I’ve been mulling over this post in my head for YEARS (no lie) trying to come up with the a guide to helping families make the most out of their photo session experiences. While editing these images for Kody (a photographer herself!), I realized that her session was one of the BEST examples for what to do to get meaningful, authentic, fun, and relaxed family images. (Kody, I hope you don’t mind being the star student tonight ;-). So here you go…these are my Top Ten Tips to Having a Perfect Family Photo Session (or as close to perfect as you can get):

1. Make it authentic to YOUR family. Kody lives on a farm. They spend most of their days there at home and playing outdoors.  One of her favorite parts of the day is getting dressed with her baby girl and it was very important to her that we captured this memory and this time. These photos are very authentic to her family and I know they will trigger powerful memories for her and her kiddos down the road.

(My favorite image from the “getting ready.” Please have this up somewhere on her wedding day. kthanksbye.)

2. Hold your session in a place that’s meaningful to you…in this case HOME! Truly. Being at home for your session allows us the chance to photograph memories for you and your children that you/they might not even realize until years and years later. Plus, everyone is more comfortable at home and there are usually no surprises (traffic, crowds, closures, etc.). If the kids get hungry, break for a snack (see below). If something spills on an outfit, change clothes. Easy. Peasy.

3. Grown ups should be just as involved in the photos as their children. You can’t expect your kids to take a photo shoot seriously or even want to be a part of it if you’re not willing to do so yourself. I love, love, love that these two are excellent role models for their kiddos for photo sessions (and actually, life in general).

4. Let your kids be. Think for a moment if you had some stranger with a big ol’ camera in your face AND your parents were constantly telling you, “Smile! Smile! No, not that way! A *real* smile!” Would you be able to smile a real smile? Would you want that to last for an HOUR or more?? Probably not. Take a cue from this mommy and daddy and just hang out with your children. Snuggle and play and tickle and be silly and let your actions and love bring out those natural, real, authentic smiles (read: laughter) in your children instead of barking commands or threats or bribes.

5. Go with the flow and let us create together. Yes, it’s important to have an overall vision for your session, but keep it broad enough so that you leave room for you and your photographer to create. Kody did a great job of this, telling me a couple of key moments she wanted captured, but then stepping back and letting me go wherever the kids and the light took us. If we were having to stick with a Pinterest Board of 30 different family poses and five outfit changes and a super detailed shot list, we would never have had the time or been open to seeing amazing photographic opportunities as they played out all on their own.

6. Pad your schedule. While this typically doesn’t apply to a session at home, it is probably a good idea no matter what to simply add about 15 minutes before AND after your scheduled shoot time. SOOOOOO much goes into setting a shoot start time and it is not arbitrary by any stretch of the imagination.  If you’re late to your session (even by just a few minutes) OR if you arrive on time, but you still have to get dressed/put on make-up/eat dinner/knit an afgahan,  that will cause a domino effect and you may miss out on amazing light or amazing temperatures or inadvertently shorten your session time.

Surprisingly, the same principle applies to after your session, too. It’s not a good idea to schedule something right after because #1 everyone is probably going to be tired and hungry and #2 it adds pressure to finish a session exactly at a certain time which can put a damper on creativity.

Once again, these guys get an A+ in this department. Of course, their session ran long because it was soooooooooooo good, but fortunately, they had no where else they had to be…except in bed, which also provided some wonderful photographic moments for us.

7. Dress comfortably and be willing to get dirty. If you’re trying to chase around after your kids in stilettos and your hubby is miserable in a suit and tie in 100 degree weather and your kids are fussy because their clothes are scratchy or uncomfortable…well, it becomes a losing battle trying to keep everyone happy. I totally understand wanting to dress up your family (I definitely do it for my family’s pics), but just try to be reasonable in your choices. Kody did a fantastic job of having everyone look nice, but also feeling comfortable. She let her kids play in the dirt (YES!!!!!!!) and she even got down there herself (DOUBLE YESSSSSSSSSS!!!).  Trust me, her babies are going to CHERISH these images when they get older.

