Fall Family Session | Petaluma, California | Sunshine Lady Photography
Featuring the Brown Family at Helen Putnam Regional Park
Ah, fall- leave changing, temps cooling, and all moms freaking out about getting in their holiday card photos. Mandy reached out to me about photographing her family somewhere with rolling hills and beautiful light, and I knew just the spot- Helen Putnam Regional Park in Petaluma. Though Mandy lives in Mill Valley, her drive up to Petaluma was surprisingly short and they were amazed at the setting when they arrived. Knowing that kids sometimes have very limited bandwidth for photo sessions, so I got right to work. Here are five things you can expect from me during family sessions that (I hope) ensures you get some great shots from our session.
I will begin with the whole family shots in case someone has a meltdown later and we can’t get a smile. Similarly, I will likely END your session with whole family shots to give those who have a slow warm-up (DADS) time to get comfortable.
I will keep it moving. No kid on the planet enjoys sitting around. I often let the kids lead and engage them as much as possible so they stay interested in what we are doing.
I encourage parents to bring snacks, stuffed animals, or anything else that helps an upset kid get happy. Sometimes kids are grumpy. Sometimes kids have so much fun they trip and fall and hurt themselves. Sometimes it’s just really sweet to photograph a little one with her favorite stuffy.
Though I’m no Taylor Swift, I will absolutely sing to your little ones to get them to look at me. 99% of time this works. I have no shame in my game.
I will snap in-between every scene we try (I typically shoot for 3-5 different backdrops during an hour session) to capture those candid moments that usually end up in frames.
So how did the Campbells like their fall session? You can read it for yourself:
Thank you so much, these photos are so special. I love how unposed and authentic they feel, in large part because you made us all so comfortable while shooting. And the park and light is gorgeous. I’m over the moon we were able to make this work. Really appreciate it.
Have more questions? Want to book your own fall family session? Get in touch (asap)!