Founder & Photographer
Kin & Co. is a Toronto-based portrait studio founded by editorial and commercial photographer Samuel Engelking. He served as the staff photographer at NOW Magazine for over four years, turning out weekly cover shoots before building a freelance career spanning numerous magazines, global and national brands, and private commissions. His notable portrait work includes Margaret Atwood, Simu Liu, Matty Matheson, James Franco, and Russell Peters, among others.
Samuel was inspired to create Kin & Co. out of memory of his own childhood home, filled with family photos on the walls, admittedly to an extreme. Even as a child he absorbed the message that family was significant, that he was valued and cherished. He recalls the emotional weight of being so visibly celebrated even if it didn't exactly lend itself to an aesthetically conscious environment.
As a father of twins, Samuel noticed something missing in most family homes today. A generation of design-conscious parents, haunted by the memory of banal Sears portraits, opting out entirely rather than settling for something uninspired. That felt like a problem worth solving.
Kin & Co. exists for art-loving, design-conscious families who live with intention and understand that beauty in all its forms uplifts the soul. Family photography should do the same. Every session is conceived independently, with its own creative direction and curated wardrobe. As a working editorial and commercial photographer, Samuel takes on two sessions per month.
THE WAY We See It
Photography is an Extension of Identity
The families we work with have always been intentional about how they live, their style, their home. Your portraits should reflect that same standard.
Wall Art, Not Thumb Drives
Images that live on a screen aren't really living. The session doesn't end with a download link or a thumb drive. We create work that belongs in your space, framed, finished, and permanent.
Direction Creates Authenticity
The best candid moments don't happen by accident. They're prompted, shaped, and guided through a process that puts your family at ease and draws out something real.
This Stage Will Not Last
Childhood is gradual enough to feel permanent until it isn't. The most meaningful stages of family life seem to pass quietly while we're busy living them. This is why the work matters.
