You swear a little too much and just hope your toddler doesn’t repeat it in public.
You believe perfection is wildly overrated and you've learned to just embrace chaos.
You have a soft spot for nostalgia and you're sick of photos feeling like a performance.
Life around here is loud, messy, and full. Most days are spent chasing two toddlers while holding a baby, dodging farm chaos, and laughing at things that probably shouldn’t be repeated in public. Between our animals, multiple businesses, and North Dakota winters, it’s a lot — but I wouldn’t trade this wild life for anything.
This beautiful chaos is exactly why I photograph the way I do. I’ve always loved old family photos, but film photography stole my heart for good — slow, imperfect, nostalgic, and real. No instant gratification. No pretending. Just honest moments that feel like home.
We live in a world that moves too fast, but I believe in slowing down and paying attention. Capturing life as it is — not perfectly posed, not filtered, not waiting for “someday.” So forget the pressure. Forget the idea that you need to lose weight, clean the house, or have it all together. My sessions are relaxed, activity-based, and focused on connection over perfection.
Because this season — messy, loud, and fleeting — deserves to be remembered, no matter what that might look like for you right now.
I look back on my childhood through photographs—boots on the wrong feet, jacket on upside down, dirt under my nails—and I’m so grateful someone thought those moments were worth saving.
My mom and grandma were great about taking photos, and they’ve become some of my most treasured possessions.Now, my own house is full of framed prints, albums stacked on shelves, and little photos tucked into random corners—and my kids look at them every single day (to the point it’s almost annoying, HAHA!)
They see themselves loved, held, and right in the middle of it all.
I’ve never once regretted investing in photographs that tell our story as it truly was. These pictures outlive seasons, versions of ourselves, and even us.They’re what get passed down when everything else fades.
And that kid with the upside-down jacket grew up to believe perfection was never the point—and she’d be honored to help preserve your life as it is, too.
Family photos by Christine Schmaltz Photography