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Family Photographer in Rochester, NY

Why John is the best

Families are fun. I’m part of a family! Having two kids (six years apart) and being a former teacher really helps me relate to families with kids. I know you’re not looking to rank on Awkward Family Photos. You want an amazing, natural-looking family portrait to cherish for a lifetime. As a seasoned professional Rochester, NY family photographer, there are few situations that I can’t work with, and I always get a smile.
My process allows me to spend quality time with your family and learn about your motivations and values. The challenge that I love, is taking the things I learn about you and your family, and building a creative session that is tailored just for you. So, if you’re looking for a great family photographer in Rochester, I’m your guy! Ready to work together? Contact me anytime.

Working with John was truly unique. He came to our house to take the photos, putting a personal spin on the portraits that worked out great.

The Process

Planning Your Session

We will design your shoot together so that I can capture your vision and bring it to life. We can schedule a consultation at my studio where we can talk about your ideas for the photo shoot and how I can make it happen. At this time you will see the beautiful products that are available. We will discuss space in your home that you are dreaming of filling with beautiful impact sized wall art. 

The Shoot

Family photography sessions last about one hour. I’ll meet you and your gorgeous family at your favorite local spot, outdoors in the backyard or in your home. I encourage a relaxed and comfortable look that will capture your family as you are. Moreover, I prefer to be on-location, rather than in a studio setting, in order to capture you in your natural habitat (like a safari). This makes kids feel more at ease and they act more natural (trust me, I have a few).

After the Session

I’ll select the top images and edit them so that you can select your favorites. I hold a preview session where you can see the images and I guide you through the ordering process to decide on prints and album choices. I can even show you what images will look like hanging on your walls!

  • a mom and dad and son sitting at the dining room table.
  • A family photo with the daughter on the dad's shoulders.
  • A family photo at the academy or medicine in rochester, ny with dark wood walls.
  • Close up of a baby's blue eyes.
  • rochester, ny family photograph in ellison park with kid jumping off a log.
  • rochester, ny family photography in the fall.
  • A silly family photograph with the kids and mom climbing on dad.
  • A formal family photo at the academy of medicine in Rochester, NY.
  • rochester, ny family photograph in ellison park with kids on a slide.

I love that John met with us weeks before to go over what we wanted and to get to know CJ. This truly helped capture how comfortable CJ was working with John. WE love CJ’s Senior and family photos.

Let’s make a plan for your family photography

Please enter your details below or reach out to me directly:

info@johnschlia.com

585-738-2026

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    INSPIRATION FOR ROCHESTER FAMILY PORTRAITS

    Family portraits in Rochester are great! On the one hand, there are so many family-friendly places to shoot. From iconic local museums such as The Strong, the Rochester Public Library and the RMSC to some of our seasonal attractions such as Seabreeze or the nation’s official oldest mini golf course, Whispering Pines. On the other hand, the natural beauty of our region – any time of year – can’t be beaten. Consider Highland Park, the beaches along Ontario, wooded parks such as Ellison and, of course, the Finger Lakes. From winter to spring, our region offers unique outdoor beauty. Still, looking for ideas for your family photos? Here are my top 3 tips for a great family photo shoot.

    1. Shoot On Location

    A family portrait is like shooting a safari. The best results come when your family is in its natural environment. While studio-settings can off-balance adults and children, alike, using a well-known location can put your family at ease. So, consider choosing a location that has special meaning for your family. Of course, this may be your very own home or backyard. Or you might be in your family’s happy-place at a diner, local park, or local attraction – nothing like Seneca Park Zoo for a giraffe as a back-drop! At the end of the day, the best place to photograph your family is where everyone is most relaxed and at ease. This helps keep the natural smiles flowing.

    2. Feel Comfy

    What should you wear? Keeping to the principle that the more at ease the family is, the better the family portrait, consider a relaxed and comfortable look. Choose items that reflect your normal style and preferences. When you feel natural, you look natural. So, as much as possible, craft a wardrobe that doesn’t go too far out of your family’s normal style.

