Last May I had the pleasure of photographing Anika and Aaron's family at Chippewa Park. It was such a fun shoot and one of my favourites of the year. When Aaron approached me again for some family portraits this past weekend, it was actually a surprise for his Mom and Dad. So this time around there were 13 people plus one very pretty dog. The location this time around was also the Thunder Bay Marina. The forecast initially called for rain, so we had planned on possibly an indoor shoot. That was far from the case because it ended up being on of the hottest days of the year.

Aaron's parents were the last to arrive which Anika said is ironic, because they are typically always on the time. It didn't matter to me since it allowed me to capture a few candid moments. Once they did arrive, they were pleasantly surprised. First we made our way down the boardwalk and got a few family portraits. The kids were awesome the entire session, especially with it being so hot. Because it was so hot, we decided to stick to the shade. A really pretty spot at the Marina that we took advantage of is the archway. It's such a great location for family portraits, especially when it's shady. It gave us a chance to cool down, somewhat.

After a few more photos at one of the lookouts on the trail we headed back to the waterpark. As soon as we got there the kids ran wild through the water. It was a fantastic way to end the session, plus I was able to finish off with a few of my favourite photos of the day.

Thank you so much to the entire family for a great time. Even though it was extremely hot out, everyone was super patient and it resulted in some really special moments. Of course, I'd also like to thank my beautiful wife for helping as well.