Outdoor Family Photo Sessions
I love doing outdoor family photo sessions come springtime.
The warm sun, the fresh blossoms, everything feels so new and alive.
Sadly, major weather events in Ottawa has meant getting more creative when it comes to finding hidden gems best-suited as backdrops. Some of my formerly favourite haunts have been desiccated by the derecho; while others have been damaged by strong winds. So many photo-worthy trees down in Barrhaven, Manotick, Nepean and of course, no escape from this damage was the generally gorgeous Arboretum, too.
These losses, while collective, do feel personal to me. And remind me again why pictures, with their permanent quality, are so important. So we have a record…a record of natural beauty. A record of our family. A record of a point-in-time we want to remember.
Being a photographer is a fine balance between artistry and practicality. Yes, you’ve got to have a keen eye, but you’ve also got to wear a lot of other hats when you’re a one person show and you choose or do outdoor family photo sessions.
From part-time location scout, to moonlighting as a meteorologist, a big part of my job is finding the perfect place to take a photo, and ensuring the weather is willing to cooperate.
That’s a big reason all my families get two dates held in my calendar, the best way to hedge my bets that one of their appointed times will afford us the right conditions. This beautiful session needed not only their two dates, but a third to finally land upon a day without torrential rain or dark, depressing cloud cover! It can be tricky to balance changing schedules, but it’s worth the hassle. I think this crew will agree – or at least I hope they will!
When the ideal conditions do fall into place, and we have soft ambient lighting, fluffy cumulous clouds, flowering trees or bushes, and a happy family to step into the mix, then something that looks like magic happens.
And that’s my job: to give you family photos that retain a fairy tale quality, not because they are effortless – but because of all the hard work and preparation that goes into getting everything – as Goldilocks would say – “just right.”
To view more information on outdoor sessions here or visit Facebook for further samples of my work.