8. Never assume we can just “…Photoshop that out…” (or in ;-). Yes, photographers have tools and tricks to help make images as pleasing as possible, but some things are just not simple fixes or cannot be addressed in 60+ images. If your child gets a boo-boo (especially on the face) right before the session, send your photographer a photo so s/he can decide what to do. If someone cannot make it to your session last minute, let your photographer know, because no, we can’t just Photoshop that person in ;-). If someone is wearing glasses/transition glasses, again, let your photographer know ahead of time so plans can be made. There are a multitude of examples and I can’t possibly name them all, so when in doubt, just talk to your photographer BEFORE the session. Kody totally gets this and there were no Photoshop surprises waiting for me when I arrived at their house (xoxoxoxoxo).

9. Enjoy the experience. It sounds so simple, but when the time comes for your actual photo session, your hard work is already done. It’s the photographer’s turn to take over, so you can just sit back, relax, and gush over your beautiful family. Don’t get upset with your kids if you think they aren’t cooperating. Instead, help your photographer find something that will keep them happy (once again, these parents were wonderful at redirection and keeping the kiddos involved and entertained). Family photos do not have to be a miserable experience for you or your kids and the best way to keep it positive is to be positive yourself. If you are anxious, your kids will pick up on that and become anxious themselves. If you’re calm and having a good time, they will eventually mirror your reactions.

10. Do it again. Children change SOOOOOO quickly and so do the dynamics of your family. Letting 5 years pass without pausing to record this metamorphosis is time lost that doesn’t come back. Yes, we are fortunate to live in a day when we can easily get snapshots with our mobile phones and that’s awesome for getting day-to-day memories captured, but it’s a very different experience allowing a photographer to show you what s/he sees in your family. Family photo sessions are kinda like going to the gym. Sure, it’s tough at first, but once you do it enough, it becomes familiar and a bit easier and more relaxed each time. (Okay, maybe the gym comparison isn’t 100% accurate, ‘cuz yeah, I will never feel relaxed after leaving the gym, but you get the idea 😉

P.S. This family totally gets bonus points for the red hair and freckles ;-).

And finally, from Kody (an amazing photographer herself):

1) Tell us a little bit about your family… My husband and I with our two little red heads are about as goofy as it gets. We love our life out in the farm and cherish the privilege we have to raise our kids in a quiet environment like in the “good ole days.”

2) What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc? This is the third year we’ve used Michele to capture our family. I enjoy the colors of fall and the cooler temperatures so we always try to book in October.

3) Where was your session held and why? At home, we want images that reflect our everyday life.

4) What did you like about your session location? Michele found so many forms of inspiration on our property. I see the homestead as a bit unfinished (as we are still getting the place just right) but she was able to find so many spots with hidden beauty I never would have thought of.

5) What was your favorite part of your session? The end with all of us reading he’d time stories just like we do every night. It’s a special time in our life with the kids this age and I wanted images of this to hold onto when the kids no longer want us reading stories and tucking them into bed.

6) Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session? Not at all, Michele is the best at what she does. Being a photographer myself I’m extremely picky when it comes to our images. Michele is the best at genuine moments on camera, crispy clean images and wonderful memories.

7) Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session? Our daughter is going through her becoming independent stage, and fought against every moment of babying we tried to throw her way.

8) Any advice to other families before their photo sessions? Relax, getting your picture taken is an awkward feeling. But if you just trust Michele and allow yourself to have fun she will make magic happen!

9) What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography? She’s the best at what she does, candid moments with real interactions between family members.

10) What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images? Wow we had a magical childhood on the farm!

So, when I was in Houston a few weeks back, I got to meet the newest addition to this family and honestly, I just didn’t want to leave. I had so much fun getting to hang out with them in their beautiful home and watching big brother and big sister love all over their baby sister. I’m not sure if I’ve ever laughed so much at a newborn photo session in all my photography days…and let me tell you, the parents are just as hilarious as the kiddos. And when they’re not being hilarious, they are being so very, very sweet.

And then, when we finished up all of the sweet newborn snuggly photos, we did what everyone naturally does at the end of their newborn photo shoot: DANCE PARTY!  

And these guys take their dance parties VERY SERIOUSLY. This was for real. Complete with lights, custom sound, and a robot dance off. Like I said, I was cracking up the whole time and feeling like these three children were very, very, very lucky to have such cool parents like this.

