You already know what you want. Not stiff, not staged, not your kids lined up staring at a lens. You have seen those photos on someone else's wall and thought: that is not us.
You want photos where your three-year-old is mid-laugh and your partner is looking at you the way they do when nobody is watching. You want the version of your family that exists between the chaos and the quiet. The one you see on Saturday mornings at the lake, before anyone has checked a phone.
I am Mary Fernandez, a family photographer in Zug with 12 years of experience and over 200 sessions behind me. If there is one thing all those families taught me, it is this: the photograph that matters is never the one you planned.
YOUR FAMILY
MY purpose
I studied photography in Madrid when I realised I had very few memories of my own childhood. Back then, photography was not as accessible as it is now. That absence shaped everything I do today.
As I began photographing families, something became clear. Photography is not pixels on a screen. It is how you remember the people you love. It is how your children will know what their grandmother looked like when she laughed. It is how you will remember yourself in this season, long after it has passed.
Over the years I have watched families arrive nervous and leave lighter. I have seen parents look at each other differently through the lens. I have witnessed children strengthen their bonds with their parents simply by being together, without a schedule, without a screen, without a task.
Photography gave me the discipline I needed to build the life I wanted. It gave me the gift of seeing people as they are. And it gave me a belief in emotions as the only thing worth documenting. I am emotional first, technical second. When I photograph your family, I see how you feel before I see the light.
I think like a designer. Japanese minimalism is the closest reference for how I approach my work. Strip away everything unnecessary until what matters is visible. Declutter the background. Let the feeling breathe. Every element in the frame earns its place.
Clients say I have an eye for details and precision. That I am easy to work with, always helping, and that the results are what they wanted or needed. I will let them speak for me. After 13 years as a family photographer in Zug, Zurich, and Porto, the work still moves me the same way it did at the beginning.
ABOUT
THE PHOTOGRAPHER
There is no script. No clipboard. No "everyone say cheese."
We start with a conversation where I learn about your family. I ask questions, and each family gets different ones because no two families are the same. By the time we meet, I already have a sense of who you are and what matters to you. Not because I have memorized answers. Because I have listened.
The session itself is 45 minutes. That is enough. I have worked with hundreds of families and every kind of child. The ones who run. The ones who cling. The ones who cry for the first ten minutes and then forget I exist. I know how to move through a session with calm and intention, and I know when I have what we need. Forty-five minutes of real connection gives you more than two hours of performing ever could.
I use natural light only, no flash, no reflectors, and I know where the light moves through Zug at different times of year. The lake in late afternoon in October. The golden hour that turns everything warm in spring. I read the light the way I read your family, and I place you where both look honest.
You do not need to perform. That is the whole point.
a family session in zug
how it looks
Zug is a small place. People talk. A recommendation here means something because the person giving it knows you will see them at school drop-off on Monday.
Most of my Zug families found me through someone they trust. A friend from the ISZL community. A neighbour who finally got photos of her family that looked like her family. That kind of trust does not come from a pretty website. It comes from showing up, doing the work, and delivering what I said I would deliver.
Here is what I hear most often after a session: "I did not expect to feel this way looking at these." Not because the photos are technically impressive, though they are. Because they are true. Because they show something the family recognised but had never seen documented before. That is what I do as a family photographer in Zug. I show you what was already there.
I grew up between cultures and I understand what it means to build a home somewhere that is not where you started. Many families in Zug know this feeling. The mix of excitement and impermanence, of building something you hope will last while knowing things keep shifting. I see that in the photographs because I have lived it.
COMING BACK
why families in zug
when working with me
what to expect
We plan the session.
Together we choose the location, the light, and the timing based on everything you have told me. Many Zug families prefer sessions at home or by the lake.
a road to follow
your emotions
You show up. The kids are tired or overstimulated or perfectly calm, and I am steady in a way that lets everyone relax. No one is told where to stand. We move through the session and I photograph what is real. Forty-five minutes. That is all it takes.
the happinest
5 days after the session, your images are ready. You will open them expecting family photos. What you will find is something closer to a feeling you could not put into words.
frequently asked questions
how long is a family session and is 45 minutes really enough?
how long is a family session and is 45 minutes really enough?
Yes. I have photographed over 200 families and I have learned that 45 minutes of genuine connection gives you a gallery full of real moments. Children do not perform well in long sessions. They lose interest, they get hungry, they start to fade. I work with their energy, not against it, and I know when we have everything we need.
what if my toddler has a meltdown during the session?
what if my toddler has a meltdown during the session?
I recommend booking 8–12 weeks in advance for family sessions. Spring and autumn golden-hour spots tend to fill fastest. Newborn sessions are best booked during pregnancy — ideally around weeks 28–32 — so we have a confirmed slot ready for when your baby arrives. That said, reach out even with shorter notice and I'll always do my best.
what should we wear?
what should we wear?
I have written a few blog articles with styling tips that you can read before our session. And during our consultation, I will share my top recommendations based on your specific family, your location, and the season. The short version: wear what makes you feel like yourself. Nothing stiff or brand new. Soft colours, layers, textures that feel comfortable.
can we do the session at our home in zug?
can we do the session at our home in zug?
Yes, and many Zug families choose this. Your home, your light, your family in the space where your real life happens. As a family photographer in Zug, some of my favourite sessions have been in living rooms and kitchens.
how far in advance should we book?
how far in advance should we book?
I recommend reaching out two to three months ahead. Most families request Sundays and those dates fill up quickly. The earlier you get in touch, the more likely we can secure the date and the light you want.
do you photograph extended family or multigenerational sessions?
do you photograph extended family or multigenerational sessions?
Yes. If grandparents are visiting or your whole family is together for a short window, I can design the session around that. These moments are finite. I treat them that way.
what happens if the weather is bad on the day?
what happens if the weather is bad on the day?
We reschedule or we adapt. Some of my favourite work has been on overcast days. The light is soft, even, and forgiving. But if it is pouring rain and you would rather wait, we find another date.
Amazing photography starts with getting know each other. Take a moment to fill out my contact form, and let's get to planning your beautiful photo session!
i cannot wait to meet your family!
contact me
Amazing photography starts with getting know each other. Take a moment to fill out my contact form, and let's get to planning your beautiful photo session!
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