Sam I Am Photography

Here are 15 things that I like to ask for my family portrait clients, in addition to basic information.
About them:

What do you do?

How did you two meet?

How long have you been together?

Name and ages of kids?

How would you describe each person’s personality?

Do any of you have favorite hobbies?

Describe your perfect weekend.

What are some activities you like to do together as a family?

What are your kids into right now?


The session:

Have you been photographed before? If so, when was the last time?

Do you have any past photos or sessions of ours that stand out to you?

Do you have a specific location or type of location (urban, nature, etc) you would like for your session?

Any must have photos you would like for me to capture during the session?

How do you plan to display your photos? (albums, digital files, canvases, etc.)

Do you have anything else you would like to share with me?

I get to make a living doing something that I love. I love being able to create beautiful images for my clients while still maintaining my artistic vision. Photographs have the ability to make people smile, laugh, or maybe even cry. No matter what, it’s something they’ll hold close to their heart and consider priceless.

Samantha, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
“I am a storyteller. Photography is a way of life. It’s how I live, not just what I do.”

My journey began over 20 years ago while traveling and living abroad. I spent time on nearly every continent (with the exception of Antarctica) this is when I picked up my first DSLR, and really started to see the world around me. I moved to South Florida in 1999. I took a photography class, where I would have to roll and develop my own film. I spent hours in the darkroom trying to make prints like Ansel Adams. At the end of the course the teachers told me I see in color. Just returning from 6 years in Tokyo, I smiled and thought…yes extremely vivid color. This is when I decided to go to Miami Ad school to study graphic design. There was only one problem, I didn’t know the first thing about computers let alone any design software. It was so foreign to me. I worked hard and somewhere along the line I realized most of my work was photography based. I can’t draw to save my life. I am very thankful for all my graphic design classes. It helped me to understand layout, typography and to generate new ideas and create concepts from start to finish. When I graduated I only had one basic photoshop class under my belt. I depended more on my eye and what I saw thru the lens. I photographed anything and everything. I looked at so many photographers and would try and mimic their style….it takes a while to find your own style, what defines your photos. Capturing moments.

Photography, for me, is a way to capture and share the immediate world within which we live. I love chasing the light, and get excited to see the outcome every time.

I love people, of all ages…. always have. Kids are the best. This is how I started my business. It was so hard to come up with a name. I sat for days and would think “Who I am”…all the names I liked were already taken on the web.

Then it came to me….”I am Sam…..no that was Sean Penn… Sam I Am! I ran over to the computer to see if it was available. It was….and samiamphotography was born.

When I photograph children, they can be totally uncooperative or completely unaware of my presence. Rather than get frustrated by the lack of control, I embrace it. My subjects reveal their personalities to me, so that when I take their pictures, I capture who they are. Sometimes within the first 3 minutes or it may take an hour. Parents often tell me that their kids ask when is their next Sam I Am playdate….

Sam I Am Photography specializing in children, family, maternity, newborn, child modeling photography. I enjoy capturing life unscripted. Think more along the lines of a play date, not a stiff family portrait session. Relax and have fun. Perfectly Imperfect. I love to talk and hear about what’s going on in your lives. I am there to capture your moments, so the more you interact the better. Children are curious, spontaneous, silly, energetic wide eye wonders that can be totally unpredictable. In my bag, you might find several camera bodies, a few lollipops, maybe even some bubbles, but no backdrops. I have a lot of props and clothing that I may bring. Sometimes the smallest thing like bubbles can change your child’s mood.