Min + Family Portraits - Hutton Park Drive

So, not only was it really nice out this past weekend but I was lucky enough to have a bunch of family portrait sessions. The first of which was Min and her wonderful family. I'm often asked to choose a location for a shoot but this time around, Min had a really cool secluded location just off of Hutton Park Drive. To be honest, I really haven't had the chance to explore around that area to much, so I was anxious to see what she had found.

As soon as we arrived at the spot, I knew it was the perfect location. We followed the trail into the forest and immediately there were some great spots to work with. There were old planks of wood covered in moss, some cylindrical stones and of course plenty of trees and high grass.

ne of the first photos I was able to get was Charlotte carrying her basket down the trail. From there we all just wandered around a bit and stopped to capture some photos along the way. I always kept my open for perfect little spots and there were plenty to go around. 

A question I am constantly asked if it is ok to bring the family dog(s) along for the session I always encourage it. After all, they are part of the family and why wouldn't you want them there with you. I just love taking photos of animals, especially dogs. It may not always be easy to get them to stand still for very long, but in this case, Shelby did an amazing dog. Plus, when she wasn't posing for the camera she was running up and down the trail smelling everything in site. 

All in all it was such a fun session at such an unexpected location. Thanks to Min, her husband Brooke and the rest of the family for a great time.

Erin + Family Portraits

It was a very busy weekend, with a lot of different photo shoots going on. Prior to my session with Erin and her family I photographed some of the Oktoberfest at the CLE grounds. When I was driving there, I noticed how extremely foggy it was out, but for only half of the city, which was quite the site. I was scheduled to take photos of Erin and her family for 6:00pm and I was hoping that it stayed foggy, and it did. 

The location for this portrait session was actually out on Lakeshore which ended meaning there was even more fog out there. As soon as I arrived, they asked if we were going to do the session inside and I emphatically said no. It is very rare to have this kind of weather so I simply couldn't wait to do the portraits outside. One thing you must realize is that, just because it's foggy out, it doesn't mean it's too foggy to photography. I could see if you were photographing someone 100 feet away, but when dealing with people and portraits it's completely fine. Overall the fog gave a great even light and it generally softened everything up a bit. 

Their yard was super nice and there were a few different spots we ended up using for photos. We started on the side of the house where there were some great backdrops of trees and a trail. In between the poses for family portraits, I made sure to get a few candids here and there. We then moved to the front of the house which also offered some interesting settings. It was a big family so we made sure to get different groupings as well. 

The hour went by extremely fast and I am so impressed with how the photos turned out. They definitely have a slightly different feel then my usual photos because of the fog. It was great meeting Erin and her entirely family. We joked around a lot and overall the atmosphere was so relaxed, which made for some natural and spontaneous photos.