Do you spend a lot of time in your back yard as a family? Doing a back yard photo session is a good idea for these reasons:

1. It’s important to document places that are meaningful to your family. A session done at a place you spend a lot of time as a family will bring back all those good memories. Some of my all-time favorite images of my youngest are in her backyard swing. The smile on her face is etched in my memory.  I love looking at those pictures and thinking of the hours and hours I spent over the years pushing her.
2. No travel time! Family pictures are stressful enough with out the commute
3. Do you garden a lot? If you have trees and bushes in your yard, and a photographer that knows how to use light, you’d be surprised at some of the awesome images you can get.
4. Do you have a pool? Water and light make an amazing combination, you can come away with some amazing images and lots of natural smiles.

You don’t have to have all those things to do a backyard shoot, every family is different. Maybe your kids spend a ton of time on their play set? Maybe you play ball with them, or they have a sandbox? Maybe you have a fire pit and love to roast s’mores? Think about how your family spends time, and what you do in your yard. If it’s something you want to remember, then consider it for a location next time you get your family pictures taken.