portland, OREGON
MATERNITY photographer
portland, OREGON family photographer
personality portrait
micro sessions
what are personality portraits?
Personality Portrait Micro Sessions are 5 minute photo sessions in Troutdale, Oregon designed to capture your child’s personality in a handful of quick, simple photographs.
These are not heavily posed images, and there are no props involved. I don’t demand forced smiles or awkward poses. The point of these is to capture your child as they are, naturally and comfortably. We’ll just be using a solid backdrop, natural light (and sometimes one flash), and your wonderful child’s vibrant personality.
UPCOMING SESSIONS:
Saturday, March 7th 2026 &
Saturday, April 18th 2026
Troutdale, Oregon
Each session is $75 and includes 3 high-resolution digital images.
I can usually accommodate up to 2 kids in 1 time slot (1 session fee) but for any more than 2 kiddos, please book back-to-back time slots. If you have any questions about how many to book, shoot me an message here and I'll get right back to you.
"Laurel is amazing! We have done Maternity and Personality Portraits with her and the photos are always stunning, warm, and full of personality. Laurel is also amazing to work with - so kind and good at putting adults and kids at ease. I love how her photos really show people as they genuinely are interacting with their loved ones. Cannot recommend working with her highly enough." - N.K.
preparing for your portrait session
- Get everyone's outfits laid out the day before so that you're not scrambling right before the session.
- Arrive a couple minutes early so you have time to adjust clothing, wipe faces, etc.
- Explain to your kids what we’ll be doing: "we're going to see a fun lady with a big camera! You'll get to be silly for a few minutes so she can take some fun pictures of you."
- Let them know that they will be allowed to be themselves! I won't be forcing smiles or asking them to pose in any awkward ways. We want each child to feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible.
- Sessions are rain or shine, as they will be under a tent or covered porch. If it is super windy (East County wind is no joke) we may have to reschedule.
what to expect during your portrait session
- I will interact with each kiddo for a few minutes and capture their natural expressions. We may or may not get smiles, but we will get their personalities, which is the whole point!
- Please, please, please - resist the impulse to coach your child or tell them to smile. Seriously, step away if you can't help yourself. These portraits are not about capturing your kiddo's fake smile.
- Expect each session to take 3-5 minutes per child. I work fast so they don't have time to get bored.
- If you have more than one kiddo, we'll make each individual session snappy so we can squeeze in sibling portraits too.
- Please remember, these are not full-family portraits; no adults will be photographed during these sessions. (Interested in a Family Photo Session? Check them out here!)
"Our kids participated in one of the Personality Portrait shoots. It was soo easy, quick, and stress-free. Laurel was able to capture their fun and silly personalities in a short amount of time. The photos turned out perfect and we can’t wait to get them printed!" - C.K.
portraits for very young children
- If your child is very young and doesn't respond much to strangers, let me know. In that situation I’m happy to have you hang out next to me or behind me and try to get expressions out of them.
- If your child is not yet sitting on their own, we have a few options: I can photograph them lying down on their backs, on their tummies if they can hold their head up, or sitting with the support of a Bumbo seat or a Boppy pillow, which I cover with a white blanket. Please let me know in the booking process what you would prefer so I can be prepared.
how to dress your kids for personality portraits
These photos will mostly be from the chest up, so there’s no need to stress about coordinated outfits for the whole family.
Because the focus of these photos is your child's genuine personality, I love it when kids get to pick their own outfits!
KEEP IT SIMPLE!
Clothing with texture photographs well: think knit sweaters, corduroy, lace/crochet details. Overalls are always super cute on little kids.
Small/medium prints photograph better than large bold or blocky prints.
Shirts or dresses that have little embellishments like lace trim add a layer of visual appeal.
Accessories and layering like hats, cardigans, or jackets can easily take an outfit from plain to very cute.
Beyond that - let your kids wear what they’re comfortable in! The focus is going to be on their face, not their clothes, and the more comfortable they are, the more comfortable they’ll look.
- Shirts with images or big logos
- Shirts with writing on them.
Please check your child’s shirt (especially dark fabric) to make sure it’s not covered in pet hair or lint.
here are a few tips for clothes that work well in photos:
things to avoid:
"Laurel photographed my daughter and did an amazing job helping her feel comfortable and directed her perfectly! She captured the sweetest pictures." -C.D.
Upcoming Personality Portrait Events
I can't wait to meet your kiddos and capture their vibrant personalities for you!
Saturday, March 7th 2026 &
Saturday, April 18th 2026
Troutdale, Oregon
Each session is $75 and includes 3 high-resolution digital images.
I can usually accommodate up to 2 kids in 1 time slot (1 session fee) but for any more than 2 kiddos, please book back-to-back time slots. If you have any questions about how many to book, shoot me an message here and I'll get right back to you.
