Autumn is typically known as busy season for photographers, but I wish it weren’t. In my opinion, spring is the prettiest time to get photos taken. Especially with the heavy rain of this past winter, everywhere is looking lush and picture perfect.

For this gorgeous family’s photo session, we went to Effie Yeaw Nature Center in Carmichael, which I always think is so far from Sacramento but it’s really not. Just a half hour or so drive from where I am and I can find myself surrounded in meadows and woodlands, in gratitude for the reserve and its history. I also like introducing clients with Effie Yeaw if they aren’t familiar with it yet. It’s a special part of Sacramento and a great go-to for kids and families.

I had taken this family’s photos twice already and looked forward to getting them in front of my camera again. Clients who are good sports about chasing their kids in an unfamiliar environment, while being stalked with a camera, are golden in my eyes. We documented some sweet moments in the soft sunshine.

Like I tell my clients, going home to download the photos from a session is exhilarating for me. It’s like opening a gift–to myself!–and seeing what was captured by my camera. I tend to overshoot a session, meaning I might take 540 frames, and cull that down to 50 beautiful moments. So going through the images is a whole process in itself, but one that I love just as much as being outdoors and shooting.

One of the cool things about Effie Yeaw is the wildlife. We saw deer roaming, which was so fun for this little girl. We spent some time “oohing” and “ahhing” from a distance.

My sweet spot for sessions is the last 20 minutes or so, when the sun drops and the golden dusk is in effect.

Send me a message if you’d like to book your own outdoor family session. <3