Taryn, Paul & Ethan || Ohio Family Photography

This blog post is our first family session of the summer, so I'll take this brief intermission for a moment. (Soapbox time…) Family Sessions. Christy and I decided from the start that we never want to have an indoor studio. Too restrictive. Too stagnant. Too much sameness. We're just not interested. We want the interaction with our clients. The dynamic of playfulness and spontaneity. The space and variety of an outdoor location. We shudder at the idea of small children being forced to cluster together in an unfamiliar environment and say 'cheese' over and over until they all look happy. Or happy enough. There are many photographers who do studio work well, and others that don't. It's a choice. No way is right or wrong, but there are many benefits of a lifestyle, outdoor session that a studio can never compete with. Will you spend more time and money on your photos? Yup. Will you have photos that capture your child's true personality? Yup. Will you have photos that can never be recreated and won't look anything like your neighbor's? Yup. Will your family actually enjoy getting their photos taken? Yup. If you answered 'Yup' to all the above, you're probably one of our past clients or a future client. Or like some, a repeat client...

This was the third year in a row that we've photographed Taryn, Paul and little guy Ethan, who's not so little anymore! Here's a recap of the past two years…

Poor guy. Ethan wasn't so thrilled with his first cake-smash. We love this because it's real, cute, and just plain adorable. (We get the irony that he is crying in this photo after we just said that this will be an enjoyable experience for your family…he didn't want to get dirty) ;o)

Year two. Ethan's fascination with tractors and trucks had fully bloomed. 

And this year. More stylish and bigger than ever. And a lot harder to keep up with. He really put us through a workout trying to run after him. 

Wait… I should have thought this through.

Now that's a cool dude.

Paul got in on the fun too. Love that face!!!

Of course we had to chase some ducks and geese… and our own shadows. 

We call this "the joy of childhood captured'.

Lookin' good Taryn.

Such a little explorer. One of our favorites.

A family session isn't complete without a little 'stranger danger' lesson from Dad.

Love the shape of the shadow in this one. And Ethan's face too.

And after all that, it was time for some classic family portraits. And wow, that's a good looking' family. 

Ethan suddenly became deathly allergic to Mom's kisses.

Not to worry. He was back to laughing his socks again within moments.

LOVE the closeness of this moment.

All our sessions include a mini "fox session" for the girl to get some extra special images just for her. Every woman deserves a beautiful portrait of herself. You look stunning, Taryn.

This is more like a self portrait so this goes with the photos of us. Check out them teeth!

Where's Waldo?

The difference between our 70-200mm (above) and our 24-70mm (below). Love 'em both.

Taryn & Paul, thank you so much for letting us be a part of your family once again. We had so much fun seeing Ethan grow a year older and we were honored that you trusted us again to capture him for you. We hope you'll love the pictures forever and always be reminded in the years ahead of the adorable and energetic little guy that he is now. We're looking forward to next year!

Like always, please share, comment and pin the photos you love!

Eric & Christy Photographers || Ohio Family Photography

All Photos © Eric & Christy 2014

www.ericandchristy.com

Earline & Ron || Engagement Photography || Kent, Ohio

Many times we shoot sessions without seeing our working environment beforehand. We have several 'go to' spots around the area that we love and use often, but we always enjoy the challenge and spontaneity of a new location. So when Earline and Ron suggested starting their engagement session in their own backyard we were thrilled. We always encourage couples or families to choose a special or significant location which always adds some extra meaning to their photos. So we had a backyard. But this 'backyard' ended up being several acres of beautiful woods, complete with paths, a old wooden swing and a rustic red barn. Sure they had to endure a mosquito attack, but the final result was well worth it. So let's get to it...

And this is the backyard. When you start a session like this, you know it's going to be a great day...

Their cat came along to see what we were up to.

And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now.

This gorgeous old tree has been on the property for years but will soon need to be cut down. So of course we had to snag a few photos under the branches...

And then we headed to downtown Kent and the falls for the second half of the session...

Above: Christy's view. Below: My view.

Love the shapes and lines in this one, especially in B&W...

We were almost done with the session and then Ron suggested trying to get down to the river. Thankfully the water was low enough to expose some rock so we climbed down the edge and did a little exploring. Moral of the story? Exploring is good. These river images ended up being some of our favorites from the day. 

What an incredible backdrop!!! Love this one of you guys.

Simply stunning, Earline.

Can't even explain how much we love this. And no coaching needed. Earline and Ron walked out to the rocks and set this one up themselves. Great job guys!

Some of us enjoying this amazing session...

We rarely talk about our gear, because it's not the gear that matters, it's the eye and mind behind the gear that makes the image. But with that said, yes, we love our NIKONs.

We had such an incredible afternoon with you guys. You were fantastic to work with and we had so much fun. Can't wait for you to see the rest of your photos. Looking forward to the wedding in August!

Like always, please comment, share and pin the photos you love!

Eric & Christy Photographers || Ohio Engagement & Wedding Photography

All Photos © Eric & Christy 2014

www.ericandchristy.com