Capturing Memories: A Family Photoshoot in Our Canyon Oasis

Rachael Shine
Jul 16
4 min read

How a Christmas Present turned into a Spring Photoshoot

Family playing in a sunny meadow with mountains in the background; a man lifts a child, while a woman holds hands with another child.

Don't you love when you have the perfect idea for a Christmas present for your significant other? (Photos is always a safe bet FYI.) Sometimes gifts don't always go as planned. This session was almost 6 months in the making!

Family of four in a green field. Parents hold a child, another stands close. Bright day, mountains in background, and smiles all around.

The Anticipation

Darren was so excited to set up a family photoshoot for his wife, Shae. They have two adorable little boys and recently set up camp on their property in Smithfield. Photos in the snow are always so pretty, but can be really hard with young ones and making sure they stay warm. So we planned on moving the session further out into early April where we could hopefully catch some tulips and daffodils.

Guess what decided to show up the week of that session? A snow storm of course! So we replanned for middle of May. Things were finally starting to green up and look pretty outside! Day of, thunderstorms of course. So we finally rescheduled to late May and were able to get everything to work in our favor! Luckily we were able to make a series of photoshoot plans that didn't work out end up in our favor so we could get memories captured for their cute family.

Child with curly hair in a blue plaid shirt smiles, sitting on an adult's lap outdoors. Sunlight and green foliage in the background.

Setting the Scene

Picture this, it's the morning of the shoot that actually ended up working. I'm in a canyon with no cell service, and their driveway is hidden by trees. To top it all off, their house is at the top of a really long (but beautiful) dirt driveway that climbs a steep enough hill that you cannot see the house from the bottom. This is the exact scenario that our parents used to warn us about in the early 2000s where we weren't allowed to meet up with strangers you met on the internet. I had parked at the end of the driveway and decided to start walking up the hill to see if I could see anything. Luckily Darren spotted me from the house and I managed to get some signal as I got to higher ground and they were able to contact me.

Smiling child with blonde hair wears a plaid shirt, standing on a path with green hills in the background under a clear sky.

After that was figured out I was able to really take a look at the landscape. They had such an amazing view form their house down the canyon, where you could see the Wellsville mountains in the distance. Closer to the house they had a great big, open, grassy, field that the kids could run in. Behind the house they had a ton of little yellow wild flowers that added color to the mountain side. Their property was so gorgeous and served as a beautiful location for family photos as well as one that will be theirs for years to come. Their hope is that their kids may even grow up on that land and form memories in such a picturesque countryside.

Family sitting in a field of yellow flowers, smiling and enjoying the sunny day. Background features lush green hills and trees.

Woman in white dress holds smiling toddler with yellow flower. Sunlit field background. Joyful and serene mood.

The Photoshoot Experience

The photoshoot ended up going so smooth and was such a fun experience. One thing you can always count on as a photographer, is that there will always be a kid that is upset at a family shoot. It's like something always has to go wrong at a wedding, even if it's something small. Little man had a small case of the grumps, but we were able to get some giggles and smiles out for the photos!

My number one piece of advice for families when there is a child who just wants nothing to do with photos, is to just let it happen. You would be surprised at the number of cute faces that happen in between kids shaking their head and saying no. The more stressed you are about it, the more stressed and uncooperative kids usually get as well. So in these scenarios it is usually best to take a step back and breathe if you are getting stressed.

Two children playfully embracing on a dirt path, holding a large blue shovel. The background features green fields and distant mountains.

Capturing the Magic

Remember those flowers behind their house? Luckily those put both the boys in such a good mood and we were able to get adorable photos while they played in them. The boys loved picking flowers for their parents.

The field also provided a great place to play and get genuine smiles. The boys were able to run around and find a variety of bugs to examine. When kids get squirmy in photos I always try to bargain with them for TWO more photos, and then they can run a lap. It works almost every time and this landscape provided the perfect environment for that. There was also a toy shovel next to the dirt road, so of course we had to go play in the dirt for photos!

A family of four walks through a lush green field. The mother in a white dress carries a child. Sunny day with trees in the background.

A family of four in a grassy field with mountains behind. A child is lifted by parents, while another is held. Bright, sunny day.

Conclusion

Overall I had such a wonderful time at this photoshoot! The Hansen family was so kind and welcoming the entire time. I am always happy to help someone create memories, but the added bonus of this being on their new property with their new house really adds that extra touch to the photos. Not to mention the view from their house is absolutely gorgeous.

Think we would get along?

Thank you so much for hearing what I have to say about this photoshoot and Rachael Shine Photography! If you think we might get along and you want to work with me check out my pricing or just contact me!