Yellow Arrow Family Sessions | Salem, Oregon Family Photographer

There are few reasons why I love family sessions.
1. I am a firm believer that photographs are something people can keep forever and being able to be apart of creating that for someone fills me up.
2. Most people dread getting their photos taken. I love helping people through the process of relaxing during a session so their personalities can come out, creating genuine images and a final product that they love.
3. Everyone has a story to tell and we aren’t getting any younger. Time flies and people are precious. It might be a mother looking back at her newborn or a young man standing tall next to his grandfather. Photos become family heirlooms and sometimes one of the only things we have left of the ones we love.

Here are some best practices that I use when booking family sessions and helping others through this fun process…
1. I can help you decide on a location if you have NO IDEA what you want. I usually offer up 2-3 options to help families choose what best fits their personal needs and style.
2. WHAT DO WE WEAR?!!! Honestly, I tell people not to stress about this too much. I personally think it looks best when there are a couple different colors and even a pattern or two (stripes or plaid) to break up the colors.
3. Larger groups are awesome and YES, we can break up larger groups so each family unit gets their own images on top of the big family group photo.
4. The best time of day to schedule a session is about 2 hours before the sun goes down. You can’t get better lighting than that time of day. It’s just dreamy and absolutely gorgeous. Mornings before 11:00 can also work. I try to stay away from mid-day when the lighting is harsh.
5. What if it rains? We do have that reality in Oregon, especially in the late fall and winter months. I have shot sessions in the rain and if the family is okay with it we just have fun with it. However, I am always okay with rescheduling for another day if the family wishes.

Here are some family session highlights from some of my 2014 Yellow Arrow Families. If you want to book something just email me and I’d be happy to help you! 🙂