This year Oh, Tannenbaum Photography offered Father's Day Mini Sessions at Phil Hardberger Park. This park is massive, with the majority of the park offering wooded trails. The section I chose was off of NW Military. There are two small fields on this side of the park, perfect for family photos. The playground is a bonus for the kids who want to continue playing afterwards, too. (I stuck around for some swinging photos.)
I had three families participate in this session, each with their own dynamics and personalities. It's fun to be a part of each family for a little while, getting to know them and showing off their love for each other in different ways. Some kids are calm and shy, some are ready to play and goof around, and others are ready for their closeup. I am here to capture it all! In fact, I encourage my families to let their kids be silly, run around, tickle, dance, and more. If a kid makes a goofy face, I'll take a photo. If a kid pouts, I'll take a photo. If a kid smiles as big as they can, you better believe I'm taking a photo. This is who they are in this moment, at this age, and that's how I want them to be remembered - being themselves.
There's so many photos that I loved from these 20 minute sessions that this is going to be a long blog post. The above family had their session early in the morning and it was already getting hot by the time we finished. They brought their very happy pup, Peggy along for the photos, too. I love dogs so if you want to bring your fur babies, I will be more than happy with that decision!
I love the image of the little boy looking at his finger. In fact, there is an itsy bitsy spider on that finger and he is admiring it. The photo next to it, of him in the field looking at his hands, is him looking at a small butterfly or moth. He's a very smart, curious child who loved running, so I let him explore and run!
Another session took place during golden hour. Grandpa came along for this session. This was all about the boys, three generations of them. The young ones had so much energy and made sure the dads joined in on the fun they were having. I wish I had as much energy these guys had (after a swim meet even!). I will get kids to sit or stand nicely for a few photos, but after that I don't mind if they play around, do cartwheels, give or get piggy back rides, as long as they are doing it in front of my camera and I capture genuine smiles, it's all good! Family photos should be fun, not work, in my opinion. They should also be stress free. So let's have a fun, stress free session together!
I love these photos because they capture how they boys are at this age. Not just as individuals but how they interact with each family member. Kids grow up fast, let's freeze these moments and hold them dearly.
The following family was the first to participate in the Father's Day Sessions. They probably weren't expecting to have such a carefree photoshoot, but as soon as I asked Dad to pick up their youngest, the fun never stopped.
Can we talk about the little girl's hair? It's amazing. I love her naturally curly hair (which she gets from her momma). I knew I had to have fun with that hair. Aside from the cool photo above of her on the swing, I had her shake those curls and let them fly wild. These kids also have beautiful brown eyes, perfect for close ups.
I'm so thankful to all the family who participated in my mini session! Hopefully they had has much fun as I did. It was a joy to work with each one and I look forward to seeing them again for more family photos.
Do you want to schedule a family photo session? Contact me at ohtannenbaumphotos@gmail.com to book an hour long or a 30 minute session. You can also ask me about lifestyle family photo sessions!
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