This Laurelwood Arboretum Summer family session was the sweetest. We’ve been photographing the Falcone family for years! From Dave and Justine’s engagement session, to their early family sessions with their first son Owen and Justine’s two maternity sessions. Now, we had the honor of photographing their Summer session as a family of four with the newest addition, Claire! To say we are obsessed with these kids is an understatement.

Laurelwood Arboretum offers so many interesting things for children to explore. They have a sculpture trail, tons of different plant varieties, woodsy walking paths and a pond with a fountain.

We recommend this spot more often than any other place for a family session, also because it’s not huge so we can all walk around while kids can stop frequently to explore without tiring out.

Small Moments with Big Impact

The most noteworthy moment for us personally was when Owen grabbed my hand and walked us over by the pond to look for frogs. Lo and behold, we actually found a frog! Owen was so excited and continued to lead us around. Being so caught up in the moment allowed us a second to create a safe space for exploration. We find this is key to a successful family session. Pausing for a few seconds without the camera pointed at the children while they play is important for building trust. Allow them to feel like this is a fun game and eventually, they’ll forget we are there as we continue photographing them. Not to mention, this absolutely melted our hearts!