, excitedly, in your own working space. It was an excellent exercise to let go of any perfectionist qualities that were keeping me from being present to my home and family with all of the love in my heart, as if I was harboring it for a later date when the house deserved it more. The truth is, presently, she has never deserved it more. Maybe this review is also a love letter to my house. I am so grateful to Laicee for seeing us exactly where we are, and artfully reflecting her view back to us. I have more compassionate eyes for my space and this phase of life because of this experience. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
All photos on this post were masterfully done by Laicee Thill Photography.
Please visit her site for more information below.