The kind of sun you can feel filling you up from the inside? The kind of wind that kisses your cheeks and makes grass, hair, and skirts dance? Yes please! This Shelburne family photography session had it all. 

I met L and her family on the lakefront at Shelburne Farms to capture their little family playing, snacking, and enjoying a summer evening together.

Choosing the Perfect Shelburne Family Photography Location

Shelburne is one of my very favorite places. It’s where I grew up, so I’m a little biased, but it provides so many location options, and the variety is nearly endless—from secluded woods to open lakesides, cute village vibes to mountain views. Choosing the perfect location for your Shelburne family photography session comes down to the story you want to see told in your final gallery.

 “Ideally, we’d be somewhere near a lake…My boys run around a lot and are total goofballs, and I love trying to document their personalities.” 

After L’s initial explanation of her vision for her session, my first thought was that we needed to find a place that would bring out the “goofball” side of her four- and six-year-old boys. We needed wide open spaces and an activity that provided a canvas for them to play, explore, and get comfortable with me snapping their photos for 60-90 minutes. 

In the end, we settled on the Shelburne Farms lakefront. With easy parking at the Inn and a short walk down the driveway to chat with the boys before pulling out my camera, it was the perfect location. 

We knew that throwing sticks, exploring for cool rocks, looking for ducks (we found some!), and lining up on driftwood to eat snacks would be an amazing way to bring out the boys’ personalities and capture the goofy side their mom wanted to remember.

How to Keep Your Family Session Fun and Easy

When I tell moms that my family sessions are typically 1-2 hours, their first response is usually something along the lines of, “Oh, my kids won’t last that long in front of a camera.” 

TRUST ME. My toddler would last all of two minutes if a photography session was just “smile at the camera.” And that is exactly what my sessions aren’t. 

(I have to do those photos first, so I remember to do them at all. We get going and have too much fun to remember to stop and smile at the camera.)

My response is usually something like, “What could your kids last that long doing? Because that is what we should do!” Whether we’re playing by the lake, going for a walk in the woods, or cuddling up in your playroom, I want our sessions to feel like a snapshot of everyday life—the things you love to do together that are a real representation of your life in this season and that your kids will actually enjoy doing.

These are the sessions that are truly magic, ensure you (and your family) feel stress-free and present, and also provide the space to create the images you can feel when you look back on them.

Grab a few more of my tips for keeping your kids happy and engaged during family photography sessions here! 

From there, it is all about letting go and letting your kids be themselves.

Click here to learn more about working together and telling a story that feels like you.