The McCoy family are one of those families that are very easy to be around. Their little Hannah and Colt are just the sweetest little ones and Scott and Michelle are mellow and easy going. They love to have family outings, exploring, camping, fishing, hiking, finding rocks… and their favorite times are when they’re all together. Here is a Slideshow that features some of behind the scenes into how their session unfolded.
Michelle shared with me that they hadn’t done a family photography session in 3 years and that was before they had their little Colt. She did say she had pictures taken when she was pregnant with him but that was the last time they had any professional photographs taken as a family.
Since it had been some time, I asked her what she thought about this session I documented for them.
“It was incredible…I love being outdoors. The setting was just what I would have wanted. The sun setting, the redwood trees, family… and you were so patient, and ran everything as naturally as possible making it a smooth session for us all.”
And what she loves the most about her husband…
“Family means everything to him. I feel loved by him. His love for his children. He wants the best for them, he just wants to protect them.”
“My kids are so full of joy. They love the simple things in life. During hard moments, they make me see the beauty in life…changing my perspective on the situation.”
She said their perfect day together would be…
Just being together, in the living room. We don’t need to be somewhere special, we just want to be with each other and we are having the best time. We enjoy going places too- but just playing with a ball in a room, all of us joining in and laughing at our silliness is our “perfect” day together 🙂
Michelle wants to remember, “My husband and kids laughter, hugs, and kisses. My kids cheeks, their smiles, their warmth, their voices, their smell, their small hands. Our stories, our adventures. Everything.”
I believe gleaning advice from mamas who have been there is one of the best types of wisdom you can receive when given in love, compassion and pure intentions. So I asked Michelle if she had any thoughts to share with other moms who might need an encouraging word.
“Don’t take any moment for granted. Live the moment. Breathe it in, soak it in. Take pictures. Write stories. Every moment is a gift from our Heavenly Father. Be grateful and enjoy your husband and your kids.”
“Thank you Alaina for a photography session that felt smooth and relaxed. You made sure that my 3 year old and 1 year old were as comfortable as possible. You created a fun and loving environment for them. My 1 year old felt so comfortable with you that he held your hand from our photography location, all the way to our car…that says A LOT. Apart from how the session went, we love the pictures! The pictures are beautiful especially because there’s no posing for my kids to be upset about and they are naturally happy just being with mommy and daddy. So their faces are as natural as any moment but with a camera perspective. Thank you for capturing simply sweet moments!”
It was totally my pleasure to capture these beautiful moments for your family. I hope to be able to do so again in the future!
Blessings,
Alaina
Alaina, I loooove your style and the feel of these photos! This family looks like they had such a great time! I’m sure you’ve captured some precious memories for a lifetime 🙂
What a lovely family and beautiful memories you’ve captured for them. <3
It looks like you had the perfect lighting for this family session! I love the real expressions you captured, they look like they are having so much fun.