“We need a holiday card photo…oh and a headshot for me too,” was the request I received from Laurel one day in early December. It turns out that Laurel won the prestigious American Association of Nurse Practioner’s Excellence Award, which is a pretty big deal in the nursing world!

But the odd combination of portraits didn’t phase me one bit. I’ve spent a lot of time with this awesome family over the years. They are always super relaxed, flexible, and a ton of fun to photograph!

Quinn is a big soccer player. Sela is a ham. Laurel has a hilarious sarcastic wit. And Eric, the Chief Financial Officer of Blue Dog Bakery, is passionate about healthy dog treats.

Needless to say, we can’t talk about their family and fail to mention their two dogs! Poor Bruno is the oldetst of the two and does his best to keep up with energetic Bisou.

Bisou is a small Boston Terrier who, as Eric explains it, was Laurel’s impulse buy. Apparently, it was love at first sight during a random visit to the local animal shelter. (I think Laurel and I are kindred spirits!)

Laurel decided to keep things simple. She wanted to capture some photographs of her family at their home in Portland. It’s a beautiful home, but like most homes in downtown Portland, the space is a bit tight for family portraits. But that’s nothing that we couldn’t solve with a quick rearrangement of the couch and some creative lighting placement. A few minutes later we were able to find a spot with a great background where we could photograph all four family members and their dogs.

As for Laurel’s headshots, it turns out that she has a beautifully decorated entryway. And the only real challenge was opening her front door so that I could photograph her through it! We took down a mirror, placed her in front of some patterned wallpaper, and used a small beauty dish to enhance the lighting.

Of course, the two girls wanted to get in on the action too. (Okay, maybe their mom and I twisted a few arms). But we captured some beautiful portraits of them no less.

When was the last time your family was photographed in the comfort of your own home? Contact Brian Pasko Photography today so that we can get started creating the perfect portrait session for your family.