Family & Child Photography
My son was so nervous to have his pictures taken. Rachel eased him into it. She was so gentle and kind to him! The pictures came out so beautiful! I would definitely recommend her to anyone! -Nichole M.
Capture the moments that matter most
Your children are the parts of your heart that walk around the world, and they’re changing every single day. I’m a mom; I understand how precious these moments are. I remember how my son’s newborn baby skin felt like rose petals, the look of my daughter’s tiny grin when those first new teeth came through, the way they carried their little backpacks as they walked in the door and away from me in those early days of kindergarten. Like you, I’ve cherished the moments of their growing up: the way their dimpled hands held onto mine, how he smiled at his big sister when she wasn’t even watching, the joy on her face as she played her ukulele, the startling way their faces seemed to change by the minute as they grew into teenagers ready to take on the world. I look at my images of them through all these years that have flown by, and they take me right back. I can see her dancing, watch him tumbling through his childhood, hear them laughing. My photographs of my children are my life’s most precious possessions. Yours should be the same.
Blending motherhood and artistry has been one of my greatest joys, and I am honored to use what I’ve learned to celebrate the priceless moments in your family’s life. My gifts are in capturing connections, seeing the truth and beauty in who your children are, and in creating images that will take you right back to these fleeting times every time you look at them. I enjoy building relationships with the families that work with me, and I will lovingly craft keepsakes you’ll cherish as your little ones grow up.
From individual portraits to milestone sessions to holiday captures, I provide services that preserve this moment in time. I take pride in printing beautiful images. From a framed print for grandma to a beloved family portrait over your mantle to an heirloom album of those early days, I offer products that you’ll be proud to have in your home. Your child is beautiful, and your artwork should be, too. It’s my honor to create it.
Time passes quickly as your children move from one age to the next. There are so many magical moments to preserve and keep. As a Boston family photographer, my goal is to create portraits that capture the essence of your child’s personality at every age: unique, special, and memorable.
About Your Custom Family Portrait Session
We love photographing children and families! We are parents, so we're relaxed and comfortable with children, and they sense that as well. Understanding kids and being at ease helps us capture those authentic expressions and interactions that you'll remember and cherish.
Our Family Photoshoot Process
Consultation
Your portrait session begins with an in-person consultation to design the session of your dreams. We talk about what your goals and hopes are, any concerns you have, session locations, and your desires for your finished artwork. You’ll have a chance to look over our studio samples and to hold our curated photo products in your hands to see their exquisite finish and quality. We’ll go over investment menus and package options to plan a session that aligns with your individual needs and goals.
Portrait Session
On the day of your session, we’ll connect at your session location for about an hour. We’ll capture a variety of poses and interactions to show you at your most authentic and beautiful. We have lots of tips and tricks to help you relax and feel your best!
Editing
After your session, I will take 2-3 weeks to do full custom editing of your images and to curate a set of finished images that tell the complete story of your day. You’ll have plenty of images to choose from without having to wade through duplicates or missed shots. Everything we show you will meet our standards for image quality.
Reveal Session
We will finish your custom photography experience with a reveal session. This is where you will view your family portraits and make your purchases. We have easy to use software to help you narrow down your choices and select your artwork with confidence.
I’ve been out on shoots with Rachel. She has amazing gifts. It’s not just her photographs that are beautiful, but the way she arrives at the end result, stunning image after image, is a thing of beauty itself. Her ability to connect and make others instantly comfortable shines through in each picture. Rachel has that special “something” that cannot be taught. High recommendations for this talented photographer. - Patti G.
A world-class photographer, and a pleasure to do business with—a truly great combination! - Leslie C.
Our Mission
It is our honor and purpose to tell your story in beautiful keepsake artwork. We will craft images that capture the unique little details that make you YOU, and we’ll show you the beauty and joy of your family relationships. We’ll help you relax and enjoy yourself so that your images show your truest and most authentic self. After your session, we’ll offer you a selection of carefully curated products to preserve your images, including archival photographic prints, heirloom albums, and wall art that will last a lifetime. We stand behind our work and our products and are proud of our signature experience. Our goal is a happy client, every single time.
Collections
Your portrait session retainer is $200, and what you purchase beyond that is entirely up to you. Portrait clients can choose a package of our most popular products or can build their own from our carefully curated a la carte menu. Most of our portrait clients choose to preserve their images in a custom portrait album, and usually select seeming for their walls at home as well. There is no minimum investment, and we include social-size digital copies of all purchased images so that you can share with your family and friends.
Keepsakes & Wall Art
We work closely with our lab to produce handcrafted heirloom artwork from portrait and wedding sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
We have lots! We don’t reveal our locations until you book with us, because we have chosen them carefully and don’t want them to get crowded, but you can get a sense of our options from visiting our Instagram page. We’ll talk to you when you reserve your portrait session to find out what kind of look and experience appeals to you, and we’ll tailor our locations to your needs. While we love working outdoors in beautiful places, we can also do studio work if it’s a better fit for you.
