One of my absolute favorite parts of being a family photographer is getting to photograph the same families over and over again. There is something incredibly special about watching a child grow up through photographs, especially when you can look back at that very first session and see just how much has changed.
The Adams family is one of those families for me.
They were originally referred to me by one of my favorite clients, which I am still so thankful for, and since then I have had the chance to photograph them several times. I think this sunflower session may have been my fourth or fifth time photographing them, and every single time I see Mary Catherine, or MC, she becomes a little more comfortable in front of my camera.
And when I say we have come a LONG way, I mean it.
During one of her first sessions with me, Mary Catherine was absolutely not interested in smiling for me. At all. Her mom could tickle her, talk to her, try to get her to laugh, and MC basically looked at us like, “Absolutely not. I will not be participating in this.”
Honestly, toddlers are humbling. 😂
But now? Completely different child in front of my camera.
This time she was giggly, comfortable, and seemed to know exactly what was expected of her. She has seen me enough times now that I am no longer the random lady pointing a giant camera at her. There is a familiarity there, and that makes such a difference with little ones.
Watching Mary Catherine Grow Through Family Photos
This is exactly why I love when families choose to have portraits taken regularly.
It is easy to look at your child every single day and not realize just how quickly they are changing. Their face gets a little less baby-like. Their hair grows. Their smile changes. Their personality starts showing up more and more.
Then suddenly you pull up photographs from a year or two ago and wonder how that tiny person became the child standing in front of you now.
With Mary Catherine, I have been able to see that progression through several sessions. I have watched her go from the little girl who wanted absolutely nothing to do with my camera to this happy, giggly kid who knows what to do as soon as we start taking pictures.
Those are the kinds of things I want families to have documented.
Not just what everyone looked like, but who their child was during that particular season of life.
Sunflower Family Photos at Centerfield Sunflowers in Tontitown
For this session, we photographed the Adams family at Centerfield Sunflowers in Tontitown, Arkansas.
Centerfield Sunflowers is a privately owned sunflower field, and the flowers are grown as a fundraiser to help support the owner’s baseball expenses. It makes the location feel even more special because families get a beautiful place for photographs while also supporting something within the local community.
And the field was absolutely perfect for this family.
Sarah and her husband showed up dressed SO well for their session. Truly, I could not have picked better colors for them if I had planned their outfits myself.
Sarah wore a navy dress, while Dad wore a light blue dress shirt with khaki pants. Mary Catherine wore the sweetest light blue dress with ruffled sleeves and a big bow in her hair.
She was so stinkin’ adorable.
The navy, light blue, khaki, and soft yellow from the sunflowers all worked together beautifully without everyone looking overly coordinated. Their outfits complemented one another while still allowing Mary Catherine to stand out.
That is exactly what you want when choosing outfits for family pictures.
What Can We Actually Get During a 15-Minute Mini Session?
This was also a perfect example of why you should not automatically assume that a mini session means you are only going to get one or two decent photographs.
Their sunflower session was only about 15 minutes long.
Within that short amount of time, we were able to photograph the family together, capture interactions between Sarah, Dad, and Mary Catherine, and get plenty of variety without keeping a young child in front of the camera for an hour.
Their session originally included seven images, but they ended up walking away with nine final photographs.
And honestly, for families with younger children, sometimes that shorter session is exactly what works best.
We get in, let them have fun, grab the smiles while they are happening, and finish before they decide they are completely done with us.
No one needs to force a toddler through a 60-minute photoshoot if we can capture what we need in 15.
Your Family Is Going to Keep Changing
Photographs become more valuable the further away you get from the day they were taken.
Right now, Sarah and her husband may look at these pictures and see their little girl standing in a sunflower field in her blue dress.
A few years from now, they are going to look at them and see how little she was.
They will remember the bow in her hair, her little ruffled sleeves, the way she giggled, and the personality she had during this stage of childhood.
That is why I will always encourage families to keep taking the pictures.
You do not need a huge milestone. You do not need everyone to be perfectly behaved. You do not need to wait until you lose weight, buy new clothes, or find the perfect season.
Your family right now is enough of a reason.
And if I am lucky enough to photograph your family year after year, I get the added bonus of watching your babies slowly turn into big kids right in front of my camera.
Family Photography in Northwest Arkansas
If you have been thinking about updating your family photographs, whether you want a quick seasonal mini session or a full family session with a little more time and variety, I would love to photograph your family.
I photograph families throughout Northwest Arkansas, including Tontitown, Rogers, Bentonville, Springdale, Fayetteville, Cave Springs, and surrounding areas.
And if your child is currently in their “I refuse to smile for strangers” era, do not worry.
Mary Catherine and I are proof that sometimes we just need a few sessions to become friends. 😉
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