From mom:

1) Tell us a little bit about your family… We are chaotic and silly and a mixed bag trying to navigate life as a family of five. We have lost any notion that we can control anything, and when we try, it is a complete fail. But we love each other and we learn all the time how to do that better.
2) What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc? Baby Ruby arrived!
3) Where was your session held and why? At our home because we couldn’t possibly get all five of us dressed and to a location and all be in a good mo about it. I hear this is possible later, though.
4) What did you like about your session location? It was the cleanest the house has been in months. Seriously. Months. Also, it made it very laid back and we just had fun.
5) What was your favorite part of your session? Hard to say whether it was the robot dance off or the battle over the smelly stickers.
6) Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session? Lactating all over myself. [bwa ha ha ha – that’s a new one on me!]
7) Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session? Dance party again here. And August and Matilda wrestling. Standard.
8) Any advice to other families before their photo sessions? Relax and just enjoy your family. [Truly…relaxed parents make for relaxed kids and babies which all make for a relaxed and AUTHENTIC family photo session.]
9) What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography? Michele. Done and done. [xoxoxo]
10) What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images? They love each other and they have fun!

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And now, I have to share a couple of outtakes – this was our first attempt at getting a solid family pic:

And then big sister totally smothering her baby sister with love:

She dressed her family in the most colorful outfits and we worked in front of one of the most colorful places in downtown Houston and it was SO perfect for them!!!! FAV HERE!

It took the youngest member of the family a little while to warm up to me, but it didn’t matter because he was still adorable giving me this incredulous look ;-).

No problems smiling with his mommy, though!

Sisters. Sigh. See what mom wrote below for the total opposite of the love and tranquility in this shot.

He. Is. Precious.

These two…just play all the time. They are always laughing with one another!

Hi, K!

Oh, he wanted to take pictures with his baby brother like the WHOLE time. Okay. We can arrange that.

MORE COLOR!!!

Yup…back at it again.

From mom:

1) Tell us a little bit about your family…

Our little circus is made up of my husband and myself, and our four crazy kiddos (8, 6, 3, and 11 months). They are indeed a wild bunch and rarely sit still for a moment. But we’ve adapted and we love them to pieces!

2) What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?

We have a longstanding tradition of taking pictures every fall, and then turning those photos into a coffee table book and wall art.

3) Where was your session held and why?

We always try to pick interesting locations whether it be splashing around in a stream, jumping on a bed, or hanging out in front of Michele’s airstream (my favorite). This time we went to Houston’s famous Discovery Green park. How can you not love that brightly colored wall, which our kids have dubbed, “the Lego house”?!

4) What did you like about your session location?

I loved the colorful wall and all the interesting architectural elements that were nestled in the middle of a city park.

5) What was your favorite part of your session?

Probably the end when I asked Michele if she thought we got at least one good family photo. She assured us that we did! 🙂 [And we did, but I’m saving that one for you]

6) Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?

I was nervous about getting up so early with the kids. [But you did it and I was very impressed!]

7) Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session?

The highlight was probably when our three year old, who was trying to run off, bit the fire out of our eight old’s arm. Tears ensued. 🙁 [Sisters. Sigh]

8) Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?

Just relax. You will be amazed by what Michele is able to capture.

9) What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?

Michele is simply the best family photographer in the world! She is absolutely amazing!! I love her creativity, the way she plays with light, and the way she captures the beauty in the families she photographs.

10) What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?

I hope they remember the joy of being little, the feeling that nothing can stop them, the intrinsic curiosity they had about the world, and that they grew up in a family filled with love!

I admit that I nearly wrecked my car when I spotted this wall a while back. It was so nice to stumble upon something a little different and SOOOOO beautifully colorful among the bold, cool Austin graffiti. And I was delighted when this family decided to hold their photo session here! It made for the perfect backdrop against their bright, colorful clothing that simply reflected their bright, colorful personalities.

Baby girl was a big fan of sticking out that tongue…and it was too adorable!

Playing airplane while holding an airplane in front of an airplane wall = we are talking multidimensional family photography here.

And here’s another cute shot featuring the whole wall.

