I’ve been lucky enough to photograph Georgia and Clinton’s family a few times now. I first met them when their youngest, Ava, was a newborn, then again last summer at Georgia’s parents’ garden, and now here we are another summer later. The girls are a little bigger, the garden has grown back in and I got to photograph this little season of their family all over again.

This time both girls are busy, curious todlers, which meant there was absolutely no sitting around. Absolutely perfect.

A Summer Evening in the Garden

We started underneath the huge willow tree at the back of the property while the sun was still coming through the branches, then slowly made our way into the garden.

And this garden is GOLD in August. You can tell so much tender care and love has gone into it.

Cosmos and marigolds, giant stalks of corn, tomatoes, blueberries, a little sweet pea tent and garden beds overflowing with vegetables and flowers. We didn’t really have a plan for where we needed to go or what we needed to photograph. We just followed the girls.

They picked blueberries and filled up their little container. Ava sat in the dirt underneath the sweet peas and started pouring it all over her legs. Harlow gave me the biggest cheesy smiles. Georgia and Clinton mostly just watched or followed behind, scooped them up when needed and tried to keep up with whatever direction they were running next.

Letting The Kiddos Lead

Family sessions with little kids are chaotic. They just always are.

Someone doesn’t want to be held. Someone else has decided they’re running in the opposite direction. There are tears and bribes and dirt and nobody particularly cares that we’re supposed to be taking family photos.

And I’m not here to fight against any of that.

My approach to photographing families is mostly about giving kids room to be exactly who they are. I’ll guide things when we need it and gently move us around the location, but I’m not looking for an hour of everyone smiling at me. Especially with young families, I’d much rather follow their lead and photograph what happens.

On film, that requires a little more patience from me too. I don’t have unlimited frames and I can’t check the back of my camera to make sure I got it. Sometimes someone moves right as I press the shutter. Sometimes the focus isn’t exactly where I intended it to be. Sometimes a frame is a little weird.

I think that’s part of why I love these photographs so much.

Blueberries, Apple Trees, and A Very Important Deal

Eventually we made our way over to the orchard. The girls picked apples, Georgia and Clinton tossed them both in the air, everyone ran around some more and I continued attempting to keep up.

Earlier in the session, Harlow had been asking me to roll down the big grassy hill with her. I told her I was working and couldn’t quite roll down the hill just yet, but we could perhaps strike a deal. She would let me get the photos I needed and, when we were finished, I would roll down the hill with her.

We shook on it. It was very official.

Near the end of the session, I was chatting with Georgia and about to pack up my gear when Harlow came running over. “Rae, Rae! I think it’s time that you roll down the hill. Don’t forget about our deal.” Girl, fair enough. A deal’s a deal.

So I rolled down the hill. And expected Harlow to do the same. She did not. Apparently our deal only required me to roll down the hill while she sat at the top giggling at me.

The Kind of Family Photos I Want to Create

We finished out front where things finally started to slow down a little. The girls watched the bugs and bees moving around the lavender, and eventually we ended up together on the front porch.

By then we had photographed a whole evening rather than trying to manufacture an hour of perfect family photos. That’s really what I want these sessions to be. I want Harlow’s huge laugh and her ridiculous cheesy smile. I want Ava sitting in the dirt. Georgia and Clinton chasing their girls through the garden. Picking blueberries. Throwing apples. Tears and squirming and everyone needing a minute. The things that actually make up a summer with two little kids.

Film feels especially right for that. The photographs aren’t perfect and I don’t want them to be. I want them to look like their family and this particular summer in their lives. And I know they will be cherished.

Another Year Documented

At the very end of the evening, Georgia’s parents and grandma came out and showed me a calendar they had made using the photographs from our session in this same garden last summer. Every month had a different photograph. And it is always so special to me, this kind of stuff.

The photos aren’t just sitting in an online gallery somewhere. They’re printed. They’re hanging in their home. Their families are looking at them. And now we have another summer documented with Ava and Harlow a whole year older.

Hopefully we’ll do it again next year. Although I am going to be a little more careful about what I agree to with Harlow hah!

Family Photograpy on Film on Vancouver Island

I photograph a limited number of family sessions on Vancouver Island for families who are happy to let go of perfection and give me room to document things as they actually are. Sessions are photographed entirely on film with a mix of 35mm and medium format, with lots of space for kids to lead the way.

If this sounds like your kind of family session, I’d absolutely love to hear from you! You can fill out my contact form here.

x Rae