This family of four and I had a quick and easy family photo shoot at Hermann Park this past weekend. I continue to be amazed at how easy it is to direct kids ages 5 and up–I’m so used to chasing crazy toddlers around! The sun was still a little high in the sky, so I didn’t get much of the backlighting I love so much, but these beautiful people made up for it. Here’s a little photographer trick: although it was one little yellow-ish/orange leaf, the leaf in the foreground provided the color I wanted to show in the top of the frame. It’s easy to see what colors will be blurred in your background, but don’t forget to think about how you can bring color into the foreground. Use tall grasses, trees, toys you’ve brought for smaller kids, or even bubbles. Give it a try!

What a lovely little lady. She had a beautiful bag to match her purse and was just as sweet as can be.

This is one pretty cool dude. He’s in third grade–one of my favorite ages–and he and I had a discussion about his upcoming multiplication tables he’ll be learning. (My background is education and I’m a super nerd, so I love talking to kids about school.)I really love this family picture. To me, it’s such a precious time. The kids aren’t babies any more, and in the blink of an eye, they will be teenagers. Personally, it makes me think about when my own daughter and son will be these ages and how much fun we’ll have spending the afternoon in the park exploring and talking together as a family. I think this would look super cool as a large canvas hanging in their house.

This happy daddy is the primary photographer in the family, which means he probably has very few pictures with the kids. I had to make sure I got some of just the three of them together. (I gave them permission to tickle him and try to make him laugh.)Thanks for a great afternoon. I’ll have all of your images ready for you in about a week. And aren’t you glad we finished before it got cold? :)

Love, Andrea