Family Photos in the Backyard? - Taylor’s Story

When you imagine having your family photos done, where do they take place? Most people picture a park, the beach, or somewhere pretty polished. But can I tell you one of my favorite places to document families recently? Right in their own backyard.

There’s something special about the familiarity of home, the way your kids run through the same patch of grass they’ve played on for years, the swing set that’s seen every season, the spots that hold their laughter (and maybe a few tears). When most people look at their backyard, they might not see anything remarkable. But imagine years from now, when your kids are grown, looking back at photos of your family just hanging out where most of their childhood happened. What memories would come flooding back?

When Taylor reached out wanting to do their session at home, I nearly jumped for joy. She envisioned something simple and true to life—nothing forced, nothing overly posed. Just their family as they are right now, with a little bit of gentle direction to keep things flowing. My kind of session.

I can’t properly describe to you the feeling when a family gets to be photographed in their element. The kids fall into their natural rhythm, the parents relax, and everything just unfolds. It feels easy, familiar, real.

The backyard: it’s the place where kids get to be kids, where parents can breathe, and yes—where Mom and Dad can crack a beer during family photos without judgment.