Giggles and Hand Warmers

Giggles and Hand Warmers

    My favorite place to photograph is the outdoors.  I like the challenge of different lighting, finding different backdrops, and the wide open space. Not to mention the outdoors is perfect for the kiddos to run around which also means getting great candids! Mother nature decided to throw a wrench in my weekend plans.  

     Looking out the window it was a perfect partly cloudy day - just enough light and not too harsh. I was getting super excited and then I looked at the thermometer and realized it was only going to be 40 degrees ...and windy! My outdoor session was going to be a challenge. Many questions came to mind. How do I keep everyone's energy up while they are freezing? How do I get the kids to cooperate when they just want to huddle up in their jackets? What's the most efficient way to take the photos and still be creative? Will my camera be able to handle the cold temperature? Good thing I was up to the challenge!  Armed with hand warmers and a pre-planned list of photos to achieve, I was ready to tackle this outdoor photo session with this extended family of 12. Welcome to our outdoor session! 

     By looking at these photos you would never guess that it's 40°F outside! While I was concerned about the cold temperature and the wind, I had forgotten how far laughter and fun attitudes go. I truly lucked out with this family and their good humor. With a lot of laughter going around we were able to get some beautiful (and fun!) photos. 

Bringing the Grandparents to the center. 

    All of the kids did a wonderful job! I couldn't have asked for a better group of kids. They adore their grandparents and you can tell in this photograph. It didn't take a ton of convincing to get them to huddle in a group hug. Did I mention it was cold? 

Nothing compares to sisters laughing together!

Matt and Becky with their adorable family. Look at all that sass! 

Chris and April with their adorable kids. 

Individual portraits of the kids.