sometimes. I wanna punch Pinterest in the face.

I love Pinterest. I really do. It might be my favorite social media platform. It’s low pressure, inspiring and actually useful. In fact, I truly believe that it helped prevent postpartum depression for me because it allowed me to feel connected to an outside world of like-minded creatives while I was up in the middle of the night with a newborn. All that feels slightly dramatic when I say it now. But, truly. It gave me a place to go, anytime, to feel refreshed and inspired.

THEN, I became a photographer. And things changed. I was part of the problem. A HUGE part of the problem. I was using Pinterest as an encyclopedia of poses and family photography ideas instead of inspiration. I lost my way. Abandoned my ability to create new content through my creative brain and just copied someone else.

How sad is that? I cringe at the thought now.

Your family pictures are not a recipe. They are not a DIY bookshelf. Images, documenting your beautiful, unique family can’t come from a how-to board on family photography poses ideas. Well, they CAN. But, in my personal opinion, so much is lost when they are.

tacoma family day in the life by documentary photographer Anna Nodolf

So here I am. Making a commitment to you, to be authentic. I promise to draw my inspiration from YOU. To forget about the recipe and create from my heart. To make pictures for you that mean something.