A Fun Filled Family Portrait Session with the Andres Family

Relaxed, playful family portraits are the best!

I had the absolute pleasure of doing family portraits for the lovely Allison (of Allison Andres Photography) a few weeks ago. We chose to shoot in Lafayette, not too far from Walnut Creek, in a eucalyptus tree grove which was just beautiful.

I love photographing families where it's not entirely posed and you can really focus on the love, sweetness and playfulness between family members. These are the images that make you smile and think back to when the moment happened. Some of my favorite images from this portrait session are where no one is looking at the camera! Also, some of my favorite photographs from my own childhood are the 'in between' moments that my parents captured on film. Apart from the occasional school photograph, we never did posed family portraits in a studio, and I also thought it was a little strange seeing posed photographs in my friends houses. They pretty much always looked so staged and you could tell by looking at their faces that they just didn't want to be there - their personalities were hidden behind forced smiles and perfectly groomed hair. As a portrait photography business owner, I'd love to hear your thoughts - do you prefer posed family portraits or more laid back, casual shots? Do you wish you had more 'in between' moments captured from your childhood? What are some of your most treasured photographs from your childhood?

Let me know in the comments! And in the meantime, enjoy the cuteness of this session (I'm especially fond of her little toy camera!)