I’m one of those people who believes that the objects with which we surround ourselves not only reflect who we are and the values we hold dear, but that they also deeply affect our daily experience. They embolden and reinforce our sense of self-identity.

Our family identity is woven into the photos we’ve chosen, too.

Have you heard the story about how kids seeing photos of themselves boosts their self confidence? It’s based on a 1970s Tulane University study of fourth graders, asked to work with photographs of themselves daily for a period of time. The study determined that children who routinely look at photographs of themselves exhibit a 37 percent boost in self-esteem. Pretty amazing, right?

If you could bring a photographer along with you — anywhere with you — this year, where would it be, and why?

What kind of freedom would this afford you, and what would you hope to gain?

Well hello, Cyber Shopper!

I'm dropping by to give you a tiny break from all those amazing deals on the internet, and share a SUPER EXCITING secret with you (scroll all the way down for that, friend).

It’s not that I don’t want your business. Because I do – I really do. More than almost anything, friend, I want you to have your very own Day in the Life photo session next year, so that you may always look back upon the quiet triumphs, losses, minutiae, tenderness, and humor of your everyday life – and that you may do so with the kind of vivid memory that only a photograph can spur.

The most memorable photos are not ones where something amazing is happening. Usually, they’re just beautiful ones where not much is happening at all. A well-made photograph contains a richness and depth that allows us to read it like a book. It stops us first with its striking beauty, but it keeps us looking because it reveals so much about that moment in time.

This time of year, I start getting semi-panicked inquiries from strangers on the daily:

“Can you squeeze us in for a quick family session in October or November, pretty please?”

Immediately, I suspect that I know what this is all about.

So I tell people: if ALL you want is a set of beautiful, luminous photos of your family hugging and smiling, looking photogenic and color coordinated, I am NOT your gal.