“Anything to get the perfect photo,” says Jennifer as she hikes up Spring Mountain Ranch in Las Vegas with her husband and three kids. She knew time was of the essence since her family photoshoot was during golden hour. Jennifer and her families positivity and sense of adventure gave me more energy with every step I took. Besides, at the end of this family photography session, there was a big surprise to let out! 

The Importance of Family Photography

Jennifer is a photographer herself, so it was no surprise that she had great instincts in front of the camera and was dedicated to getting that perfect picture. This patient and selfless women had a photography business of her very own and gave it up to be allow her mind body and soul be present with her family 100% of the time. She has redirected her focus on homeschooling her youngest son Connor. Jennifer says, “from a young age I knew that I wanted to be a stay at home mom, if I was able to.” When she had her eldest child Jackson, “I loved everything about being a mother from the first day. Not every season has been easy, but I feel it has been a blessing in my life. My Faith and great mentors like my Mom have inspired me for sure.” Jennifer offers up some great advice for mothers out there, “I think as you gain experience, you realize what really matters in life. Letting go of perfection, and “Pinterest” like rooms makes me a better mom.”With motherhood comes trying to savor those precious moments you get with your kids. “Taking pictures is SO important to me. It’s so important to me that I have filled up multiple hard drives and started my own photography business about 10 years ago. It’s all about taking those few seconds to care.”

The Morley Family

Maggie, Jennifer’s 14 year-old daughter, is a dancer an actress and clearly a fashionista! I loved photographing her chic cowgirl look that coordinated with Jennifer’s fantastic pants! I need to remember to buy those later… Jackson and Connor have the most adorable smiles just like their dad Patrick’s. I love finding which facial feature each kid got from the parent. It’s such a special thing that we get to appreciate when we get to look at new pictures of our family altogether. I know over the years my kids slowly change and I love to find those subtle differences over the years. “The way families grow and change over time is really worth documenting,” Jennifer ads.

The Big Surprise

Usually I am sad at the end of the session, because the time with my clients end and the editing process begins; however, I could hardly wait until the end of this session so that Patrick and Jennifer could unveil a big surprise. Apparently when this family gets to take a big family vacation together, Jennifer and Patrick try and use the opportunity to surprise their kids with what type of trip they will be taking. As the sun finally went down over the rocky mountains at Spring Mountain Ranch Jennifer and Patrick unveiled that their family was going on a Disney Cruise! Now that got some enormous smiles.