Family of Four Photo Session at Henry Horton State Park

Photo Session at Henry Horton State Park with Crystal Freemon Photography

It’s been about two years since I last photographed this beautiful family, and I was so glad to see them again for a photo session at Henry Horton State Park. The boys have gotten so big since I last saw them. One of my favorite parts of my job is getting to see children grow over the years.

I have been loving Henry Horton State Park for family photo sessions lately because of the beautiful light. This session was no exception. I also love the tall grasses that can be found in the park. I do wish there were more colorful trees to be found though. The day was a bit chilly, but I will take that over a super hot fall session like I had a couple weeks ago. The boys weathered the cold like champs and we had lots of fun playing and exploring.

This is my favorite kind of family photo session….one with lots of giggles, hugs and love.

I would love it if you could follow me on Instagram. That’s a great place to keep up to date on future openings. Also, you can book a session directly from my online booking calendar, or contact me if you have questions.

Beautiful Light & Family at Henry Horton State Park Photo Session

Henry Horton State Park Family Portrait Session, Crystal Freemon Photography

When it comes to choosing locations for family photo sessions, the most important element to me is finding beautiful light. I arrived early Sunday at Henry Horton Park to scope out the light and decide where to shoot, as I always do before a portrait session. I was so pleased to find a lovely spot with the most gorgeous lighting. There is nothing elaborate or fancy about the location…it was just a wooded area with field of tall grass. But when the sun comes through in just the right spot, the photos can be absolutely magical.

January is one of the moms who encouraged me early in my photography journey. I took photos of these girls when they were itty bitty. Photos I took during that time always make me wish I could have a do-over because I was so early in my photography journey and I made so many mistakes. But also I am grateful to have been able to preserve those memories, no matter how imperfect. I’m so glad I had the chance to photograph them again at Henry Horton, because they are just as photogenic as they were years ago, and I feel like I was able to give her better quality images.

Are you following me on Instagram? That’s a great place to keep up to date on future openings. I have a couple spots left for my Holiday Family Mini Sessions. Or are you looking for a senior photographer? Either way, you can book a session directly from my online booking calendar, or contact me if you have questions.

Senior Portraits At Henry Horton State Park

Drew is the nephew of one of my oldest and dearest friends from college, Mandy. I remember him as an energetic two-year-old at her wedding. I have only seen him a few times over the years, but I have gotten to hear fantastic stories from his doting aunt.

Drew is the third of four siblings, and Mandy has gifted each of them a Senior Portrait Session with me during their senior year. His oldest sister, Jesse, was actually the very first senior session that I photographed. Then, two years later, I had the joy of photographing his sister Caroline. Now, two years after that, it was Drew’s turn in front of the camera, and he did a fabulous job.

Portrait sessions make a great gift for lots of different occasions. You can even purchase a gift certificate to give to recipients and then they can book their own date at their convenience. Let me know if you have any questions.

If you are wanting Fall Portraits sessions for your family or senior, please book today. There are no October spots left but there are a couple of November spots still available. Book yours today.

The love of a family – extended family portrait session

“The love of a family is life’s greatest blessing.”

I’ve known this family for many, many years.  I became friends with Shelly in college and am fortunate enough to live in the same town with her now. I’ve always admired Shelly’s parents…they were always so welcoming to our large group of friends and I always really admired how close they were as a family. I’ve been photographing Shelly and her boys for several years now, but when Shelly told me that her entire family was interested in an extended family session, I knew that I really wanted to try to capture that bond between them.  

It was a gorgeous spring day and the weather could not have been better for a portrait session.  Though if I had one complaint, it would be that there are still not leaves on the trees, which I guess is to be expected this early in the spring season. But I do prefer shooting with full trees as a backdrop to let the beautiful light filter through the leaves.  But there was a gorgeous sky and a magical sunset and as I’ve often said, all I really want for a session is beautiful light. 

I don’t think I’ve seen Shelly’s brother Ryan in about 20 years, but it was so much fun to meet his wife and two kids.  They were just the absolute best kids to photograph…so full of personality and so completely adorable and sweet with each other. I enjoyed capturing the children interacting with their cousins and playing together.  I got a kick out of how little KD had this gentle way of keeping the boys on task.  I just couldn’t help smile while editing this session, and had a hard time picking my favorites for the blog preview.

In looking at these photos, I thought this might be a good time to talk about what exactly is “Lifestyle Photography.”  I think it is a good idea for clients to understand what that means coming into a session, and how I approached these images. I think that one of my favorite photographers, Lisa Tichane, explains in well in this article from Clickin Moms (one of my favorite photography resources).

She says “My own take on lifestyle photography is a mix of authentic and staged. What I am shooting could actually happen in real life (this is the core definition of “lifestyle” in my opinion), however I would never have captured such a variety of images in such a short amount of time if I had not interfered. During a session, I create a diversity of opportunities that will generate real-life type of images which might not have spontaneously happened at that specific moment if I hadn’t been there to jump-start them.”

What I wanted to point out about these images, is that it helps me to know a little about my subjects in order for me to guide the session into producing those real-life type images.  Yes, I had the advantage here because I’ve known Shelly’s boys all their lives, but I had never met their cousins KD and Judah before.  But what helped me immensely were the questions that Shelly answered for me before the session. I knew a little about their personalities while I was planning my session, and knew that they would be OK in being close and loving for some images.  That wouldn’t have worked for all siblings and knowing a little about their personalities before hand helps me to know how to guide them before I get to a session. 

Another thing that helps, especially for a session with this many people, is knowing what the client’s priorities are for a session.  Shelly especially wanted a photo of all the kids with their grandparents, so we mades sure to make that a priority. 

Have you booked your family portrait session yet?  There are only a few spots left for spring, so don’t wait to book your session.