If you’ve been following for a while you may remember my friends Sarah and Dan—they tend to text me things like “we’re in Oakland can we take some photos? Oh yeah I’m pregnant” or “how do you feel about camping in the freezing cold desert next week on your way home for the holidays to take our engagement photos? We’ll bring dinner.” (See their maternity session and engagement session here!) This time was no different. Dan messaged me late one night asking if I were free for a family shoot in the next few days, as they were going to make a quick trip down to Oakland.

We met at Sibley Volcanic Preserve in Oakland a few days later for a morning session with their sweet kiddo Uly. For family sessions I shoot in a super documentary style, grabbing a few posed smiling photos at the beginning, then letting families interact as they are. We spent the morning together mostly rolling around on a blanket as the light peaked over the hills, laughing and cuddling and yes getting thrown up on. I love shooting family photos in a documentary style because it really captures your family as it is in this moment in time. When you look back on these photos ten years from now you’ll remember all the little nuances of your kid as they were at this age, as opposed to more perfect, posed photos which can lack the idiosyncrasies of your family’s dynamic.

See my family packages here and reach out to chat about a session!