Fifteen Minutes to Remember: Why Spokane Family Mini Sessions Matter

As a photographer, I spend my days preserving other people’s milestones—new babies, graduating seniors, anniversaries, reunions, and everything in between. But like so many of us, I don’t often slow down to capture my own. Life moves fast. Kids grow up faster. And sometimes the moments we swear we’ll remember forever start to blur if we don’t intentionally freeze them.

Late in the summer, on our way to a celebratory dinner—the kind of dinner you plan when your oldest is about to launch into his first year of college—I realized I wanted something more than just a memory. I wanted proof of who we were in this exact moment. The energy. The nerves. The excitement. The love. The chaos. The “we’re doing our best and that’s enough.” With everyone dressed and ready to go, it felt like the perfect time.

So I called in Leah.

Leah has been my photography assistant for almost three years now, and she’s been steadily building her own brand through the family mini-sessions and pet sessions she loves to photograph. She has the ability to keep things fun and capture people exactly as they are. And in true Leah fashion, she didn’t hesitate. Fifteen minutes later, we had a full gallery—laughing, hugging, being ridiculous, being sentimental, and being ourselves.

Fifteen minutes. That’s all it took.

Looking at the photos now, I’m reminded why I push so hard for families to book photos—whether it’s a full session or a tiny slice of time like this one. You don’t need a perfect schedule, coordinated outfits (although we HIGHLY recommend it), or a special event. You just need to decide that the moment you’re living is worth remembering.

Because it is.

Watching my son stand tall next to his younger sister, watching my daughter wrap her arms around me, watching my husband recommend silly poses—these images are more than photos. They’re a timestamp of who we are right now, before everything shifts just a little.

If you’ve been waiting for “the right time” to schedule your own family photos, consider this your sign. Let Leah capture your chaos, your beauty, your joy, your chapter—whether you have fifteen minutes or a full hour. Life doesn’t pause, but photos let us hold on a little tighter.

And trust me… you’ll be so grateful you did

Review our family session pricing here.

See more of Leah’s work on Instagram:
@CMPwithLeah
@Spokane.Pet.Photography