Fall Family Portraits / the Rotters

I get so excited when families that I’ve photographed before contact me again! It’s the ultimate compliment! Our first session started in their home and finished in a natural setting at a park nearby. This time the Rotters wanted something a little different so we chose two downtown locations. We started at the Pizitz, which is one of my favorite businesses to visit during a session; their outdoor patio is wonderful not only because the family can enjoy sweet treats and fun beverages, but also because of this cool, distressed wall. AND it’s right next to a cool alley, which I also enjoy photographing in.

After spending some time goofing around the Pizitz, we went to Railroad Park. This is a wonderful location for a photography session, but I’ve found it works better in the late afternoon than in the morning. (TIP* For all you photographers or families trying to think of a great location for your shoot-there is very little shade, unless you’re underneath the food court area. The amount of natural shade is limited because all the trees are rather young. So, unless you wake up at sunset and venture out for your session, I’d plan for a late afternoon, just before sunset session for the best light at this location for portraits.) As one of the girl’s shirts suggests, “staying wild” is part of the magic formula for having a great time. We played almost as much as we photographed. I love a spunky kid and I got to photograph two of them in the same afternoon. And no, this isn’t code for, “They were a handful” or some other overused term when it comes to describing active children. I legitimately enjoy following children with my camera to document their natural interactions and JOY.  It was a wonderful family session although I was a little tired afterwards and felt like I deserved a “staying wild” shirt at the end of our session!

If you are thinking about a family portrait session, you can do what the Rotters did and book a two hour session, which allows us to photograph in two locations. We decided to stay in the city of Birmingham, but because they chose Session A, they could have chosen a mix of settings-something urban and something natural. There’s a lot more wiggle room in a two hour session. No one feels rushed. You can even have a clothing change if you’re into that idea. Contact me for more information about fall family portraits or a couple’s session or individual portraits.