Families | Ex Families

Loch Lomond Pond Family Pictures | Gilbert Arizona Photographer

I first met Abby while we were both serving missions for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Queens, NY. All these years later (I can’t believe it’s been 5!) we reconnected over instagram and she asked me to take their family pictures.

Loch Lomond Pond, Saratoga Springs, UT

We decided on Loch Lomond Pond for their family pictures because it was conveniently located for both of us and most importantly, GREEN! This beautiful little spot is happily situated in a Saratoga Springs suburb. The first time I ever shot here, children from the homes across the street came running down the trail with their dog headed for the “fort” constructed back in the trees. It was magical and everything childhood should be. If we weren’t moving to Arizona I’d want to buy a house in this neighborhood.

My one tip is to make sure you pack bug spray! The mosquitos were killer and I unfortunately came unprepared.

Tips for taking pictures with toddlers

Want to know a secret about this session? Something I don’t think you’d ever know by looking at the pictures. This little 2 year old wanted nothing to do with me, my camera, and taking pictures. Despite 80% of my family sessions being play focused, he still wasn’t interested. Normally this is when I would whip out my smarties because I am not above bribery… but, epic fail, I forgot them. So why can’t you tell in these pictures? One simple reason, Mom & Dad kept their cool and their smiles and we worked to his level. Instead of getting frustrated, we played harder to keep him engaged. We followed his lead and took turns choosing what to do so he felt in control of the situation.

Tips for taking pictures

Here’s one more secret. These principles apply to more than just taking pictures with toddlers. The day after this session my own family had our family pictures taken. I was running late after getting my makeup done and could tell my husband was frustrated because Emi, my two year old, had not been kind while I was gone. But, knowing that our attitude would make or break our family pictures we kept our cool. We had extra patience with each other and Emi. We distracted ourselves on the drive over so we were in a different head space when we arrived. And you know what? Our session was magic! One of the most important things you can do to improve your family pictures is to be kind and give each other grace.