Mandrake Abbey | Sage & David | 100 Mile House, Farm Sessions | Family Photography, Cariboo Regional District

Back in June we moved. It was chaotic and exciting. We had lived in our Chilliwack home for 17 years, this was a big change. We were moving 4 hours away from what we knew into a smaller community, but into a much calmer life, enjoying all the things that come with owning a little bit of property. And with the move also came the question of how to approach my business and what I wanted to shoot and offer for the community out here.

I put out a model call to attract some families, I wanted to capture families on their own properties and farms. Being able to capture beautiful moments where they call home. On location sessions are amazing, but there’s something about being able to have beautiful images of where we spend most of our days, at home.

Sage answered my questionnaire and when she described her home and family I knew instantly that I needed to capture some beautiful memories for her. Sage and David run Mandrake Abbey, a farm and bakery in Lone Butte. I met with Sage before our session to discuss wardrobe and my direction for the session. We chatted for a little bit to get to know each other and so that I could get an idea of her family’s personalities. They had such a cool vibe, and working with them and their adorable kids was so fun. Their little guy sure kept me on my toes but I love how comfortable he felt to be himself and run free and wild. I followed and tried to capture his wild spirit. They’re daughter was such a sweetheart too, and she adores her brother, following him around and wanting to do exactly as he did. Toddlers are so fun, watching them learn and experience new things with awe. We did a stroll around their property and I let them explore and just be while I caught those in between moments that happen as families hang out.

Are you looking for ways to have a fun and carefree family session? Well I have some tips to share with you.

Plan with your kids in mind.
- When scheduling your session, one of the most important things to consider is timing. Consider scheduling your session after nap or meal time, especially when you have younger children. This is a great way to ensure a happy session with well rested and fed little kids.
Comfort
- One of the biggest keys to a good session is comfort, when everyone is comfortable in what they are wearing they will be able to move freely and feel good. Avoid outfits that are too fussy and tight, especially with younger children so they don’t feel constricted in their movements. You can check out my blog post here on tips to picking out your wardrobe.
Keep it natural
- The key to having a carefree session is to keep things natural. Let everyone just be and express themselves to their own level of comfort. Some kids start out super shy and take a moment to warm up being in front of the camera, while others are full on characters and want to be the center of attention. Just let them be and this will ensure I can capture some genuine moments. Interact with your partner and kids as you would at home and allow me to notice and capture all those special moments. I will guide you if needed, but once everyone is relaxed allow the moments to just happen naturally as much as possible.
Bring some fun accessories and snacks
- A great way to keep kids engaged is to bring along accessories (and snacks!). This can be as simple as some flowers, a child’s favourite toy, or a small container of bubbles to blow. These little distractions can help kids come out of their shell or allow them to stay engaged if they start getting a little too bored with being in front of a camera. And small snacks such as little crackers, gummy snacks are a great way to keep kids from getting a little crabby during sessions (who doesn’t get a little crabby from a lack of snacks?).
Have fun
- And lastly, just have fun. There’s no need to remind family members to smile for the camera, of course smiles are great, but I want to capture natural and true moments between everyone and that means there’s no need to look at the camera. I start my sessions off with all those posed snaps of everyone smiling and looking at the camera, and the rest of your session is meant for you to relax and open up to those moments that will happen between you and your loved ones. So, have fun! Snuggle each other, hug each other, run and play with your kids, Relax and allow me to capture that love.