When y’all reach out to us for a shoot we always want to consider your story in how we structure our time photographing you. We want to make it a great experience for everyone involved! The Van Fleteren family knew that their senior kiddo would not love a stuffy, long senior session in a studio. Instead, they knew they’d appreciate something very low pressure, outside with their family… AND we’d keep it painless for the whole crew with not too long of a session.In the end, they booked their session back-to-back with their best family friends, who also have a senior (hello, Kennedy family *waves*). This was wonderful because they could cheer each other on and take the pressure off the senior kids in the two families.

The leaves were perfection, the weather was perfection, and the people were absolute perfection!! Ashley started off this day of fall mini shoots with one new client — which, oh my goodness, is always so meaningful for us — and then the rest of her day felt like a Story Photographers homecoming! We just love love love shoot days like this where we get to reconnect with you and your families. Ashley photographed a lot of kids in different age groups on this one day. One thing that photographing kiddos their entire lives has shown her is a study in what the different photography challenges are at different ages. Photographing people as long as we have, we’ve learned how to navigate those challenges…

Y’all, prepare yourselves… Cute kid and cute dog ahead! ;)This was Becca’s second time photographing the Cathcart family at their beautiful home. The last time Becca was there was 2019, and their massive dog was just a massive puppy! We love how Ollie (the dog) and Henry are growing up together! It’s so sweet to see the special bond they’re forming. They’re just two peas in a pod.Mom, Lynn, really wanted us to capture their cute relationship and some of the things Henry is into at the moment—his fort, his blocks, and his stuffed animal collection to name a few! And, of course, we grabbed some family shots too.

Can we just start this off with saying how thankful we are?! Once again we find ourselves being blown away by the incredible response we have received to these Fall Short Stories. We are SO grateful for y’all and all the ways you support us. Year after year, you keep us very busy and very thankful! You’re just the best and we feel so overwhelmed with gratitude that THIS is our job. So, thank you!Now, back to the fall minis! This was Ashley’s first fall mini shoot day of the year, and she had a blast! Ashley always gets so excited for these shoots because it’s like when you go to your church’s Homecoming Sunday (hello, all my southerners! You will understand this. haha!) and everyone has returned home with their families.

The Hills are regulars around here, and Becca was so excited to shoot their fall family photos at Dix Park this year! Last year their shoot day was a chilly one, so we were happy to luck out with a little bit warmer weather this time around. We had so much fun at their fall shoot! We played among the trees and captured some cute stuff with their two precious girls. This year you could really see the girls' personalities blossoming. It was so cute! Here’s what mom Jen had to say when she saw the photos…

We love an extended family shoot! Ashley had the best time at the JC Raulston Arboretum with this sweet family. It was so nice to be back in this location after it was closed last year because of the pandemic.Pro tip: Schedule your extended family shoot at the end of the year when the family is gathered together for the holidays! An extended family shoot also makes the perfect gift for the grandparents or that person who already has everything. ;)