TAYNEE MILLER PHOTOGRAPHY

Utah Wedding and Family Photographer

Engagement Photos

What is the best season for family photos?

by Leave a Comment

Moving from California to Utah, having four seasons has absolutely been a change for me! This last year I have really started to gain some perspective on what seasons I love to shoot in and would be best for family photos. At the end of the day, any season will work, it’s more about the pros and cons to each season and what you prefer.

Living in Utah we get four full seasons. I love that we do because it truly offers a lot of variety. The first thing you need ot decide is what scenery would you like. My favorite is spring time with all of the flowers in bloom. Anytime from April to October are prime months for photos in Utah. This makes it easy because really you could have spring, summer, or fall photos.

PROS FOR SPRING FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY- This is my FAVORITE!

  1. Warm weather
    -the kids will be happy it’s not to hot or to cold
  2. Blooming Flowers
    -This is my favorite time of year for pictures because the flowers truly can make for a stunning backdrop.
  3. Light colors and pastels are so beautiful in images.

CONS OF SPRING FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

  1. Bad Weather – It rains quite a bit from March-May sometimes even snows, so you need to stay flexible and ready to reschedule.
  2. Busy Photographers – this is when our season begins so we are focusing on engagements, bridals, families, it can get really busy.
  3. Hard to dress for- Bringing kids to this type of shoot, you want to be sure you plan for layers because if it is a breezy day the kids for sure will get cold.

PROS OF SUMMER FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

  1. You can start later and have the most BEAUTIFUL sunsets at the end of your session during the summer season
  2. Weather is hot, but that means you can dress in sundresses and linens
  3. Beautiful locations! The hills will be so green and that makes for some beautiful shots.

CONS OF SPRING FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

  1. HOT- Now I also called this a pro but it can be a con if it is way to hot! This is important to keep in mind what time you book at and where. If you book in the mountains it will be a little easier because the temps are a little lower.
  2. Scheduling issues.  
    – People travel a lot so it can be hard to find a time for a photographer to book you and have it work for everyone
fall family photography

PROS OF FALL FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

  1. Awesome temperatures – This is the best time to get some images while keeping everyone cool
  2. Beautiful fall foliage – Utah has the most amazing leaves, trees, and fall season. It’s also a great chance to get some more themed photos like at a pumpkin patch.

CONS OF FALL FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

  1. Turn around time -This is the BUSIEST time of the year as people are getting photos for Christmas cards and with these great temps. You should expect a longer wait time.
  2. Locations Crowded- A few of the main spots I love I know get so busy in the fall so you should plan to have multiple families and photographers at most locations .
  3. Busy timing – This is when school starts back up, holidays are coming, so things are crazy in scheduling world. This is important to notate if you also have kids in sports because your photographer might not be able to be super flexible.

PROS OF WINTER FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

  1. Open Schedules –This is probably the easiest time to book! Things are super mellow for most photographers this season and slow so it makes it easy for you to get in on your time frame.
  2. Chance of snow- I can’t even tell you how many shoots have had it start to snow during the shoot! It makes for some magical photos!
  3. Beautiful color tones – Majority of outdoor spots will be dead and be more neutral which can be great for images you will be putting in your home so that they work anywhere.

CONS OF WINTER FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

  1. It’s COLD! – I have been at shoots before that have been so freezing and that can be incredibly hard. You sometimes will have red hands, noses, other body parts from being so cold. It also typically goes a lot faster because of that.
  2. Limited on looks- you can go without coats but you will for sure be cold! This is something to keep in mind as you plan outfits and if you have kids in your shoot.

I hope this helps you! Which is your favorite season for family photos? Have you done each season? Would you want to try each season??

Ready to schedule your family photo session? Don’t wait! Send me a message here!

Red Butte Garden Engagement Session

by Leave a Comment

One of the best parts about Utah is the location variety like Red Butte Garden (see more

here) You get so many different looks it’s perfect for families, engagements, bridals, really any session.

