Heather reached out before a family trip to Colorado with a simple goal: to finally update their family photos—something that had been on the back burner since welcoming their second baby.

She wrote, “Hi Ryan, my family and I (husband, sister, 2-year-old son, and 8-month-old baby) will be traveling to Colorado mid/end of July and thought it would be the perfect time to update the family pictures I’ve been putting off since having my second baby… I just want something natural. I love in-the-moment, candid vibes and really want to capture ‘Colorado.’”

Since they were staying in Colorado Springs, I suggested Red Rock Canyon Open Space, a favorite spot of mine that checks so many “Colorado” boxes. It’s got those beautiful and uniqe red sandstone formations, open meadows, wide easy trails, and sweeping views of the foothills and Pike’s Peak (America’s Mountain).

When we met, I noticed their South Carolina plates. They’d driven all the way from Charleston with the kiddos in tow. I gave them a little good-natured badgering ( because I grew up in the playful rival state of North Carolina). They said they were originally from Missouri and more than ready to move west again soon. They immediately commented on how refreshing it was to have such wide open spaces and parks right in town, something they said they didn’t have much of back home.

Their two-year-old? Pure comedy. High-octane gold. A huge personality. Within five seconds, he had me cracking up, and at one point shouted “Not today, Marilyn Monroe!” I asked where that one came from and his parents just shook their heads laughing and said, “He’s a sponge.”

We wandered a short trail to let him get some energy out before diving into photos. What I loved most about this crew was how naturally silly they were and how willing they were to roll with my spontaneous ideas. We eased into it with a few gently posed shots and then just let the magic unfold with playful prompts and candid interactions.

Halfway through, a big mule deer buck wandered through the meadow. A total showstopper, and a giant beetle the size of my palm made an appearance too. The kids were fascinated. That’s the beauty of photographing in the great outdoors: you never know what nature’s going to gift you. Plus, there’s plenty of room to explore and to feel a beautiful sense of goundedness.

As bedtime approached, we wrapped things up with two very tuckered out kiddos (a win for everyone). They had a long drive home the next morning, and we joked that the session doubled as a strategic way to wear them out.

If this kind of joyful, high-energy, nature-filled photo session sounds like your style, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s plan something fun and relaxed that captures your family exactly as you authentically and spirited as you are.

Reach out to book your outdoor Colorado family session today!

Here’s what Heather had to say about our session:

“Ryan was amazing. We were visiting Colorado from out of state and decided to do a family session while in town. He was very engaging with not only us (the three adults) but our two children (one a very high energy 2.5 year old and one a almost 10 month old who was quickly approaching bed time). We had such a fun time taking in the views while also capturing the moments. We usually hate getting our pictures done but the experience was definitely painless and a 10/10. Thank you Ryan!”