Outdoor Minnesota family pictures at home with a wonderful family, five dogs, and one little boy named Waylon who completely stole the show
After almost twenty years as a Minnesota family photographer, I have to say something that is a little hard to admit…
Most families don’t actually look forward to family pictures.
Wait… let me explain…
Somewhere along the way, family sessions got this reputation for being stressful. Everyone has to find outfits, convince reluctant family members to cooperate (ahem… dads), and somehow get kids, grown humans, and maybe even a dog or two to look at the camera at the exact same moment.
And honestly? I get it.
But here’s the funny thing. Once our clients get to the session, something changes. The pressure fades, people relax, and before long they’re less worried about creating the “perfect family picture” and more focused on simply spending time together.
Sessions like this one are exactly why I love photographing families the way I do. Less pressure. Less stress. More time together.
I’ve known the Molitor crew for well over ten years. We first met during an extended family session way back when, and over the years I’ve had the privilege of photographing all three of their kids’ senior pictures — each session uniquely their own. I’ve watched this family grow up over the years, and getting to come back together for a long overdue family session felt a little bit like catching up with old friends.
This time around, though, the family had grown.
There was a new grandson, Waylon, who quickly established himself as the star of the evening. Two new daughter-in-laws that have just as much spunk and wit as the rest of this hilarious crew. And, to make things even more fun, there were also five dogs that absolutely had to be included in the festivities. (Because why not?)
Instead of meeting at just a random park in Central Minnesota, we spent the evening on this family’s property, wandering through a grove of oak trees and a beautiful wildflower field that Faith had planted herself. At-home family photos always seem to feel a little more personal and a lot more meaningful.
It would have been easy to focus on getting just one perfect family portrait and calling it a day, but there was so much more to this family that needed to be shown.
That ‘perfect’ photo usually isn’t the one people often remember from their family session.
Instead, it’s the giant group hug where everyone is laughing.
It’s Mom and Dad sneaking away for a few quiet portraits together after raising three incredible kids.
It’s the dogs refusing to cooperate in the most dog-like way possible. (see below)
It’s Waylon being passed from one set of arms to another, perfectly content with all the attention.
It’s the walk back down the driveway at the end of the night with the tiniest glimpse of the family farm in the distance when nobody was really even thinking about taking pictures anymore. They were just enjoying being together.
I think that’s the secret to great family photos.
You see, your family doesn’t need to perform for the camera.
The kids don’t have to sit perfectly still. The dogs don’t have to behave. You don’t need to spend the entire session worrying about whether everyone’s smiling at the same time.
The goal isn’t to create a version of your family that doesn’t exist. The goal is to preserve exactly who your family is right now.
Years from now, I doubt anyone will remember exactly what they wore to this session. They probably won’t remember how many photos we took or even how many mosquitos they swatted as they walked through the flower field.
I think they will remember Waylon’s first family pictures.
I think they will remember the hilarious stubborn dogs.
I think they will remember the feeling of being at home amongst the oak trees on their family property.
I think they will remember this season of life, when everyone was just… together.
That’s what I hope every family session becomes. Not an exercise in creating perfect photos, but an evening spent making memories with the people you love most while I quietly document it all along the way.
Because the best family photos usually happen when you stop worrying about the family photo and instead simply enjoy being a family.
If there’s a season of your family’s story you’d like to remember exactly as it is today, I’d love to help you tell it.
