I wanted to showcase an at home session from last summer that was done outdoors. This session was with a lovely family who lives in Shaker Heights. They wanted to do some photos outside of their home as well as on a walk around their street. We decided to do these very early in the morning (shortly after sunrise in the summer) to get some pretty light and because of this the street was also empty and quiet. I honestly love so many of these images – most of the ones of just capturing them in their own element, doing something that they do just about every day (go on a walk together) . I also got some in their front and back yard as well and even with this little guy playing with some of his toys. These may seem like insignificant moments, but this is what I love to document – they tell a story for this family and are now a keepsake of this exact time in their lives. I cannot emphasize it enough – I LOVED THIS SESSION!

I HIGHLY recommend a front/backyard session this summer. School is out. The air is warm. Everyone is ready to relax and play. I truly love in-home sessions, but with covid I am only working outdoors. This is the perfect way to still be at home and make new memories in the places you already live in and love. Another bonus is that no one else will be in your yard other than you – no need to worry about random people in the background or getting in the way or trying to stay 6 feet away from others. Another great thing is you have everything you need right there! If your kid needs a snack, you can run in the house, if you get your clothes all dirty, do a quick change, etc. No need to pack anything up. There is so much ease to being at home!

If you are interested in booking a session head over to my contact page to get started! I can’t wait to take beautiful photos of you at home! In the meantime, scroll down to see some of my favorites from this session below!

After our walk around we decided to go over to the Van Aken District, which was really close to their home in Shaker Heights. It was still early and nothing was open yet so we exploring and using the fun things they had to offer for more images. Of course this little guy was drawn to Mitchell’s right away, and of course he was also bummed that they weren’t open – we all were, ha! I loved using the beautiful flower mural with them as well – murals are always cool! Another thing I enjoyed was using the reflections in windows to add to the story in their images. We stopped for a bit to watch a train go by (you’ll see this fellow pointing it out, he was fascinated by the train, but what little kid isn’t? I love how he fit right in the bike stops / locks as well, so cute! Lastly, he is really into parking garages so we ended up walking through one toward the end.

I truly loved just getting to follow them around with my camera and document their time together there and the things that their little guy really loves right now, at this age in his life. What a joy it was to use all of the fun elements in the Van Aken District as well! Check out the rest of the images from their family session below!