Family Photos in the Columbia River Gorge

12 minutes ago
1 min read

We started this session in the Columbia River Gorge in full, strong sun when we thought we were going to get soft, overcast skies! So we found a gorgeous tree on the waterfront to diffuse the strong light until the sun started to finally set. These young children had a blast throwing rocks into the river, snuggling mama, eating snacks and just hanging out with a silly photographer! This session gave me further confirmation that even though it's past bedtime, a longer than usual session, and hungry & thirsty, that kids really do well in front of a stranger (me!) in a new and fun location with their parents. Parents often wonder how well their children will behave for photos and maybe they should just do a mini session. But as a family photographer (with an active toddler of my own) - what I've found is that it often takes awhile for the kids to get comfortable in their new environment with a new person before they start to really open up and show the camera their personality. We get more variety, different light, and often times more snuggly moments with mama if we go at a slower pace. It's counterintuitive, I know, but with enough snacks and snuggles and simply time - kids warm up and feel less pressured to perform in a hasty timeframe.