“Wait, when did we stop doing that??”

Allison Patel takes a self portrait with her kids as they also read a Dog Man book together on the couch.

I can feel our bedtime book-reading ritual slipping away and I’m trying not to let it break my heart.

I remember bedtime with rosy glasses even as I’m still in it: the pushing and elbowing to get a better view, my own stifled annoyance as I read page 42 of a rhyming book. 

Reading is a big deal for our family. I want them to read on their own. I’m just not ready to be done with the nighttime snuggles, the “can we read one more,” the “it’s my turn to pick.” 

I’m not done making the silly voices, if we’re really honest. 

Allison Patel reads bedtime stories with her kids on her son's bed. The kids are little, in pjs, the bed covered in Toy Story bedding and the wall covered in Avengers coloring pages.
Allison Patel reading a book with her kids at bedtime. Her daughter hugs a stuffed sheep in front of her own face, and her son is tucked into her arm.

So I race to remember it all, to imprint this ritual in my memory. I hold them in the crook of one arm. I answer 17 questions without rolling my eyes, because soon they’ll have all the answers.

I take all the photos I can, and hire a photographer to help me get in photos, too.

I also want to hire a photographer for this
A woman with light brown hair and fair skin, dressed in a pink t-shirt and blue jeans, sitting on a chair against a colorful leafy-patterned wall inside a room. She looks relaxed and is smiling softly at the camera.

Maybe you've been meaning to book a session for three years.

Or maybe you've scrolled past the formal, stiff poses and thought, “that's not us.”

You want something that actually looks like your life.

That's exactly what I do.

I’m Allison Patel, a Richmond family photographer who specializes in the kind of photos you’ll want to see again and again as the years go on.

And I’ve been around the block (maybe even yours).

I’ve been working with families in their homes and favorite places around Richmond since 2011.

I help families document the real life daily routines that we do over and over and then suddenly don’t anymore.

A child's hands resting on an adult's hands, with the child's fingers intertwined and the adult's hand gently holding the child's wrist, on a dark outdoor surface.
Two children playing on a trampoline in a wooded park area during daytime, with a black fence in the background and green safety bars around the trampoline.

You don’t want to be the only one who remembers how sweet this life phase was. 

That’s how photos of real life help.

They remember for you, so that one day, when your kid is grown and you can’t quite remember how they ever fit into your lap at bedtime, you don’t have to wonder. 


If that sounds like what you’re looking for, I’d love to meet your family.

Let's talk

Where I've Been Featured

  • Allison Patel with her children, at home.

    Richmond Family Magazine

    Big-Picture Strategies for Preserving Holiday Magic

    Pro Tips for Capturing Holiday Memories

    Read My Article
  • A self portrait of the photographer

    The Photographer List

    Why You Should Include a Couples Photo in Your Family Photo Session

    Three awesome reasons why you should always add a couples photo to your family session.

    Read My Post
  • Photo of a gallery of images and art and word art that work together in the kitchen.

    Redfin

    25 Unique Yet Timeless Ways to Style Your Home with Photos, According to the Pros

    See tip #5

    Read The List
Mom kissing her baby boy

“I love how you don't manufacture the perfect moment. You are just there for when it happens.”

- Dave