Before we jump into Chris, Emily, and Eloise’s impromptu Sawtooth family session, I want to talk about how we got here – literally and figuratively.

It’s so special as a photographer when I am lucky enough to document so many milestones in one couple’s life. I love to tell couples when I meet with them that I hope our relationship as a photographer/client evolves into a genuine friendship and they’ll take me on the rest of their adventures to come. Emily and Chris have been some of my close friends now since before I photographed their elopement in Scotland 3 years ago. We had the most incredible time traveling abroad together and spending over 12 hours on their wedding day hanging out and taking photos. As life moved on after their wedding, I was lucky enough to capture their pregnancy announcement photos, then their newborn photos, and their family photos when Eloise was a few months old.

Last fall, we both had work in Stanley. One of my favorite things to do is go scouting in my days off for new locations. I love finding new trails, new viewpoints, new creeks, new meadows, etc. We decided the day before going back to work in Stanley to adventure to a new trail both of us hadn’t explored thoroughly. Somewhat spontaneously, I grabbed my camera and asked if they wanted some family photos while we were out there. It was such a moody day and the mountains looked really dramatic, so it was the perfect impromptu time to capture them as a family. We snapped some photos in a beautiful meadow with fall colors. It was one of my favorite shoots of all time because the entire thing felt so natural and so THEM. As a family, these three have traveled across the entire PNW and across the country in their Subaru planning adventures elopements and weddings. Scouting and hiking for new locations is a normal pastime for them just like it is for me. It felt so real to their story and who they are as a family now to take some sweet family photos to document the stage of life they were in.

Thank you for always welcoming me into your lives and letting me document your milestones!

Loving this Sawtooth family session? Get in touch here about how you can have a social distancing safe session of your own!