Last month, I got to photograph a few family sessions at a gorgeous sunflower field in Grove City, Pa. And I just heard there’s one more sunflower field about to bloom this season! So if you’ve been wanting to update your family portrait, and you love sunflower fields, now’s your chance! This is also a great opportunity for senior portraits.
I know this sweet family from church and was blessed to be able to make some portraits of them this fall. It’s great to get outside for family portraits, especially with little ones because they aren’t confined to the limits of a studio (i.e. – sitting still so that the light is right and the tripod doesn’t need to be adjusted…as a mom of two young boys, I am a firm believer in the least restrictive environment!). Although I will say, it’s a workout for parents to keep their little ones close and engaged. But the results are so worth it!
I just love the sweet and pure faces from little ones this small.
We were shooting right into the sunset on a particularly sunny day for Pittsburgh!
I love walking shots, and for little ones it’s easiest sometimes to put them up on a parent’s shoulders.
And I love this moment where this sweetheart pauses just long enough for her close-up.
And this happens at almost every session with toddlers. Dads love to turn their kids upside down and the kids love it too!
Here’s our fearless leader leading the way!
And this is probably my favorite shot of the whole family. So blessed!
There are two ideal times of day for outdoor portraits when it comes to finding the best light: early morning and early evening. And depending on the time of year, your family’s makeup and routines, one of those times will be much better than the other. In the summer, I might suggest as early as 7 or 7:30 a.m. and I know that sounds like madness at first, but for some families with young children it makes a lot of sense because kids can wake up well before then. Plus, it’s still cool and the kids are still well rested. As a mom myself, I can say hands down, that my children are at their best in the morning. I’m sure that’s not the case for all little ones, but I think it generally applies to most children. And with my children, they’re less consistent in mood and behavior closer to dinner time, so for now, we are best photographed in the morning. And from a photography standpoint, the shadows are more spacious and open shade is where I like to spend most of my time photographing families because the light is even and soft. You really want to have the light coming from a low angle, behind or from the side, just not from above like it would at noon, causing squinting or shadows in the eyes. And for a warm, sunny look, it’s nice to use the sun as a back light in the early morning or at sunset.
But for the most part, I look for open shade, because kids like to move around a lot and I can focus on capturing the moment rather than having the distraction of continually adjusting my exposure in the changing lighting. On overcast days, lighting is a breeze just about anywhere and we have a lot of days like that in Pittsburgh, but you can’t count on it, so it’s best to plan for closer to when the sun is rising or setting. And if your family is not made up of morning-people, then early evening is your best bet. It is really the better of the two best times of day, because shooting into sunset, the light gets prettier and prettier, where as shooting after sunrise, the light gets increasingly harsh as the sun continues to rise. But that’s not to say that you can’t capture great portraits in the morning.
Another trick I like to use for little ones on the move is to bring chairs. Not for their form, but all for function. When you have the right sized chair, kids will sit for a bit, and this was the perfect way to keep these darling two-year old twins off of the wet grass and stationary enough to get them looking at the camera at the same time. Plus, their mama’s trick of singing Happy Birthday with some fun variations got them giggling and we all started cheering for them and what a good job they were doing and it was like magic!
We walked around their neighborhood in Mars, Pa., and stopped at the community playground for some candid shots on the playground. This is such a natural opportunity for lifestyle photography. Love the smiles when kids are at play.
It’s unscripted, pure joy at this age!
And we walked back to their home for some portraits in front of their front door, which happened to be in open shade.
After getting some great shots of the family, we brought in their dog for a few. What a sweet family!
And if you’re not sure what time of day, suits your family, give me a call. Sunset and sunrise changes throughout the year, so there’s a wide range of times depending on the season. I’d be happy to help you figure out your best bet!
When it comes to spending time away from my main job as a mama, there are few things I enjoy more than photographing growing families. This in-home session with Ronnie and Brad was no exception, because I love to document the time before a baby arrives. I feel like you can see all of the hopes and dreams in the eyes of expectant parents.
It’s fun to see all of the details they pull together to celebrate their baby on the way!
This photo above reminds me of a sonogram image because of the pattern of white surrounding them as they sit in the corner of this window seat. If it’s just me, I chalk it up to staring at the images as I was narrowing down my choices to share in this post.
If you’re a dog owner, then you know that no session is complete without a shot of the fuzzy child with four legs.
Isn’t she glowing?
And here’s one last detail that I just can’t resist sharing – daddy serenading his baby.
Photos of their sweet baby girl are up next!
Most of my newborn sessions take place inside where it’s warm, but given a humid summer morning and an expertly landscaped yard with lots of lovely shade, you can bet I’ll be making the most of it (with mom and dad’s permission of course). And for Baby Julian’s session, we were all in agreement about starting outside before it rained.
Here’s sweet Julian in an outfit made by his very talented mommy, Abby.
It was tempting to leave him in that outfit the whole session, he was so gosh darn cute.
But he’s too cute in his birthday suit so we wrapped him in blankets and gauze.
This next series of shots were taken on a hill behind their home. I like that the background is personalized that way.
We went inside and did a few shots on this beautiful baby blanket that has been passed down through their family. Just look at that face!
And Elsie, their first “baby” even made an appearance in this shot with Julian in his nursery. I can’t get enough of babies with their pets – although I can’t claim to be an expert in photographing such a challenging combination. This one just fell in my lap!
Congratulations Abby and Jared on your beautiful baby boy! Thanks for the opportunity to document your precious family!
Captivating Imagery