Four years, four golden hours. Min's family is back for their annual session — this year, a sunset walk on the trails of Ed Levin Park in Milpitas. By Bay Area family photographer Wendy Gao Photography.
Some families you photograph once. And some quietly become part of your year.
This was my fourth year photographing Min's family. Four years of watching their little one grow — taller, braver, funnier — and four years of them trusting me with an evening of their lives. Every time we meet, it feels less like a photo session and more like catching up with old friends.
This year, we traded the usual spots for the trails at Ed Levin Park in Milpitas, and timed it for golden hour.
A trail changes the feeling of a session completely. Instead of standing still and smiling at the camera, we walked. Their little one led the way — stopping to inspect every interesting rock and stick, running a few steps ahead, then circling back to grab a hand. Mom and Dad fell into step behind, laughing. Nobody was performing. They were just out on an evening walk together, and I got to walk along with my camera.
That's the thing about photographing a family year after year: there's no warm-up. The shyness is gone. They know how I work, I know how they are together, and we can skip straight to the real stuff.
And then the light did what golden hour at Ed Levin does. The sun dropped low over the hills, the grass along the trail turned to gold, and everything went soft and warm. We slowed down near the end of the trail and just let them be close — the kind of quiet, unposed moments that are always my favorites from their sessions.
Four years in, I keep coming back to the same thought: these photos aren't really about any single year. They're about the thread between the years — how a family changes, and how much stays the same. I hope we keep adding to it, one golden hour at a time.
Min, thank you for trusting me with year four. Already looking forward to year five.
Planning your own family's yearly photos? I photograph families all across the Bay Area, in the places you actually love spending time together. You can see more of my family work here, or get in touch to start planning your session.
