The Davis Family are my most loyal family, Ive been photographing them for YEARS! I love that I’ve been able to see the kids grow up, along with being able to see their little fur baby too! (I may have a soft spot for pugs) :) We had so much fun walking around beautiful Reflections Lake in the prime of Autumn!
This family was one of the most adventurous families I have had the pleasure of photographing! We hiked up a steep Alaskan mountain trail to get these views!!
The love you see in these images is about as genuine as it gets- cutest family ever!
I wil say it over and over again, now that I have a son- I have such a soft spot for little boys, they are just SO precious and snuggly and love their mamas!! :) You can tell these brothers are going to be best buds!
This fun and laid back family joined me up at Flattop Mountain, and their adorable dog tagged along!
If you are every hesitant about brining your dog, don’t be… they add so much to a session and I realize that even though it sometimes makes the chaos of a session even more chaotic, they are part of the family too… so I am totally up for families bringing their fur babies too!
This is my beautiful sister and her daughter and I am so lucky that I get to capture snippets of their relationship every year! Little Cedar is equal parts sweetheart and firecracker who wears her heart on her sleeve, she just loves her mama with all her heart! All it takes is 10 minutes to capture some gorgeous lifelong memories-we literally walked down to my parents backyard and snapped these in a few minutes! Don’t hesitate on whether or not to get in front of the camera with your loved ones, it is ALWAYS worth it!
Never take for granted the moments that we have with our kids while they are little- give them those big juicy kisses on the lips, squeeze them as tight as you can and throw them up in the air as high as you can!
It is just so bittersweet seeing them grow and change...but to fight against time stealing away these moments with our babies, we can take back the power by really BEING with them, looking into their eyes and seeing them, playing with them and loving them with all of our hearts.
This fun extended family was on vacation from Oregon and Utah and wanted to get some pictures taken in our beautiful state! There is just something special about capturing extended families and seeing the love & relationships from all generations, they are quickly becoming some of my most favorite sessions to document!
I don't get the opportunity to photograph seniors often, but I absolutely LOVE this age! Isn't Andrea stunning?! She was up for anything as we hiked around flattop mountain in the wind! Cheers to a great senior year!!
This awesome family flew up from Reno to go on an Alaskan adventure and celebrate their parents 40th anniversary! They lived here in the 90's and thought it would be a perfect time to capture their family in the great State of Alaska! You could just sense the love and connection this family had, I loved being able to capture that for them!
Every year, I try to do a 100 days of summer project. Summer’s are crazy hectic, can sometimes feel stressful and always go by waaaay too quickly - but these personal projects are always a gift to be able to look back upon at the end of summer.
It never fails to make me realize all of the amazing memories we make, even on the most mundane of days! AND bonus...sometimes creating fun actives for the kids to do for the sake of a good shot, ends up being some of the most fun memories they will have throughout the summer!
sprinkler time = fun
summer hats create fun shadows
weed bouqet
enjoy documenting your family! it is one of the most important things you can do! Be your families storyteller!
Being able to photograph newborns in the comfort of their now home is such a zen session, everyone is so relaxed and there is just a peacefulness in the air! They are some of my favorite sessions to capture!
This family was up for a family vacation from the lower 48 and contacted me to capture some family pictures of them that had gorgeous Alaskan views... I feel pretty lucky that this spot is literally in the middle of suburbia, we didn't have to go far at all for this beauty!! I am so excited I was able to photograph them, they are as adorable in person as they look in their pictures, and can you tell I like to have fun during my photoshoots?! Laughter is a MUST!
This family just welcomed a new precious member to their family, and I think it's safe to say they are all smitten!
This gorgeous couple just moved up here from Texas, and are absolutely loving their new adventure(s) in Alaska. I absolutely loved capturing their love, they are truly each other's biggest fans and you could feel that immediately. We had a a blast tromping around the freshly fallen snow at Flattop Mountain! It has been so fun getting to know them!
Alaskan winters are LONG and HARSH and it is around this time of the year when we are all just done, well I will speak for myself- I am DONE! The Mann Leiser Memorial Greenhouse is just gorgeous and WARM and it reinvigorated my inspiration for creativity when everything is pretty dull outside right now! Don't get me wrong, winter shoots can be and are gorgeous in there own way but if you are looking for a little warmth, I would LOVE to do a shoot with you at the Greenhouse!
There was so much love between all of these family members-it made my job really easy to capture them showering each other with it. As a daughter, sister, wife, mother and photographer, I see the importance of documenting these precious people in your lives. If you have not done it yet, DO IT! You will not regret it.