Time for reading their favorite books. I wish I had taken audio of the AWESOME voices everyone was providing!

And then…the high school band started up their practice across the street, so naturally, we decided to compete ;-):

#winning

These two are a wonderful, loving, relaxed, joyful, down-to-earth couple. Obvs. It really took zero time for them to warm up for the session.

Time to celebrate ONE YEAR with a cupcake smash!

Success!!!

From mom:

1) Tell us a little bit about your family…

We have been married for 11 years and have been living in Austin for a little over a year. Andrew (almost 4) and Alison (almost 1) are the light of our lives and we love watching them interact with each other and seeing their personalities shine through!

2) What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?

Andrew and Alison both have birthdays in early October so we wanted to capture them around their birthdays.

3) Where was your session held and why?

Our session was held at the “Hello” wall. I wanted to do an urban shoot in a space unique to Austin, so Michele suggested the wall and it was perfect!

4) What did you like about your session location?

It was just a neat space with lots of bright colors. It even had an airplane painted on it, and Andrew is obsessed with airplanes!

5) What was your favorite part of your session?

Playing the instruments and trying to be louder than the high school band practicing across the street! Also, watching Alison dig into her birthday cupcake 🙂

6) Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?

The humidity ha ha! The kids getting tired, hungry and crabby (but they did great!)

7) Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session?

Going back to the humidity… we just weren’t expecting that. [True story: I would rank it is one of the top 3 most humid sessions I’ve ever done. It was BRUTAL, but everyone hung in there!]

8) Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?

Just go with the flow.

9) What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?

I had been following Pinkle Toes blog and love the vivid colors and overall fun atmosphere the photos depict.

10) What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?

That we had a really fun silly time getting photographed!

I was so. Overwhelmed. They brought me to one of their most favorite places in this world and the beauty of it and all of the picturesque possibilities had me going in 1000 different directions in my mind. SO many things to do! I was telling them it was like one of my recurring nightmares as a photographer…that a location was too inspiring and the sun would set and I wouldn’t have been able to take a single picture.

But of course, I *did* take plenty of pictures that night. And they made it so easy for me. They spend so much time together as a family on/in this river, they were completely at ease. Their kindness and thoughtfulness has led to a wonderful friendship and so they were also completely relaxed and very much themselves around me. Of all the sessions we’ve done together, this was by far the most meaningful and authentic because of those things.

Just now realizing her kids have the same exact eyes. But only P can roll his tongue ;-).

I really don’t know if I’ve ever seen her look more beautiful or content. She’s a wonderful wife and mommy! And Katie with Modern Muse Beauty ROCKED her natural beauty!!!

And then, I got in the water. And let me tell you, it was c-c-c-c-c-o-l-d! I wasn’t sure I could take pictures in focus because I was shivering so much. I really should invest in a wetsuit, huh?

K…your legs look Ah-Mazing!!! All that barre and running!!!!

The two of them paddling together = precious!

Look at the ducks!!!

Above is the color version of THIS. I love them both equally.

Another fav from this group HERE.

And then they paddled off into the sunset. And I was sad to see this session end :-(.

From mom:

Tell us a little bit about your family…

We are a family of four. Nathan and I will celebrate 10 years in a few months. Kennedy just turned 5 and Parker is 2 ½. They adore each other and are as thick as thieves.

What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?

I feel like we are entering into a really fun stage in life with the kids. They are now old enough to get in the boat with us. They love playing in the river. They love going to races and cheering everyone on. They are fully on board with river life and I wanted to capture that.

Where was your session held and why?

The San Marcos River. 6 years ago Nathan started canoe racing. 2 years ago I got hooked. Not only have we fallen in love with racing but the rivers on which we race. The San Marcos river is gorgeous and is home to the Texas Water Safari, the race that got us hooked. We spend so much time in and along the San Marcos, it feels like our home away from home, and seemed like a no brainer for where to take pictures.

What did you like about your session location?

It was such an effortless backdrop that we got to just be ourselves and have fun.

What was your favorite part of your session?

All of it. We had so much fun and laughed the entire time. [I agree. I don’t think I could pick a favorite part either.]

Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?

