The In-Between Years: Family Portraits That Honor Right Now
Somewhere between baby milestones and senior portraits, there’s a season that often gets overlooked.
Kids aren’t tiny, but they aren’t grown either. Parents aren’t in survival mode, yet life still feels full and fast. Everyone has changed just enough to notice, but not enough to call it a milestone.
These are the in-between years. And they deserve to be remembered.
As a family portrait photographer in Mahomet, Illinois, this is one of my favorite seasons to photograph.
Why the In-Between Years Matter
Families often wait for a reason to schedule portraits. A birthday. A graduation. A big change.
But some ofthe most meaningful portraits are created when nothing big is happening at all.
These sessions capture:
Kids with their full personalities starting to shine
Parents more settled, more confident, more themselves
Siblings who still fit just right together
There’s a sweetness in this stage. A sense of ease mixed with motion. And once it passes, it doesn’t come back the same way.
Portraits That Feel Like You
Family portraits don’t have to feel formal to feel timeless.
My approach to fine art family photography is rooted in connection, not perfection. Soft posing. Natural interaction. Space for kids to move and parents to relax into the moment.
Sometimes that looks like laughter. Sometimes it’s quiet closeness. Sometimes it’s the way a child leans in without thinking or how parents instinctively reach for one another.
Those are the details that make a portrait feel real. And those are the details families recognize as theirs.
A Mix of Personalities, One Story
Every family brings something different into the studio. Different ages. Different dynamics. Different energy.
Some sessions feel playful and full of movement. Others feel calm and grounded. Many are a blend of both.
What they share is intention. A willingness to pause and say, “This matters. This season matters.”When families allow themselves to simply show up as they are, the portraits that follow feel honest and lasting.
Designed to Live Beyond the Session
Family portraits created during the in-between years often become the ones families return to most.
They aren’t tied to a single event. They aren’t defined by a phase that feels distant later. They represent a chapter that holds depth and familiarity.
These are the portraits that live on walls, not just hard drives. The ones kids grow up seeing. The ones that quietly say, this is who we were together.
A Beautiful Time to Begin
January tends to slow things down. The calendar opens. Life feels a little less crowded.
It’s a wonderful time to reflect on what you want to remember, not just this year, but years from now.
If you’ve been thinking about family portraits and waiting for the “right” moment, this is your reminder that right now is already worth honoring.
The in-between years don’t announce themselves. But they are often the ones we miss the most