Kim Hildebrand Photography

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Coeur d'Alene, ID
Kim Hildebrand Photography

Kim specializes in creating candid, vibrant portraiture during any stage of your family's life. Visit www.kimhildebrand.com for more information.

Kim is an award winning newborn and family photographer based in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Her passion for film photography started at an early age, spurred by her dad’s love for visual storytelling. She loves to incorporate that element of storytelling in her work with newborns, kids, and families, ever since launching her business in 2007. Kim loves to use her client’s cozy and familiar homes or the

beautiful outdoor spaces of the Northwest to create images that tell your family story in an imperfect, yet raw and authentic way. Please check out her website to view her complete gallery.

09/07/2026

When I started Kim Hildebrand Photography, there was one thing I wanted more than anything: to photograph real moments and real connection — and to capture how I actually see and feel the love in them.

That's everything. It should be celebrated.

Loud or quiet, big or small, every one of those little feelings adds up over time and becomes our story. And stories are worth having — especially on the days when things get hard.

This weekend reminded me why.

I got to photograph 20 people — three generations, 9 kids from 1 to 15 — gathered at the Coeur d'Alene Resort to celebrate Grandma's 75th birthday. Nine kids. Twenty people. One reason: her.

I didn't want a stiff, staged photo of everyone lined up smiling at the camera. I wanted them the way I actually saw them — toddlers wiggling out of laps, teenagers rolling their eyes and laughing anyway, grandma right in the middle of it all, loved on by every single generation she raised.

That's the whole reason I do this.

What's a moment in your family's story you'd love to have on film? Tell me below. 💛

09/04/2026

Why choose an in-home session?

Because you don't have to go anywhere.

Because a rainy forecast doesn't mean a reschedule.

And because your kids get to just be themselves — no new location to adjust to, no "smile for the camera" pressure. Just their own couch, their own window, their own true, wild personalities. (Exhibit A, right there. ☝️)

And yes, we might tidy up a corner or two before I start shooting. I'll help you with that part too — no judgment on the laundry pile, promise.

Double tap if you're a fan of a good in-home session!

08/27/2026

Film photographer problems…
Being organized enough to order more ahead of time 😆. It can be a real issue, friends! Even with moving everything back in house I’m still scrambling to find my favorites sometimes. Tell me I’m not alone?! 🎞️😬 Tim Ryugo

08/18/2026

"All the arts we practice are apprenticeship. The big art is our life." -M.C. Richards

I met this mama years ago volunteering at View Ridge Elementary — our oldest boys in the same class, no idea yet what our friendship would look like.

Now her son Travis and my son Isaac are both headed off to college.

I hadn't seen her in way too long. But when I was back in Seattle, I got to do a mini session with her and her four kids — Travis, and the triplets behind him now, who already have opinions and inside jokes of their own.

This is the moment I keep coming back to. All four of them piled on her, her arms full, right before everything shifts. Before the house gets quieter. Before "mom of four kids" becomes something else entirely.

She is one of the most fun, most down-to-earth people I know. And getting to capture her family right on the edge of this change — light leak and all — felt like its own kind of gift.

Because that's the thing about this work. It's never really about the photo.

It's about the practice of paying attention to a life while you're still living it.

08/05/2026

First few scans back from my new to me Holga and I can tell this is gonna be a fun one to shoot with. Can’t wait to play more and get the next batch back! This was from a quick family trip to Lopez Island in the San Juans, one of our happy places. Tim Ryugo

07/28/2026

Just got back from Seattle, and I'm still on cloud 9 about it. 💫

Spent the week photographing families I've worked with for years — watching their kids grow up right in front of my lens, one session at a time.

There's nothing like it. Seeing how these connections shift and deepen. Watching parents settle into that calm, proud, "I know exactly who my kid is" kind of presence.

I never get tired of being let into that.

Grateful for these families. Grateful for the mountains I got to shoot in front of. 🏔️ Just an all-around good week to be me.

If you want in on this for your own family — a session, a few years from now looking back at who you all were — send me a message. I'd love to talk it through.

"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working." —Pablo Picasso

07/22/2026

I have approximately 4 million photos of my own kids on my phone.

Maybe 12 of them are actually good.

And I'm a professional photographer. 🙃

Here's what I've learned trying to capture my own kiddos (when I don't have a second set of hands or a fancy setup):

Lower the bar. You're not shooting a magazine cover — you're catching a real moment. Let them be weird. Let them ignore you. That's the shot.

Make them laugh, not smile. A forced smile reads a mile away. A real laugh? That's the one you'll cry over in 10 years.

Get low. Get on their level and the whole photo changes — less "adult looming with a camera," more "what their world actually looks like."

Even with all that, some days I still don't get the shot. And that's exactly why I do this for a living — so you don't have to chase the light, the laugh, and the toddler all at once.

If you'd rather be in the photo instead of behind it, let's talk.

Message me to book your session. 🤍

07/16/2026

The cutest cutie pie there ever was, don't you think?

This kiddo fell the day before our session and had a huge bruise on his forehead. If you look closely you may be able to see it (and let's be honest - is pretty dang forgiving on skin).

To be perfectly honest, bruises in photographs don't bother me much. Do you edit them out? I do if my family requests it (and it's not too hard to edit), but I prefer to leave them in most times.

Why?

Because it's a story and a memory too. It's life, and life happens whether you're getting photos taken or not. I can guarantee you that when he or his mama looks at this, they will be able to tell me what happened, where they were, how they felt, and much more. That's important.

07/10/2026

You have a bed, right?
That's genuinely all we need.

I can't tell you how many moms have sat across from me, almost apologizing for their own home. "It's too small." "I don't have decor." "The light in here is bad." "My bedding isn't pretty enough."

So let's talk about the elephant in the room.

Every home has quirks. And those quirks are exactly what make your storytelling yours — not generic, not Pinterest-perfect, just true.

I recently had a mom like this. No art on the walls, small rooms, worried about everything. (And I totally get it. Photos are not the cheapest investment and you're worried they're not going to turn out.)

Here's what I told her:
None of that matters. What matters is how you love on your kids inside those four walls. Adding light, finding the best angle, drawing out your real connection — that's my job, not yours. I've been shooting in-home sessions for over 15 years. Condos, tiny apartments, basements, you name it. I have never once had a mom regret it.

That mom? She messaged me after and said: "I'm so grateful you convinced me to shoot in our tiny house. These are so us and I couldn't have asked for anything more. Thank you!"

Your home doesn't need to be ready. It just needs to be yours.

Message me if you're ready to see what your own four walls can do. 🏡

07/08/2026

Your house doesn't need to be "photo ready." It just needs to be yours.

That's the whole case for an in-home session:
No commute. No weather gamble. No kids performing for a camera in a space that means nothing to them.

Just your actual life, actual home, actual kids being actual kids (see above 👆).
We'll straighten up together before we start. I promise it's not as scary as it sounds.
Reply if you're team in-home like I am! 🏡

Address

Kim Hildebrand Photography
Coeur D'alene, ID
83815

Website

http://www.kimhildebrand.com/

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