I have some resources for choosing clothing that I will share with you when you reserve your session, and I’m happy to look over your choices before we start if you’d like. Generally, what I want to pay attention to is your face, not your clothes, so soft colors and neutrals work very well. We ask you to avoid busy patterns and graphics so that the focus is all on you. We’re happy to share lots more details when we begin planning your session!
Yes, we will do an in-person design meeting to plan your session, share our product samples, and get to know one another. This will help you feel more relaxed and comfortable during your session, and will let me design your session around your wishes and needs. It’s all a part of our signature custom approach!
We customize everything we do, so what you spend depends on your dreams and wishes. Once we have our consultation to identify your goals and desires for your portrait session, we will go over our investment menu and help you choose the package that most fits your needs.
We’ve got you! If it’s pouring, that’s too much of a risk for our equipment, and we’ll be glad to reschedule. We don’t generally cancel if it’s sprinkling, and some of the photos our clients have loved best have happened when there are occasional drizzles. We’re capturing your personality and your relationships, which shine through in any weather. Plus, the light right after it rains is absolutely magical. We’ll keep an eye on the weather together and will be in touch the day of your session to make decisions with you about whether to proceed if the skies are dicey.
Well, yes and no. We know how to take beautiful natural light portraits, and we are also confident and comfortable using supplemental lighting to create extra depth and dimensionality in your portraits. A photographer should never be limited by lighting conditions. We’ll do whatever we need to do to give you gorgeous, well-lit images no matter what weather or locations we’re working in.
Your session retainer covers the consultation we have to design your custom session, any assistance with choosing clothing, the session itself, custom editing of your images, and a reveal session where you will view your images and choose any that you’d like to purchase.
Absolutely not. I hate that, and I would never do that to a client. At your reveal session, I am there as your consultant, answering questions, helping to sort through the merits of one image over another, designing your wall art, and mainly just enjoying your reaction as you view your images for the first time. You are in total control over what you invest and I will never push you to spend more than you want to.
Oooh, you’re our favorite. Most people hate having their picture taken, and we are committed to making it fun for you to work with us! Most of our clients wrap up their sessions and events by saying, “That was more fun than I expected it to be,” and we love that. We have lots of tips and tricks to get you looking and feeling relaxed, and we take our time to make sure we capture beautiful images that leave you feeling good about your time with us.
First and foremost, we believe that photographs are meant to be seen. We want them out in your house, in your hands, in your daily experience. Also, technology changes so fast, and we don’t want you to look around in ten years and realize you can’t open your images anymore. Printed photographs are why we know what our grandparents looked like as newlyweds. We want the same for your family in later generations. This is also why we choose our labs so carefully. We only work with labs that are exclusive to professional photographers, using careful construction and archival papers and inks so that your artwork lasts. Our labs guarantee their products so that we can guarantee yours.
As soon as you know you need a photographer! While it’s always worth checking to see if we’re free at the last minute, it’s not uncommon for clients to book us a year or two ahead of their event dates and months before their portrait session dates.
Nope! Nobody wants a photo of Uncle Jim with one eye closed and food in his mouth. We carefully curate our images to present you with photos that you’ll be proud to display and share and keep. While you’ll have plenty of images to choose from, we’ll only deliver those that meet our high standards for image quality.
No, we only deliver fully finished images. Unedited files are like cake ingredients at a bakery. The finished product is what you hire us to produce, and we put time and energy into delivering the best images we can offer.
With pleasure. We support you, whoever you are, whoever you love, and however you’re celebrating, and we can’t wait to tell your unique story. Love has no limits.
Our products and packages are carefully curated and priced according to their value, so the short answer is no. That said, we want you to have exactly what you want, so we’re happy to create a custom package just for you. No matter what you choose to spend with us, you will receive our signature service and will receive heirloom products and images that will last for a lifetime.
Your Reveal & Ordering Session
We’ll view your proofs together and I’ll help you narrow down your favorites. I’ll go over available sizes and product options with you, and you can choose the artwork and display options that best suit your needs. I will never pressure you to purchase more than you wish; I want you to be happy with your choices! And because I know you want to share your images through email or social media, purchased prints include a social-sized digital file to share as you wish.
Child & Family Pictures
Parent & Child
Siblings
Child Portraits
Rachel is amazing. Her shots aren't just "pictures" - they capture the emotion and the life of the subject and the moment. Truly special photography. - Tylan G.
Family Photography Resources
What to Wear for Your Family Portraits
How Family Photos Boost Your Child’s Self-Esteem
5 Questions to Ask a Potential Family Photographer
About Rachel Smook Photography
I’m Rachel, and I’m a wedding, portrait, and Bar Mitzvah photographer based in Massachusetts and willing to travel as far as your dreams will take you. As the parent of teenagers, I’ve learned that everything is better with some humor thrown in, and I’ve also learned how FAST life goes by. Photography gives me a way to stop time, both for my family and for yours. I’m a sucker for the little details: those tiny fingers wrapped around yours, the way he looks at you when you come down the aisle, the way you laughed at that little shimmy she did on the dance floor. It’s the little moments that make the sweetest memories, and I’m a feelings junkie, so I am THERE for them. I believe that laughter is good medicine, that love is love, and that memories are worth keeping.
