The Family Ojai is about photographs of the people we love, and the time we have together.
I photograph families in all the different ways they come together, at home, on vacation, around a dinner table, at a family reunion, celebrating something important, or simply spending a day together.
Sometimes that means young children running through the yard. Sometimes it means grandparents with their grandchildren, grown brothers and sisters coming home, or several generations gathered in one place.
Whatever the occasion, I'm interested in the same thing: the relationships that make a family a family.
I don't want you to perform for the camera. I want to be present for what's already there, the laughter, the quiet moments, the familiar gestures, the personalities, the mess, and all the little things that make your family yours.
Because we don't always know which moments we'll miss until they're gone.
I'm Lou.
I've been photographing people for more than 20 years, working as a commercial and advertising photographer for brands including Ford, Sony, Acura, Bank of America, CVS, and others.
That work has taught me a lot about people and about being present. How to make someone comfortable in front of a camera. How to notice the small things. How to anticipate a moment before it happens. And how to make photographs that feel natural rather than performed.
The Family Ojai grew out of my love for photographing real life and my belief that those ordinary moments are worth remembering.
I'm also a father, and I know firsthand how strange it is to watch a person you love change almost overnight. One day you're holding them in your arms, and somehow you blink and they're suddenly too big to carry anymore.
Photography gives us a way to hold onto some of those moments.
Not just how someone looked, but how it felt to be together.
Making it available
If you are interested in supporting The Family Ojai community, please consider a donation. We welcome any contribution towards a package for another family who can’t afford a session but who would love to have family moments captured in photos. Click here if you would like to donate.
If you are a family who would love to be photographed but can’t swing the cost, please reach out directly. I’ll do my best to make it happen.
If you'd like to talk about photographing your family, I'd love to hear from you.