How To Prepare For Your Outdoor Family Photoshoot
Outdoor shoots create more natural looking photos, and they can be a refreshing change from a studio shoot. There’s always a bit of excitement and adventure when families travel to their favorite weekend or vacation spot, and it creates something much more special than a studio shoot.
Before the day of the shoot, the photographer will usually ask questions about time of day, shoot location, style and other preferences you and your family may have. Be sure to discuss any ideas or visions you have for your shoot with your photographer well in advance.
Here are a few tips to help you prepare for your outdoor family photoshoot:
Purpose
What is the purpose of the photoshoot? Yearly family photos? A birthday, graduation or anniversary? Or are you just looking for a special portrait to hang on your wall? Whatever the occasion, make sure you inform the photographer of the purpose of the shoot, so he or she can prepare appropriately. Think about any props you may want to use, like balloons, flowers, chairs, signs, etc. You can also get ideas by searching online for “outdoor family photo shoot ideas”, and then make sure you share these ideas with your photographer in advance.
Time
Photographers may give you time slots to choose from, or they may ask you what time of day you’d prefer. The hour after sunrise and before sunset is called the “Golden Hour”, and it’s considered ideal for shooting because the sunlight is softer. This can make your photos more attractive, so think about whether or not you’d like to shoot around these times. Make sure the time slot works for all of your family members. This can be a bit trickier if you’ve got a large group, including grandparents, aunts and uncles. It’s important to plan on arriving early to the location, especially if you’ve never been there before. Make sure you allow enough time for hair and makeup, either before or after your arrival. Lastly, give your photographer enough time to set-up and do test shots to adjust his or her camera settings to the outdoor lighting.
Style
Depending on the purpose of the shoot, you may need to hire a hair and makeup artist or get some of your friends to do it. For family photoshoots in broad daylight, natural makeup is ideal, while photoshoots done in low light may need heavier makeup coverage. Think about what everyone will wear, and give yourself enough time to purchase any items you may not have. Make sure you take everyone’s style tastes into account so everyone feels comfortable and happy during the shoot. And sometimes allowing little ones to wear their favorite piece of clothing, like a tutu or cowboy boots they’ve worn everyday for the last six months, can make for a sweet photo and a great memory years from now.
Posing
This is sometimes the trickiest part in every family photoshoot---smiling for the camera, giving big hugs, and making sure everyone looks happy and natural during the photoshoot. Your photographer will have lots of pose suggestions for you, but if you want a particular pose or look, be sure to let your photographer know in advance. It’s a good idea to let the children go first in the photoshoot because of their short attention span. After the children, let the grandparents and pregnant women go next. It’s also a good idea to bring a bag with children’s toys, snacks, medications and any other items needed by each member of the family.
Patience
Some shots need time to compose and even more time to edit, so a lot of patience is needed for your family to get the perfect outdoor family portraits. Although the photoshoot may only take an hour or so, editing the raw photos can be a long and grueling process. Give your photographer a couple of weeks to get the finished product to you.
Katie Conlon is a young freelance writer who recently graduated from a university filmmaking program. She manages the blog and social media program for video equipment maker ProAm USA. When not on her laptop, Katie can be found snapping images of friends and family, or hiking outdoors with her beloved dog Turner.
Last call for my Fine Art Holiday Photos this Sunday, December 3rd! I still have a few openings, contact me if interested! Only $20 to reserve a spot for the entire family It will only take about 15 minutes and you will get beautiful, timeless images of your kiddos!!
This little guy was less than two weeks old and although I just had a baby 5 months ago, he totally gave me baby fever!! He is one lucky lil guy, with some adoring parents and big sister- who wasn't quite sure about sharing him yet, but could be easily bribed with some chocolate chips! :) His dog siblings tried to steal the show the entire shoot as well! :) Bring me ALLLL the newborn lifestyle shoots, I am in love with documenting them!
This was one of the last shoots I had before the snow fell, and I couldn't have been happier with the colors that were still lingering around the mountains up at Flattop. I loved photographing this family, they are a hockey family-both the boys play and the dad a former Pro, not to mention Slade, the older brother is a budding videographer, so we had lots to chat about! :) It was so lovely to see how much these boys still adored their mama, even being older...it was way too sweet, not to mention the way their dad looked at her. I mean, well look at her, it's not hard!! Congrats to Slade, who will be graduating this year from Service High!
