It was hot all of October. Like, still-running-the-AC, wondering-if-fall-would-ever-show-up hot. So of course, the morning of this family’s session at L.L. Burns Park in Kingston Springs, we woke up to frost on the ground.

This is one of the families I look forward to seeing every year. I’ve photographed these kids their entire lives, and it’s always fun to see how much they’ve grown and how their personalities keep coming through a little more each time.

I usually schedule sessions around golden hour for the best light, but I’m always happy to do mornings when that works better for a family. This family usually prefers mornings, and this year the morning came with a real chill.

I know how much thought families put into what everyone will wear. You plan the colors, find the right shoes, maybe even buy something new. So when the weather doesn’t cooperate, it can feel frustrating. But honestly, my biggest priority is that the kids are comfortable. A cold, unhappy kid isn’t going to have fun, and that shows in the photos. So coats, gloves, and even hats are completely welcome at my sessions.

And I actually love how they look. These kids wore their coats for the whole session, and the layers added great texture to their outfits. It made the photos feel cozy and true to that first really cold morning of the season. Years from now, I think that’s what they’ll remember.

The cold also brought fog rolling off the water right as we got started. It wasn’t soft and hazy, either. It was big and dramatic, with the sun pushing right through it. I grabbed a few shots of the family looking out at it, and those are some of my favorites from the whole session. But that same light made it tricky for more traditional portraits, so once I had what I wanted, we moved on.

We headed over to an area where the cliff face blocked some of that harsh morning sun. Light is always my main concern when I’m shooting outside of golden hour, and that bit of shade gave us much softer, more even light to work with. That’s where we got most of the smiling, cuddled-up family shots.

They also brought along their dog this year, which I loved. I’m always happy when a family wants to include their pup, and it was so much fun having him along. He fit right in, and those shots ended up being some of my favorites from the morning.

This family rolled with all of it. Nobody stressed about the change in plans, and the kids stayed comfortable and happy the whole time. That’s really what makes a session go well, no matter what the weather does.