Your Backyard Is Already the Perfect Setting for Family Photos

There's a good chance you have hundreds of photos on your phone of your kids doing ordinary things. Learning to hula hoop. A popsicle dripping down someone's arm. A pile of kids on the trampoline. And somewhere in almost all of those photos, you're not in them. Because you were the one holding the phone.

I know that feeling. My kids are teenagers now, and when I look back at photos from when they were small, some of my absolute favourites are the ones from our own backyard. Chalk drawings, campfire evenings, riding bikes on the street. Those ordinary moments are the ones I reach for the most. And the thing I wish I could change? I'm barely in any of them. I was always behind the camera.

That's exactly why I'm offering backyard family mini sessions through May and June 2026 - so that moms (and dads, and whole families) can actually be in the photos, without having to go anywhere, dress up, or stress anyone out.

You Don't Have to Leave Home to Get Photos Worth Keeping

One of the biggest things that stops families from booking photos is the logistics of it all. Finding a location. Getting everyone dressed in something that coordinates but doesn't look too stiff. Driving somewhere unfamiliar with kids who are already tired. Trying to get everyone to smile on cue in a place that feels a little foreign.

These backyard sessions flip all of that.

You stay home. You do what you already do on a regular evening or weekend. I come to you, and I document what's actually happening in your life right now - in the space where your family actually lives it.

If your kids love the trampoline, we use the trampoline. If you have a fire pit you light up on weekends, that's perfect. Bubbles, basketball, the water table, a backyard picnic, a barbecue, a treehouse, a playhouse - whatever is already part of your family's rhythm is fair game.

This isn't a styled shoot. It's your real life, photographed with care.

What Makes These Sessions Different

A lot of mini sessions work differently than these do. Many photographers run them back-to-back at a set location with a set schedule, which can feel rushed - especially when you've got young kids who don't care about your timeline.

These sessions are 30 minutes, but I hold that time loosely. I know children don't always cooperate on cue, and I'm not going to rush you or stress your kids out trying to stick to a rigid schedule. If someone needs a minute, we take a minute. If the dog runs through the frame, that's honestly great.

A few other things that set these apart:

• You don't have to look at the camera. In fact, I'd rather you didn't. The best photos come from watching you interact with your kids, not from everyone freezing and staring at a lens.

• Your kids don't have to cooperate perfectly. I have years of experience both photographing young families and working in childcare. I know how to connect with kids and bring out their real personalities - even the shy ones, even the wild ones, even the ones who are having a moment.

• Crying is real life. If someone melts down, I can still get you something beautiful. Real emotion is something worth documenting, not hiding.

• All photos are included. The session investment is $250, and everything I deliver is yours.

Why the Backyard Matters More Than You Think

Here's the thing about documentary family photography: it reflects where you actually are right now.

The toys on the lawn. The chalk drawings that will wash away in the next rain. The way your youngest still reaches for your hand without thinking about it. The specific way your kids pile onto each other on the trampoline. These are the details that feel so normal right now that you barely notice them - and they are exactly what you will want to remember.

I look back at photos from my kids' early years and I don't wish I had more photos of us dressed up somewhere pretty. I wish I had more photos of the campfire. The driveway chalk. The nothing-special Tuesday evening that was somehow everything.

Your backyard holds that kind of memory too. It already does, whether or not you've photographed it yet.

This One Is Especially for the Moms

If you are the one who is always taking the photos, this is for you.

You don't have to dress fancy. You don't have to coordinate everyone's outfits or find a Pinterest-worthy location. You just have to show up in your own backyard, in clothes you're comfortable in, doing things you already love to do with your kids.

And I'll make sure you're in the photos.

Not posed. Not stiff. Just you, in the middle of your real life, with the people you love most. And one day - I promise you this - those will be the photos you reach for.

Your life right now, with its chaos and noise and sticky hands and bedtime negotiations, is worth documenting. Not because it's perfect. Because it's yours.

Book a Backyard Session This Spring or Summer

Backyard family mini sessions are available through May and June 2026, on evenings and weekends that work for your family. Sessions are $250 and all photos are included.

If you live in or around Fredericton, New Brunswick and you've been thinking about getting family photos done - this is the low-pressure, stay-at-home version that was made for exactly your kind of family.

Reach out through the booking page to check availability and get your session on the calendar before the season fills up.

Your backyard is ready. I'll bring the rest.