ABOUT
Some random facts about me:
I’m a part time Music Teacher and homeschool mom! I also sing and play ukulele and I lead worship at my church.
Hey! Thanks for stopping by. If we don’t know each other already, here’s a little bit about me. :)
My name is Zhaleh (pronounced “Zha-lay”) which is Persian. I am half Persian actually, hence the name. But I am a born and raised Floridian (we are a rare kind), practically raised at Disney world. I’m a proud mommy to two precious kiddos and follower of Jesus!
When it comes to photography, I’ve been doing photography for 8 years now. I first picked up a camera when my son was about 9 months old. And he was the reason why I wanted to take pictures. In fact, I’m pretty sure, me and that camera are to blame for the ham he is now.
But it wasn’t until one day, early in my photography career that I was editing some photos of a friend’s family and I caught myself smiling that I truly realized photography was something I was passionate about. Something that I loved to do and wanted to continue doing. I love that I get to watch a family be a family and getting to capture that is just so cool to me and so special.
And let me tell you, I am honored to capture those moments. My sweet kiddos are who inspired me to even pick up the camera. Even now, children are my absolute favorites to shoot and bring me so much joy. I also love capturing mothers and their babies. A mother’s bond with her child is so sacred and honestly something to be treasured. I love capturing the raw, real moments motherhood brings, and strive to uplift mommies by capturing the beautiful and strong super women that they are! The Lord has blessed me richly through this business and continues to reveal Himself to me through photography, capturing moments of joy, families and love.
What is Lifestyle Photography?
Before I became a “lifestyle photographer,” I had been through a number of portrait sessions with my own family where I just wanted to get the perfect shot. "Just one!" I'd always say. I even photographed sessions like that when I started out. Where I just wanted ONE perfect picture of everyone looking at the camera polished, posed, and beautiful. I've since learned that if I do get that one photo (I spent lots of money on), it's oddly not the photo that I cherish the most. The photo I cherish the most is usually one where in fact nobody is looking at the camera.
It's the one where my son is snuggled close to me and my husband is looking at me smiling with a look of admiration on his face (It’s framed in my living room right now). Or the one filled with laughter and joy as we tickle our son (this one too). Those are the photos that I cherish. Those are the ones I look back on and remember the most.
Now that I am a lifestyle photographer, I try to get those shots for my clients. The shots where nobody is looking at the camera. Nobody is posed, sitting still, and stiff. But where you are snuggling with your family and I just happen to be there to capture it. As I capture your family during our session, I will give prompts that will allow you to interact and create moments that show your family's real candid love for each other. That's what I aim to set up. That's what lifestyle photography is.
