Welcome to the norpine photography blog

What Happens If My Kids Don’t Cooperate? (A Photographer’s Honest Answer) Let me start with the honest answer: Nothing goes wrong. I hear this concern from parents all the time — often before anything else.“What if my kids don’t cooperate?”“What if they’re in a mood?”“What if they won’t look at the camera?” I get it. […]

Why You Don’t Need a “Perfect” House for Newborn Photos If you’re thinking about newborn photos and your first reaction is panic about your house — let me stop you right there. You do not need a perfect house for newborn photos.You don’t need spotless counters, styled shelves, or rooms that look like a magazine. […]

When Is the Best Time of Year for Photos in Northern Michigan? This is one of the most common questions I get — and the answer isn’t as simple as picking a month. Northern Michigan has strong seasons. Each one comes with its own personality, its own light, and its own tradeoffs. Some seasons feel […]

Why Your Photos Don’t Need to Be Perfect to Be Meaningful Somewhere along the way, we were taught that photos need to look a certain way to be worth keeping. Everyone smiling.Hair in place.Kids looking at the camera.Nothing out of frame. And when real life doesn’t cooperate — because it never does — it can […]

Best Northern Michigan Locations for Family Photos (And Why I Love Each One) – From a centrally located northern Michigan photographer Northern Michigan has a way of slowing people down. The air feels different here. The light stretches a little longer. Everything feels a little more honest. And when it comes to family photos, location […]

Beach vs. Forest Sessions in Northern Michigan: Which One Fits Your Family? One of the first questions families ask me when we start planning a session is deceptively simple: Beach or forest? Northern Michigan gives us both in abundance. Wide-open shorelines. Quiet woods. Two completely different moods — both beautiful, both meaningful — and neither […]

Why I Became a Photographer (And Why It Still Matters to Me) I became a photographer for a very simple reason:I wanted beautiful photos of my own children. Not just photos where everyone was looking at the camera — but images that felt like us. The way their heads fit into my neck. The giggles […]

Let’s talk about these In-Home Christmas Minis in Bay City, Michigan! Jayden’s mom brought in two super cute outfits for her Christmas card photos. Lot’s of kiddos wear Christmas jammies or red, green or plaid outfits, so these looked perfect. Even though Jayden is non-verbal, it was super fun getting some expressions and wiggles out […]

Let’s talk about these cabin themed family photos we did over in the gorgeous Torch Lake area. Extended family photoshoots are so important! They’re all about getting everyone together—grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and all—for some fun, relaxed time while capturing those connections that mean the world. Life moves so fast, and families grow and change […]

Let’s talk about this gorgeous surprise engagement shoot in snowy Northern Michigan. This sweet family contacted me months in advance to have a photographer present for a surprise proposal. It happened to be our biggest snowstorm of the winter and the sweet bride and groom came riding in on a 4-wheeler after choosing the perfect […]