    3. Get the Whole Family Involved

    Finally, when thinking about how you want your Rochester family portraits to look, get everyone involved. The more all family members feel a part of the process, the more willing everyone will be to cooperate on the day. So, where age-appropriate, brainstorm locations together and allow everyone some input on clothing choices. When the whole family is working together to create a portrait, some members – ahem – may feel less like this is something being done to them and more like something done with them. An important difference kids will pick up on that can go a long way towards getting those great shots.

    • I enjoyed working with John. I especially liked that he took the lead in directing the shots and offering suggestions on various poses. He had a clear vision of how the shots would turn out and it showed in the final results.

      André Avatar André
      07/21/2020

      My husband and I got married in August of 2018. John was such a pleasure to work with right from the start! He is extremely easy to work with and makes sure that every detail is perfect and just the way that you want it. Aside from just taking our wedding photos John was extremely helpful in providing us with information about other vendors – many of whom we used for our wedding because of his recommendations. Our family and friends have used John for many occasions including weddings and have never been disappointed. John is very approachable and extremely helpful in making sure that your needs and wants are met. Because we have worked with John in the past, using him for our wedding photography was a no-brainer! His personality, professionalism, skill, and customization far exceeded our expectations! We will continue to use John Schlia Photography exclusively for all of our photography needs in the future.

      Kerry Venanzi Avatar Kerry Venanzi
      12/09/2018

    • We hired John for our wedding on July 7, 2018 in Rochester, NY. We couldn't be more happy with his service! From the very first interaction, he was accommodating; none of the packages on his website were exactly what we wanted, but he was flexible and made us a custom package that was perfect for us and for a great price! Leading up to the wedding he kept in touch and made sure he knew the whole schedule and everything. On our wedding day, John just took the lead and made sure he got every shot we could want. We didn't have to worry about anything! e.g. when it was time for sunset pictures, he came and got us! He didn't miss a single moment!

      Eric Ressel Avatar Eric Ressel
      01/01/2019

      I really needed good quality professional headshot and I found John on google search and really liked the pictures afterward . Thanks so much .

      Gelila G Avatar Gelila G
      09/29/2020

    • We could not have asked for a better photographer to share our wedding day and party with! John is creative, collaborative, and a joy to work with all around. He made us and our guests feel at ease, which you can absolutely see in our pictures. He made sure to get to know me and my wife and checked in often to ensure we were all on the same page. We had a similarly wonderful experience taking family pictures with him, he picked out a beautiful location and made even the most awkward of our family members comfortable. Truly a wonderful photographer and human being, we cannot recommend him enough!

      Mariana Ramos Avatar Mariana Ramos
      12/19/2018

      John's great. Professional and very accommodating. Also great communicator coordinating and preparing you for the session. Headshots came out great and will use him again.

      Daniel Diefendorf Avatar Daniel Diefendorf
      04/11/2022

    • John did a great job with my headshots and even came up with some great creative ideas for how to make them stand out. Highly recommended!

      Robert Mostyn Avatar Robert Mostyn
      03/06/2020

      Very accommodating! He was able to take my head shots on a tight schedule!

      Hernan Garcia Avatar Hernan Garcia
      04/04/2022

    • As a wedding planner, I love recommending John to my couples! We have worked on many events and projects together and he always delivers excellence. He is a talented photographer and works to build a genuine relationship with all of his clients. He has a postive attitude, even through the most challenging events. Not only will John capture beautiful photos, but he will also deliver professionalism with a side of fun!

      Pauleen Vacca Avatar Pauleen Vacca
      11/28/2018

      John was my wedding photographer. He was absolutely wonderful to work with. I have worked with a few photographers in the past for family photos and such, and John was the best. He did all the photos that we wanted and he presented us with other great poses. He was very patient with us and was willing to spend more time with us than was originally planned. He also traveled almost three hours to photograph for us. We are planning on using John as our photographer again in the future. I highly recommend him!

      Chelsey Bowen Avatar Chelsey Bowen
      07/19/2012