A week in Grand Chute fills up fast. School drop off, practice after work, a Saturday errand run out by the Fox River Mall. Somewhere in the middle of it, the kids got taller. A family session is one unhurried hour to record exactly who everyone is right now.
Karissa Leigh Designs has a studio at 728 W Wisconsin Ave in Appleton, a short drive from most Grand Chute neighborhoods. Karissa has spent about ten years in the Fox Cities, and families from all over the area make the trip.
Studio or Outdoors
Family sessions can happen in the studio or at an outdoor location. The studio is an easy choice for families with babies or toddlers, and for the months when a Wisconsin winter makes a field session a hard sell. From spring through fall, outdoor sessions are all about timing. The hour before sunset gives soft, warm light, and spots like Plamann Park, Gordon Bubolz Nature Preserve and the trails along the Fox River are all close by. Karissa will help you choose a setting that suits your family.
Which Session Fits
The 30 minute session suits smaller families, or a quick update before the holidays. The full hour leaves room for more groupings, a few portraits of each child on their own, and breaks for little ones who need them. If your youngest is turning one, the cake smash mini is a sweet way to mark it. You bring the cake. Your one year old supplies the mess.
Plan for the Prints
Strong family galleries start with the wall in mind. Before your session, ask yourself which photo you would be heartbroken not to get. Everyone together? Your kids laughing at each other? Then think about where it will live: over the fireplace, in an album, or on this year's holiday card. Tell Karissa, and she will plan the session around it.
Real Families, Not Perfect Poses
Nobody needs to be a natural in front of the camera. Karissa keeps things light, gives simple directions, and leaves room for the moments you did not plan, like a toddler who wanders off mid pose or a sibling who cannot stop giggling. Those are often the frames families end up printing.
Ready to get everyone in one frame? Tell us a little about your family and the dates that work for you. Who will be in the photos?
