My dear friends, Jeri Lynn and Ian Ingram, are both creative, talented, and beautiful --- both inside and out.  And traditional family portraits aren't quite for them.

So, for almost 10 years now, and waaay before I dared to call or even think of myself as a photographer (which, to be honest, still feels strange), we’ve been doing collaborative, stylized family portraits. 

We call the series South Austin Gothic. 

Besides having so much fun creating them, what I love about this series is how it marks the passage of time and reflects all of us --- the Ingram's growth as a family and mine as a photographer.

While this kind of stylized portrait may not be for everyone, what it represents is most definitely for all.  So, whether I take 'em, another photographer, or yourselves, just do it.  Just take those family photos in a whatever way means the most to you.  You won't regret a single shot.

Both Jeri Lynn and Ian are very talented artists.  You can shop for Jeri Lynn's gorgeous jewelry here.  Every piece of her beautiful, fair trade jewelry collection is hand-beaded by the Huichol people in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico.

Jeri Lynn's husband, Ian, is a remarkable artist and teacher.  See his incredible work here, and for those of y'all in Austin, Ian has recently started offering drawing class for kids.

I only posted a few of my faves of the series here, but I love the photo below of the Ingram kiddos in front of all the portraits (although I didn't take three of the photos).