As a Gilbert family photographer, my favorite family sessions are the ones that give you beautiful portraits while still leaving room for your family to actually be together. The hugs, the kisses, the running through the grass, the belly laughs and the little moments that happen when your child forgets for a second that there is a camera there.
This Gilbert family session was exactly that.
Gilbert Photography sessions for family
One of my favorite things about photographing families outdoors in Gilbert and the surrounding East Valley is that Arizona gives us so much more than desert.
For this session, we had tall grass, water, trees and a huge open sky. The soft natural landscape gave us the perfect backdrop without taking attention away from the family. This photoshoot location is a rare find in Arizona and one of my favorite spots for this season.
And instead of spending the entire session trying to get their son, Maverick, to sit still and perform for the camera, we let him be little. He got to cuddle with Mom and Dad. He ran toward them. They scooped him up. They kissed his cheeks. They walked together through the grass. Those are usually the photographs parents end up loving the most. And they’re the ones I love the most too as a Gilbert family photographer.
What If My Toddler Won’t Cooperate for Family Photos?
This is probably one of the biggest worries parents have before booking family pictures. Your toddler does not need to cooperate perfectly. In fact, I don’t expect them to. Heck, even my own kids don’t cooperate during photos!
Little kids are going to want to move. They may need a break. They might decide halfway through that they’re completely finished with my ideas. That’s okay.
Rather than expecting a two or three year old to behave like an adult (adults don’t even always behave!) for an entire session, I build movement and interaction into your family photos. We can play, walk, cuddle, chase, explore and come back to the more traditional portraits in between.
The photograph of your child running straight into your arms might end up meaning more to you someday than the photograph where everyone was perfectly posed anyway. This is one of my favorite poses as a Gilbert family photographer!
Your Family Photos Should Feel Like You
Of course, I still want you to have the photographs where everyone is together and you can see everyone’s faces. Those matter too. But I want to give you more than one beautiful photograph for the wall. I want to document what loving your child looks like right now.
How small they look between the two of you. The way they smile when you kiss both of their cheeks. The way their little hand fits inside yours. The way they run toward you knowing you’re going to catch them.
Because this version of your family doesn’t last forever. That’s really what being a Gilbert family photographer is for me.
Planning Your Gilbert Family Photography Session
You don’t have to know what to wear, where to stand or what you’re supposed to do with your hands before you arrive. I’ll help guide you through the process so your session feels natural while still creating the polished, intentional images you see throughout my work. I offer and amazing tool called style and select. Style and select guides you through what colors you want, styles, and then pieces together outfits. Complete with links to buy them! Style and select is INCLUDED in your family session fee.
Fun fact, dad’s shirt + the toddlers shirt here are BOTh from my client closet. Outfits you also have access to for your own photoshoot included in your session fee.
We’ll create the portraits Grandma wants and the ones you’ll frame for your walls, but we’ll also make room for the messy, playful, connected photographs that tell the story of your family. Grandmas always approve of me as your Gilbert family photographer!
If you’ve been putting off family pictures because you’re worried your children won’t sit still, this is your reminder that they don’t have to. Come exactly as you are. I’ll take care of the rest as your Gilbert family photographer.
Looking for a Gilbert Family Photographer?
Shanyn Nicole Studios photographs families throughout Gilbert, Mesa, Queen Creek, Chandler and the Phoenix East Valley, creating warm, connection-focused family portraits with a mix of guided posing and natural interaction.
If you’re ready to update your family photos, I’d love to photograph this season of your family before everyone gets just a little bit bigger.
