(401) 592-8695 | based in Portsmouth, Rhode Island danielleriveraphotography@outlook.com
Hi! I’m Danielle 👋
I’m a family photographer, mom, military wife, veteran, registered dietitian, and professional wrangler of tiny humans who have absolutely no interest in cooperating for a photo.
Basically, I have a lot of life experience telling people, “It’s fine. We can work with this.” 😂
And that’s pretty much my approach to photography.
Your toddler doesn’t have to sit still. Your baby might cry. Someone will probably need a snack. Dad may tell me he “hates pictures.” Mom will almost certainly say she should have lost 10 pounds first (you are beautiful as you are. :).
It’s fine. We can work with this.
I’ll be honest. I’ve walked away from plenty of chaotic sessions thinking, “Gee, I don’t know if I got anything.” 😂 And then I sit down to edit and somehow end up with a gallery full of beautiful little moments that I didn’t even realize I had captured. That’s one of my favorite parts of this job.
I’m not really interested in creating the perfectly posed, everyone-looking-at-the-camera version of your family. I want the belly laughs, the chaos, the snuggles, the little hands, the way your kids naturally run to you, and all those tiny moments you don’t realize are worth remembering until they’re gone.
I’ll definitely guide you. I’m not going to throw you into a field and say, “Okay, be natural!” and then stand there awkwardly with my camera. 😂
I’ll help with posing, prompts, movement, light, and all the little things that make you look and feel your best. But I also want enough space for your family to actually be your family.
Because I’m a mom, I know how quickly these seasons disappear.
I know what it feels like to be exhausted and overstimulated and still desperately want pictures of the tiny humans who are currently making you question every life decision you’ve ever made.
I know that the photo where your kid is laughing hysterically because Dad said something ridiculous might mean more to you someday than the perfectly posed family portrait.
And I know that sometimes the photographs you almost didn’t take end up being the ones you treasure most.
My life outside of photography has shaped the way I work, too. I’ve been a Navy surgical tech, a military spouse, a dietitian, a mom, and a business owner. I’ve lived through big transitions and very ordinary seasons, and I’ve learned that the ordinary stuff is often the stuff we end up missing the most.
So if you’re looking for a photographer who will make your family look like someone else’s Pinterest board, or if your dream gallery is exclusively Christmas card photos where everyone is perfectly posed and smiling at the camera, I’m probably not your girl. But if you want photographs that are warm, genuine, timeless, a little playful, and actually feel like your family?
Hi. 👋
You’re probably in the right place.
And don’t worry.
You don’t have to know what to do in front of my camera.