A Fall Family Session Full of Color, Energy, and Big Feelings: Meagan & Her Boys

Every once in a while, I photograph a family session that sticks with me long after I drive home. This one was exactly that. About a year ago, Emily reached out and purchased a session for her sister, Meagan, and her two boys.

When we were planning, we didn’t want stiff poses or forced smiles. We wanted something true to who the boys were—energetic, curious, and full of personality. So we decided on a nature walk on the land Meagan grew up on, which her family still owns (and where she lives now). The moment she said that, I knew it was the perfect place.

It was fall, so we turned the session into a game: finding all the colors of nature and trying to “collect the rainbow.” The boys were obsessed. Running, pointing things out, showing off leaves, talking a mile a minute. They were goofy and lively and just completely themselves.

And yes… I bribed them. “If you give me one cute smile, you can make a silly face in the next photo.” Works every single time.

I left feeling so full of life. It reminded me why I love family sessions—not the picture-perfect moments, but the real ones. The childhood wonder, the laughter, the connection, the comfort of being on land that has held years of memories.

Those are the photos that matter. The ones that feel like living.