It’s almost time for outdoor photography!

I love this time of year, with spring approaching, when I scout locations for family photos and plan sessions for clients. Whether you're looking for a studio shoot or outdoor photos, I have several session options, from 20-minute minis to 90-minute full sessions at a custom location. Some clients do both studio portraits and outdoor family photos—reach out to me, and we can make arrangements to do both indoor and outdoor photos.

Of course, every family session includes a whole family portrait. Outdoor sessions are more lifestyle photography with some traditional posed portraits added in. I’ll also capture portraits of the children together and solo—that close-up portrait is my trademark child portrait!

I have several locations that I have scouted for this year, some we’ve used before and some new. Of course, we can also look at a location that you prefer!

As always, the very best time of day to take outdoor photos is 90 minutes before sunset. The light is much softer, and the shadows are not harsh. It’s the only way to get those gorgeous images you see online. We can do it at other times of the day, but know it does impact the look and feel of the photos. Sometimes we can do it early in the morning, but the sun comes up really fast!! This makes it a little more difficult to do outdoor family in the summer, but some clients have kids do a late nap, and we start at 6:30.

The locations are very kid-friendly; most kids do well because they can run around and aren’t forced to pose and wait. Generally, they leave having had a really fun time, which, of course, makes them love seeing the photos on the wall, and they don’t dread family photos as they get older. Some favorite locations are Dodge Nature Center, The MN Landscape Arboretum, Noerenberg Gardens, Lake Harriet, and Como Park. Many are listed as