The day was warm, a little windy, but bursting forth with promise. I was doing the final touches on my gear prep for a family photo session. Glancing at the sun in the sky, I knew that today would be a good day, and I was looking forward to meeting my clients! Lenses cleaned, check. Batteries charged, check. SD cards locked and loaded, check. I was ready. Checking my watch, it was time to go - off to the session.

I met my clients at the Jedediah Smith National State Park in Crescent City, California. As soon as we shook hands at our greeting, I KNEW this session was going to be great! Mom was so bubbly and excited, Dad was ready for an adventure, and both the kiddos were calm and cool. Oh, and I can't forget to mention their two adorable furry family members that joined us too, a chocolate lab and a white lab. We began with some ice-breaker poses to get everyone into the groove, which is something I do for each session. We started off with something simple yet great for pictures. "Now hold each other's hands and spread out a little," I directed. "Now look at each other and smile! Now giggle at each other!" that always brings a natural look to the pose as well as relaxes any nerves.

We took our time getting these lovely family portrait shots. We walked to several different spots in this grove, taking in the scenery in between the posing. We made sure to get shots as a whole family unit, of just Mom and Dad, of Mom and Daughter, and Father and Son, and several other combinations. And the pups got their very own portraits too! (Have I mentioned that I also love taking animal portraits?!). We finished up this redwood session by going to one of the iconic trees in the area and getting a family photo. I absolutely adore how this session turned out and am already looking forward to my next session with this sweet family.