There’s nothing quite like watching a family grow! I had the absolute joy of photographing this sweet family for the second time—watching their little girl transition from a sweet 1-year-old into a curious, energetic 2-year-old.
For our session, we headed to Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The scenic wooden walkway stretching across the open marshland created a beautiful, natural backdrop for a toddler to freely explore.
Shooting at 11:00 AM comes with bright, harsh midday sun, but with a few intentional techniques, we turned that intense light into a fresh, luminous gallery:
- Low Angles & Backlighting: Angling low and shooting towards the sun created a soft, airy glow while avoiding heavy facial shadows.
- Open Reflected Light: The light wood on the boardwalk naturally bounced soft light onto their faces.
- Movement over Posing: Keeping them walking hand-in-hand brought out genuine, candid smiles.
The result? A set of bright, timeless memories filled with laughter and love.