This was a location Michele had never been to and we had only been with the intent of paddling. I had never looked around thinking about how or where exactly we might take pictures. I felt like we were all going in blind. [Sometimes, the unknown spurs the greatest amount of creativity.]

Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session?

Parker’s three loves are water, bears and trains. Right in the middle of the session a train went over the bridge above us. The kids loved it. It was such a random surprise but so fitting. And definitely less stressful than if we had run into a bear. [um, yeah.]

Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?

Tell Michele your vision and then just sit back and let her work.

What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?

It was sheer luck that I came across Pinkle Toes shortly after we got married. We never had any kind of engagement photos or photos of just the two of us and she was the first photographer I came across whose photos felt natural and real. Years later and Michele is still the only one I will call. I’m an architect and I can be really picky when it comes to design. I get an idea or image in my head and want to turn it into reality. Michele is able to do that. Our canoes have always been a part of our sessions since Kennedy’s newborn pictures and when I suggested this time we get in the water she didn’t hesitate. She gets me, our kids LOVE her, and the end result is magic.

What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?

I hope when they look at these pictures they will remember the feel of the water, the sound of laughter, and the love within this family. I hope they will see just how much they are loved and how much we love this place.

Oh my gosh, I could not get over how amazing the sky was during our entire session! Not only that, but the temps were so fall-like for September in Austin, TX. It was a treat simply getting to work with this family, but with the spectacular sunrise and the city as our backdrop, I was in photography heaven.

I mean, look at those gorgeous rays of sunshine framing his delighted smile!

And the relationships between the older siblings and the younger twins would make anyone’s heart melt.

Four. 😉 Get it?

The skies were really THAT blue! Love how it made the colors in their outfits really pop. My FAV cloud image HERE.

These two are really amazing together.

So were these two…

And these two…

She was really wanting to be the star of the show, so we let her. And then she got all bashful ;-).

Her little shoes…I die.

Okay, I had to throw this one in there. We asked her to give her brother a kiss and he was having no part of that. But then seconds later, he was playing and laughing with her. Sigh…sibling love!

This guy has got skillz!

Little guy’s suspenders = perfection!

And I want to point out that Katie with Modern Muse Beauty was up before the sun came up, too, in order to do makeup/hair. She’s pretty awesome like that and I know mom sure appreciated not having to worry about that part of the session. It takes so much as it is to work out wardrobe and to get everyone dressed and fed and ready for the session, the last thing you want to have to fret over is makeup/hair. Wise choice, Mama!!!

And, from mom, herself:

Tell us a little bit about your family…

Well, there’s 6 of us; we get along great in that we’re so close we’re not afraid to give one another “the business”. My older two are from a previous marriage but they’ve had Mark in their lives for almost 10 years. We’re silly and (when we have time and our schedules allow) we like to have game night complete with cheating scandals.

What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?

We have never done a family session and with the twins able to walk we thought it would be a good time. This year will be our FIRST ever family Christmas card.

Where was your session held and why?

It was held on the rooftop of the parking garage of the long center because I hate nature… Grass creeps me out, true story, and the family indulges me, God love them. My poor children.

What did you like about your session location?

I loved the contrast of the beautiful sunrise with the concrete; it was SUCH a pleasant morning and the view of the city in the distance was amazing. [my kinda girl!]

What was your favorite part of your session?

our photographer!! What else. Honestly, you put us at ease (we’re awkward people in front of cameras) and you were so great with the little ones, and won HUGE points with the older ones for knowing something about a “whip” and a “Nene”??? [#imthatcool]

Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?

I was worried that we’d all be/feel awkward having our pictures taken and be left to our own devises to come up with poses etc.

Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session?

Yikes – it was all such a rush and I hadn’t slept much the night before I don’t really recall. I do remember feeling like the vampy mom with the JCrew family. Then later that day, Marky (baby, not hubs) broke his leg and I kept telling the entire family, “HE’S FINE!” even though he wouldn’t walk… Tuesday (TUESDAY) I finally took him to the doctor and had a cast put on. I felt badly. I have withdrawn my submission for Mother-of-the-Year. [Oh, P…poor little guy! But try not to feel too badly…at that age, it’s really hard to tell when something is wrong sometimes. I hope he has a quick recovery!]

Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?

Oh my.. just relax and enjoy the ride because they’re in GREAT hands!!!

What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?

I stalked the blog and I loved ever last little thing about the pictures and the photographer and I have no regrets!! Can’t wait to do this again for senior pictures or something fun. 🙂

What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?

I hope they remember how much fun we all had; even coming up with what to wear was silly and fun because of all the drama coming from the boys… I dare say they were better dressed than me. [I think you ALL looked amazing!]

We’ve been working together since just a few days after this little guy was born. Well…he’s not so little anymore, is he? And for as long as I can remember, they’ve been talking about their forever home they were building. And finally, we got to work in their new forever home and it was just as wonderful and beautiful and relaxed as we could have ever imagined! AND, we need to talk about mom’s amazing decorating abilities. Her lust for crazy and colorful wallpaper is enviable…and I wanna know when she’s going to come out and select fun wallpapers for my house? 😉

LOVE that flag. Love this whole room!

Another fun and different image from her room.

He LOVES being outdoors…I think that’s why this forever home is so perfect for him.

From Mom:

What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc? 

We try to do an annual session with Michele:)

What was your favorite part of your session?

Our favorite part was watching our daughter spin our son in a chair and both of them laughing:

Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?

No.

Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?

Be flexible and relax…Michele is super Zen and easy and will make your family instantly at ease

What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?

We love Michele’s finished product…year after year…

What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?

That looked like a fun day:)

It is not easy to articulate how this family makes me feel. When you’ve worked with a family for so long, it just doesn’t seem like “work” anymore and it becomes more like it’s MY own family I’m hanging out with. The kids just treat me like I’m a goofy aunt or something ;-). My Type A side tries really hard to keep my business self separated from my personal self–but that’s pretty much pointless. With a “job” this intimate, you just can’t help for your heart to become invested in the families you spend time with…you can’t help but to adore these children like you would adore your own. I was actually sad to leave my session with these guys :-(. Their children keep me so entertained…they make me laugh…they make me look upon my own kids and wish for this time back with them at these ages. And mom and dad couldn’t be more wonderful if they tried. They let their children be themselves and love them completely for exactly who they are and their passions. It’s a pretty beautiful thing to watch, actually.

She actually got in a couple of decent steps here!!! Way to go G!!!!

Big sister photobombed us at the last minute and I loved it.

Giggling at the littles.

When mom is willing to dance and twirl with her daughters in a beautiful dress during a beautiful sunset? Yes, please. Also, this one…yes, please.

A million thank you’s for letting me spend these times with your family, J and B…I love each and every time.

I so enjoy getting to work with families with older children, especially repeat families because I really get to see little glimpses into my future before while watching these kids grow up before my eyes. First of all, let me tell you that the weather for their family photo session in Zilker Park could not have been any more perfect for a summer’s day. There was just the right amount of cloud cover that let us play with the city of Austin as our backdrop for a good hour AFTER sunrise, which is pretty much unheard of. While I’ve been to Zilker many times before, this was the first time I had ever climbed the rocks and I quite enjoyed the new perspective it gave us. I also liked hearing the boys reminisce about their memories climbing the rocks at the park as we explored.

At our last session, we played some football, and it was so cool to revisit that moment this time. But I kinda dug this take on it! #boymom

Brothers. Love.

Then we got to move on to the rowing docks. This is a HUGE pastime for this family and nothing is better than getting to capture something meaningful and memorable at a family photo session. And I loved the beautiful, bright colors this location gifted to us!

These two…SO cute together!!

I’m not sure if these boys realize just how lucky they are to have a mom and dad as cool as theirs ;-).

Side note: it was surprisingly difficult to get all three boats together in the same frame…here’s an outtake, turned image from our efforts.

Yaaaaaaasssssss! And then they all literally jumped into the lake! Repeatedly. You would be surprised at how many takes it required to get just the perfect shots. Though I don’t think anyone minded the chance to cool off and refresh one bit ;-). Another jumping fav HERE!

