A note from Soft Stories by Angela
Before Your Session
When you look back at these photos years from now, I want you to feel something - not just see it.
Let go of the anxieties and the need for everything to go perfectly.
Don’t stress about being “ready” or “posed.” Just show up as you are - messy hair, muddy shoes, full hearts. Allow yourself to be present, and the rest will fall into place.
Let yourself laugh, be silly, play, or simply hold on tight to the ones you love. Trust me when I say - I’ll be doing the same.
The more you relax into it, the more real your photos will feel.
Nostalgia is a goddess. Embrace her.
Forget the camera.
Forget me, too, if you can.
Focus on your little ones - the way they reach for your hand, the way they laugh when you chase them, the way their hair catches the light as they run.
Talk, laugh, play, hold on tight.
I’ll be there quietly, guiding you when needed, easing you into soft light or gentle movement. My approach is a mix of prompting and documentary - never stiff, always true to you.
Let yourself run with the moment. Swing your partner around in the sunshine, chase your children through the forest, hug your baby close and breathe them in. Sink into the seconds in front of you - that’s where the magic lives.
Let them be little.
Please don’t worry about keeping your children perfectly still or “well behaved.”
Let them explore, wander, and giggle their way through the session.
If they run, let them.
If they want to pick flowers, splash in puddles, or collect sticks, that’s exactly what they should do.
Letting them be little means giving them permission to be themselves - joyful, curious, and free.
These are the photos that will make your heart ache one day - the ones that remind you just how small they once were.
Bring a little piece of your story.
If you love reading together, bring a book or two.
If you draw, bring your sketchpad.
A favourite blanket, a toy that’s been loved to shreds, a jumper that smells like home - all these tiny details tell your story in the most honest way.
Do what you usually do - rub your baby’s nose while nursing, whisper something funny to your partner, or hold hands like you always do when no one’s watching.
Try to stay close - hug, kiss, stroke their hair, rest your head on a shoulder. Every touch tells part of your story.
Choose somewhere that feels like home.
It doesn’t have to be perfect - it just has to feel like you.
A forest you always walk through.
Your garden full of laughter.
That one path where your children stop to pick daisies every spring.
A kitchen filled with morning light or a field where you can all breathe a little deeper.
What to wear.
Wear what makes you feel good, comfortable, and confident.
Think soft colours, natural textures, and clothes that move with you. Something that feels like you - honest and easy.
Dress for the photos you’ll want to look back on in years. The goal isn’t to look perfect - it’s to feel at home in yourself, surrounded by the people you love most.
Because this isn’t about perfection.
It’s about love that shows.
About movement, warmth, and the beautiful chaos that makes your story uniquely yours.
That’s what I want to capture for you - your real life, softly told.