They Were Just Babies | Why Every Season of Childhood is Worth Documenting
El Dorado Hills & Sacramento Family Photographer
I dropped my three kids off at school last week and sat in the car for a minute longer than I needed to.
I do not know if it was the new backpacks, or the way my youngest walked through those doors without looking back, or just the particular quality of that morning light, but something about it hit me differently this year. I kept thinking about how fast it is all moving. How the babies I brought home from the hospital are now packing their own lunches and losing their teeth and having opinions about their outfits.
I photograph families for a living. I know better than almost anyone how quickly these seasons pass. And yet somehow it still catches me off guard every single year.
The Phases You Think You Will Remember Forever
There is this thing that happens in parenthood where you are so deep inside a season that you cannot imagine ever forgetting it. The way they mispronounce certain words. The phase where they wanted to wear the same shirt every single day. The gap-toothed smile that showed up one morning and will be gone before you know it.
And then one day you are looking at an old photo and you realize you had already started to forget. Not because you did not love them deeply enough, but because life kept moving and the next season came rushing in and filled up all the space.
This is why I do what I do. Not to freeze time, because nothing can do that. But to give you somewhere to go back to. A photograph of your seven year old being exactly seven, in all the beautiful, ordinary, specific ways that only belong to this moment.
Every phase of childhood deserves to be documented.
Not just the big milestones, not just the holidays, but the everyday version of who your child is right now. Because right now is already becoming the past, and it is happening faster than either of us would like to admit.
And Then There Are the Seniors
I want to stay here for a moment because I feel this one deeply.
If you have a senior at home right now, you already know the feeling I am talking about. It is joy and pride and this quiet, bittersweet ache all wrapped up together. Because senior year is the last year of something. The last September they come home to your house as a kid with a backpack and a schedule and a life that still revolves around yours in the most ordinary and precious ways.
I have photographed a lot of seniors over the years, and I have sat with a lot of parents during those sessions. And without exception, every single parent has said some version of the same thing at the end. I cannot believe we are here already. It went so fast.
A senior session is not just about having beautiful photos for the announcement cards, though those matter too. It is about honoring who your child is right now, at this exact moment, on the edge of everything they are about to become. The way they carry themselves. The person they have grown into. This particular version of them that exists only in this season and nowhere else.
These are the images that will sit on your mantle for the rest of your life. The ones you will show their children someday. The ones that will make you cry in the best possible way every time you walk past them.
Every Phase Deserves to Be Held Onto
Whether your children are in elementary school or walking across a graduation stage this spring, the season they are in right now is already becoming the past. Quietly, gently, whether you are ready for it or not.
I know life is busy, and the timing never feels perfect, and there is always a reason to wait. But I also know what it feels like to look back at a photograph of your child at an age they will never be again and feel grateful all the way down to your bones that you have it.
Book the session. Document this phase. Let someone hold this season for you so that years from now you have somewhere beautiful to go back to.
You will be so glad you did.
Stay a while and visit some of my other blog posts below
Hi, I'm Tsaiti,
Your dedicated family, newborn, and motherhood photographer in Northern California. From the bustling city of Sacramento to the charming towns of Roseville and El Dorado Hills, I specialize in creating timeless and heartfelt photography experiences.
My passion lies in capturing the precious moments that define your family's journey—whether it's the tender anticipation of maternity sessions, the pure innocence of newborn sessions, or the joyful connections of family sessions. Every photo I take is a piece of art, crafted to evoke the deep emotions and connections that make your family unique.
I pride myself on offering an elite client experience, complete with an exclusive client closet filled with gorgeous flowy dresses, stunning locations, and a beautiful studio designed for your comfort. My goal is to provide you with more than just photos; I aim to create enduring memories that you will cherish forever.
I dropped my three kids off at school last week and sat in the car for a minute longer than I needed to. I do not know if it was the new backpacks, or the way my youngest walked through those doors without looking back, or just the particular quality of that morning light, but something about it hit me differently this year. I kept thinking about how fast it is all moving. How the babies I brought home from the hospital are now packing their own lunches and losing their teeth and having opinions about their outfits.