06/14/2026
One of the hardest parts of being a children's photographer right now is not being able to share the very work I've poured my heart into creating.
For years, the images I created for families weren't just treasured memories for my clients-they were also how new clients found me. My portfolio was my voice. It showed the connection, emotion, and artistry behind what I do.
But the internet has changed. With growing concerns around image theft, misuse, and AI scraping, many parents understandably no longer feel comfortable having their children's photos shared online. I completely understand and support that decision.
What makes me sad is that it has fundamentally changed how photographers like me connect with future clients. The beautiful galleries, the genuine moments, and stories that once helped people understand my work are now often kept private-and rightly so. When I share photos like these, they are not the best of this gallery, they are what I feel safe to share and it just isn't the same.
At the same time, AI continues to reshape our industry, using creatives work as training data while making it harder for artists and photographers to showcase what makes our work unique. The very images that helped build our businesses now feel unsafe to share.
I am grateful for every family who trusts me to document their lives, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about what this all means for the future. When your best work can't be seen, and the landscape keeps shifting beneath your feet, it's hard not to question how sustainable this business model is going forward.
I'm still here. Still creating. Still believing in the value of authentic, human connection and photography. But some days, I genuinely wonder what the path forward looks like for photographers who specialize in children and families.
Is anyone else in the creative industry feeling this too?
