Get out your hot chocolate, these photos were shot in mid-December and it was very chilly. Originally, we were thinking about autumn portraits, but then minds were changed, and we picked winter. We also picked Big Cottonwood Canyon for the location.
I had photographed Talley and Cassie’s wedding a few years ago. They are a wonderful couple! It is always an honor when wedding couples have me photograph their family photos. And of course, I hope that happens more often.
I love to photograph the individuals. These are great for mugshots, lost children on a milk carton, but who doesn’t like to have family members on their desk as a reminder when you’re trudging through the work day.
Utah is pretty blessed with some amazing locations. Sure, we’re in the middle of a drought. It hasn’t snowed the entire month of January. So we were pretty lucky in December to have some fresh snow. We waited a day after fresh snow, so we could safely drive the canyons. And this location is just 30 minutes from Salt Lake.
When photographing in the canyons, we can pick one spot and just turn around for an entirely new photograph. It makes my job easy. Although, sometimes hiking through the snow or up the snow is a challenge. For the first spot we photographed with natural light. That means I didn’t bring out a light with a giant umbrella. It was a fun challenge and the photos turned out great!
I will photograph every combination of people you can think of. For these photos we did a dad & Junior photo and then then Momma Cass and Junior. With other families, it could be a combination of the siblings, grandkids, the parents, grandparents, or other pairings.
I LOVE this mountains! I call them the “Cliffs of Insanity” as tribute to Princess Bride. They seem to go straight up.
This spot is a favorite amongst photographers. While we were there, there were 2-3 engagement sessions going on. The good news, they created some walking paths through the snow. Although, I did slip into a part of the creek and one foot was sopping wet. Fortunately, we were almost done with the photo shoot. That can be dangerous!
And you may have noticed that there are some similar photographs. I like to show off the vertical photos as well as the wider, landscape, versions. Vertical and horizontal is important when you go to print the photographs. Some walls will love a nice tall photograph. Or if you are sharing the photograph on Instagram, a horizontal photograph is easily cropped into a square image.
And if you ever put your photographs into an album, it helps to have the different photos so you can best fit the pages of the album.
Who doesn’t love candid moments? To be honest, I’ll try and prompt a candid moment. Like this tickle fight started with the attempt for a piggy back ride. The best photos ended up the laughs and hilarity that ensued.
I hope you enjoyed the photo! I am hoping to blog a little more frequently. Yes, that is a promise I make over and over. It takes a while to make a great habit. And I have so many photographs to share.
And of course, if you want your own family photos, let me know. I would love to make y’all famous!
