Mt. Baker Fall Adventure

I have spent a lot of time thinking about what photographing a family means. I used to dread the idea of family shoots because I felt restricted. I hated the idea of coming up with all these different poses and making sure that everyone looked at me, and that the scenery was just so, and on and on and on.

But after doing a family shoot with a 2-year old and an almost 1-year old where none of the traditional family picture things happened, I felt like I had a weight lifted off my shoulders. Family photos are about capturing what season a family is in, in this moment.

When Natalie contacted me and asked me to take pictures of her family, I was excited about a family shoot for the first time in, well, ever. 

I have photographed Natalie and her family in years past, and don’t get me wrong, the shoots were lovely and they photos turned out great (um, hello super photogenic family). But they just felt a little stiff. So when I was given the chance to photograph them again, I knew I wanted it to be different.

We decided to head up to Mt. Baker on what was one of the last beautiful autumn days of the year, and my plan was to just follow them around. Take pictures as they interacted with each other and the scenery. Yes, I would direct here and there and make sure that we did get a few photos where everyone was looking at the camera, but I wanted to experience the day with them.

 This session was a turning point for me in how I approach family photography. I want family sessions to feel like a normal day in your life, that you just happen to have a lot of photos of. I want my sessions to feel like a small window into this season of your life.