Working with Jamie and Ben was so fun. My favorite part was getting to know them as a couple. They are so cute together and so well matched. It was just fun to see them interacting with each other and making each other laugh and open up in front of me. It was a fun little peek into the relationship. I always admire seeing couples really embrace their relationship so that it can shine through on their photos.

I’ve talked a ton about how outfits can really make the biggest difference in your photo shoot (you can see my post here). Jamie did an amazing job at picking out her dress and doing her makeup and coordinating outfits. They both looked perfect together. I loved the soft tones with this time of year and how she really took into account the location they were shooting at while picking outfits.

When you book a session with me, one thing I go over is location. I often have my own spots and then other popular spots that I know will photograph well. Jamie and Ben took the time to ponder my list of suggestions for location. They also went out on their own to look at the locations to see if it was what they wanted. Jamie said when she went to Red Butte Garden that she just knew that she loved this place and she found a beautiful spot by the waterfall that she wanted captured. This makes it so easy for me to include a piece they love also in their sessions. Red Butte Garden has so many different locations to offer within their gardens. I would highly recommend checking it out prior to your shoot if you choose this location.

We had snow the week before their engagement session so we weren’t sure exactly how green it would be, but we were able to find lots of beautiful sceneries. I also spotted one little patch of blooming flowers and I knew we had to somehow capture it and get photos with the new blooms. I’m so happy that I could photograph them in this beautiful location. I hope they love these dreamy photos.

Red Butte Garden engagement
Red Butte Garden engagement
Red Butte Garden engagement

Matthew and Michelle Surprise Proposal | Taynee Miller

by Leave a Comment

She was ecstatic and so happy to be engaged to the love of her life! This was such a fun session to do and be apart of and remind me why I love my job so much. The Bonneville Salt Flats truly are magnificent and although I don’t get out there often I was so glad I was able to capture such a special moment for them!

Matthew and Michelle live in North Carolina in Charlotte and were planning on coming to Utah for a vacation over Labor day. They had planned to go out to the Bonneville Salt Flats to see how beautiful it was, so Matthew planned to surprise Michelle with a proposal! I was so excited to be able to capture this time in their lives at sunset!

Matthew and I came up with a plan to meet at sunset and wanted to make sure Michelle had no idea, so we had to do some preplanning to be sure the surprise wasn’t ruined! I contacted some clients to do some engagement photos and be a decoy couple for me. I was able to do a session beforehand and not be obvious that I was there for the proposal. It made it such a fun and special session!

When I saw him get down on one knee, I sprinted over and Michelle had no idea what was going on, and was the most shocked bride I have seen! I loved that element of surprise and even more so that she had no idea I was capturing the moment! She looked at me and asked why I left my couple and I said, “This is all for you!!!” It made the whole situation truly so much fun.

She was ecstatic and so happy to be engaged to the love of her life! This was such a fun session to do and be apart of, and remind me why I love my job so much. The Bonneville Salt Flats truly are magnificent and although I don’t get out there often I was so glad I was able to capture such a special moment for them at a timeless location!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Taynee

Anna + Spencer Engagements | Utah Photographer Taynee Miller

by Leave a Comment

Anna and Spencer are high school sweethearts and both served missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and reconnected after and knew quickly it was meant to be! 

While we were doing their engagements I asked them something special about their story and they told me the cutest story. Spencer’s family is Disney obsessed! They love it so much and they go a few times a year. When he was a little boy he had a dream about wanting to propose to his wife in front of the Disney Castle. He had no idea, but Anna had the same dream as a little girl, and he was set on making dreams come true for both of them. Spencer flew out while Anna was on a trip with her family at Disneyland and surprised her by proposing in front of the Castle! I love that they both had this dream since they were little kids, and then seeing Spencer do so much to make this come true for both of them.

For their engagements session, they wanted fall colors in the mountains to capture the season of their engagement! They got engaged in early fall and will be married in January, so we will be doing a winter bridal sessions for them to finish it all up. I love working with this darling couple and hope you enjoy seeing their beautiful connection.