Okay, you *may* need some shades to get through all of the images in this family session. Truly, one of the most VIVID and colorful and URBAN photo sessions I’ve done in Austin! I’ve driven by the Austin Graffiti Park many times and I’ve always wanted to check it out, so I was pretty excited when my chance finally came with one of the most Austin families you’ll ever meet. Now, I will say, it was a bit of a challenge to avoid #1 the mud, #2 me falling off a wall, and especially #3 the not-so-appropriate “art,” but we did our best and these guys were positively AMAZING! I cannot think of a better group of cool, hip, awesome people to try to pull this off with! My absolute FAVORITE image (which will also be going in my portfolio whenever I get around to updating it 😉 is HERE!

 You don’t say?

 THE COLORS!!!!!!

 Hello!

 We were *trying* to have a serious moment here, but it just wasn’t happening. By this point, we were all pretty delirious with the heat and all nice and sweaty, lol!

 You know I can’t pass up a cool reflection!

 A bit like a game of Where’s Waldo…see if you can find all five people ;-).

 Some of the randomness we spotted.

And, I want to give a shout-out to photographer Christie Goss who flew all the way in from Jackson, Wyoming (in a TROPICAL STORM, no less) to come hang with me for a few days and talk all things photography and business-related (rescheduled her Pinkle Toes Photography Workshop). She is SO wonderful, SO talented, and we had a fantastic time tooling around Austin. Thank you so much, Christie. I really enjoyed my time with you and I look forward to getting to visit with you again!

And now, from mom:

Tell us a little bit about your family…

Chris and I met in 5th grade, went to prom together our senior year and celebrated our 11th anniversary just two days after this photo shoot. We created three pretty awesome small people, Paxton (8), Evan (5) and Hamilton (2.5) that we are just trying really hard not to mess up too bad.

What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?

Michele came to our house right after we were fortunate enough to move back to Austin in 2011 and she’s been a staple for our family every year since. This year I was in a panic trying to figure out when we could fit our annual session into our crazy 2015 schedule….needless to say, the stars aligned and she contacted me!

Where was your session held and why?

We went to HOPE Outdoor Gallery aka Graffiti Park at Castle Hills aka the Baylor Street Art Wall. Our kids had been dying to explore the park and I just love the ever changing art work and colors. Michele needed us to go somewhere urban and super Austin-y. I really couldn’t wait to see what she could do there.

What did you like about your session location?

Oh, Ha! See above??? I think it’s a place that screams Austin. It was started as an educational art project and is one of the largest outdoor galleries in the USA. There are little gems hidden everywhere within the artwork (and some not so hidden gems we tried to avoid, ha!).

What was your favorite part of your session?

That it stopped raining just long enough to squeeze the session in at all??? That, and just exploring all around the gallery…and that funky detergent baby hanging on the post…keep Austin weird, y’all.

Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?

No way. At this point in our relationship, a session with Michele is like a little family reunion. [I feel the same, my sista!]

Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session?

The fact that my oldest always finds a way to pass gas towards the end of our shoots with Michele and this year the baby was old enough to get it and then proceeded to run around and tell us all over and over that, “Paxton tooooooot!!!” and crack himself up.

Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?

Relax and trust Michele. She sees things that you absolutely had no idea she was photographing at the time. She handled the fact that my daughter went through a phase where I had to be holding her at all times and that my boys are wild and crazy. She has photographed us everywhere from our house at sunset, to the Broken Spoke at the crack of dawn, to little pockets of west Austin, the hospital, her studio and now a giant graffiti wall. She’s photographed us dressed to the nines, casual, super pregnant and pushing out a baby. Every single image she has captured of us we have loved. Every. Single. One. Every time we see her I am anxious to see what she comes up with because I just know she’s going to produce something that takes my breath away once again. [Aw…wow…thank you, W!]

What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?

We spent a little time in Lubbock as a family and I had the privilege of doing some work for a neighbor that was a photographer. Having seen the behind the scenes action there, I scoured the internet when we moved back to Austin searching for the right “feel” for our family. I stumbled upon Pinkle Toes Photography, googlestalked her, and there was no turning back. Her website, her blog and most importantly, her images just spoke to me.

What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?

I am really glad Mom made us wear those goofy age shirts every year….when’s our next session with Michele?