This Dad must have gotten some serious props from Mom when he presented her with a gift certificate for a full session with me as a Christmas gift. I mean, I know I would have flipped. Photography is a Mom’s love language. Okay, maybe not all Moms but it is definitely mine.
So, when Mom reached out to me and said that she wanted to redeem her gift certificate, we naturally started chatting about location options and what she wanted to capture. She mentioned that they had just bought a lake house not too terribly far from Fort Worth and asked if I would be willing to drive out to do the session there. We talked about sunrise and sunset times and which would be best for her family. Ultimately we decided on sunrise, which meant that I would have to leave my house at like 5:30am for this session. But, I was totally okay with losing sleep…that is just how excited I was about it.
Mom had sent me a few images and videos of what the property looked like so I had a tiny idea of what to expect but not really. There is nothing like rolling into an outdoor session with zero clue of what the lighting will be like. But, when I pulled into their driveway as the last moments of darkness were moving away, I had a really good feeling.
Mom and Dad were, naturally, drinking coffee when I arrived. They showed me around the property and we made a quick game plan. We wanted things to stay pretty casual but to show off the lake and their new happy place. We started at their own private lakeside deck and then walked around the corner to the neighborhood dock and ended there.
The fog on the lake that morning was magical. Listening to the fish jump in the early morning was so cool. And the light was a dream. The best part of shooting such an early morning session? We were done at like 7:30am and had the entire day ahead of us! Often times, clients gawk at the idea of a sunrise session because of what time they would have to wake up to get ready. But let me tell you this,it is only one day. Load up the family on sugar and caffeine and you are golden. I have done it personally and I can say that it is worth it. You also get the excuse to take a nap later. AND you beat the heat. And the light is magic. And it is totally worth it. Just saying:)
Interested in a family session somewhere unique that may not be in DFW? Email me because I would love to hear about your happy place and find a way to document it for you.
