Backyard Family Photos | Albany NY Family Photographer

Some of my favorite family sessions happen in the simplest places — including right at home.

I have been lucky enough the Minnick family more than once over the years, and looking back at this session makes me realize just how quickly those years go by.

For this particular session, we didn’t need to travel to a park or find an elaborate location. We simply stepped into their backyard, where the fall colors and gorgeous golden evening light gave us the perfect setting for their family photos.

Family Photos Don’t Always Need a Fancy Location

When families start planning a photo session, one of the first questions is usually, “Where should we go?”

Sometimes the answer is closer than you think.

A backyard can be a wonderful location for family photos, especially with younger children. It’s familiar, comfortable and gives kids room to move around and be themselves.

And with three boys, there was definitely plenty of movement during this session!

Rather than worrying about everyone being perfectly posed, we were able to let the boys play, cuddle with Mom and Dad and have some fun together. Those in-between moments often end up becoming some of my favorite photographs.

Capturing Their Boys at Every Stage

One of the reasons I love photographing families year after year is getting to see just how much the kids change.

At the time of this session, their youngest was still so little. His tiny sweater, those baby blue eyes and the photos of him sitting in the grass capture such a specific moment in their family’s story.

His older brothers were already showing off their personalities, too.

There were big smiles, silly expressions, hugs with Mom and Dad and plenty of moments that weren’t perfectly posed — which is exactly what made them perfect.

These are the photographs that become even more meaningful as the years pass.

Relaxed Fall Family Photography in Albany, NY

I always want family sessions to feel like your family.

Of course we’ll get the photograph where everyone is together and hopefully looking at the camera. But I also want the laughter. I want Mom cuddling one of her boys. I want Dad with his son hanging off his shoulder. I want the kids playing together and those little expressions that parents recognize immediately.

Because someday, those are the details you’ll want to remember.

This backyard family session had all of that, along with some absolutely gorgeous fall color and golden evening light.

Watching Families Grow Through Photographs

One of the best parts about being an Albany NY family photographer is when families come back to me again.

I’ve photographed this family since this session, and seeing these images next to their more recent photographs really shows why I believe family photography matters so much.

The boys who fit so easily into Mom and Dad’s arms don’t stay that little for long.

The seasons change. The kids grow. Families enter completely new chapters.

But the photographs let you come back to this one.

And I am so grateful that I get to preserve a little piece of it for them.