Right beside the beach in Fort Lauderdale, there's a lovely place named Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. Now, if you've lived here for a while, you know that, of course. But for me, who has lived in the California desert for the past 14 years, this place was stunning. I'd never been here before, so there was a surprise around every turn: trees, bigger trees, older trees, the great Banyan Tree, a jungle path, a street covered by a green canopy, sandy ground, wooden foot bridges, a lake and more. I felt like a little kid, looking up and around me, so excited to find new spots to photograph.
Thank God for my friend Cassie and her family. I asked her if they'd be willing to be my model family, my first family session here in Florida. A few days later, we met up in this state park.
During my sessions, I love to go for little walks. This adds movement in photographs, wonder on kids' faces, and natural interactions between people - just what you might want to capture in your own family session, too.
BECAUSE ONE DAY YOU BLINK AND THEY ARE GROWN.
On our particular walk, we started off at an old banyan tree. What a strange plant, I have no clue how it grows, but I know I love it as a backdrop! And although this tree had a new fence around it, we made it work.
As we walked through this area of the park, it felt serene and so good to be in the middle of God's creation.
When I stay in one spot with my clients, we play games and make the one spot super exciting, but this time, everything flowed naturally. There was always something to see, something to touch, sounds to hear. And we even saw some dinosaur footprints! (Thanks to a stick and some kid-imagination!)
This first Florida session was good for my soul. It felt good to create again, to play with light and to see the potential behind every turn. The greenery, the people, the little adventure we went on together - until the bugs came out.
