Family Portraits

What is the best season for family photos?

April 9, 2022 by tayneemillerphotography@gmail.com 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!

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

CONS OF SPRING FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

Bad Weather – It rains quite a bit from March-May sometimes even snows, so you need to stay flexible and ready to reschedule.
Busy Photographers – this is when our season begins so we are focusing on engagements, bridals, families, it can get really busy.
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

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

CONS OF SPRING FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

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.
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

PROS OF FALL FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

Awesome temperatures – This is the best time to get some images while keeping everyone cool
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

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.
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 .
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

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.
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!
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

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.
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!

Christy Family | Spring Utah Session

March 24, 2022 by tayneemillerphotography@gmail.com Leave a Comment

Spring is almost here and I am so excited for warmer weather and beautiful flowers and greens in my images. Shooting a Spring Utah session is such a treat. It truly is so beautiful and full of so many diverse spots to shoot at.

This session is such a beautiful setting and gives just the right amount of added color. I loved how they used blues as their base colors for their outfits and then complemented those colors. With their outfits next to the flowers it was the absolute perfect mix. Earlier this year I created a post with some guidance on what to wear for a session and what type of looks you should be looking for. You can find that post here.

Seeing new parents with their kids is always such a treat. It’s a time where things are still fairly mellow and not overly chaotic, which allows the session to really be managed by myself to be sure we get great images. One of the main things I tell my parents before shoots is that it’s my responsibility to get the good images. I will do all that I know and can to make sure I keep everyone happy and capture your little babies.

The Christy family is such a beautiful family. When they showed up I knew they had such a beautiful spark and seeing how organic their connections were really made it so easy for me to photograph them. I loved how sweet mom and dad were with their sweet boy and how excited they were for their cake smash portion of the shoot.

The cake smash part was so fun to do. I always love this tradition and think it’s such a fun way for kids to celebrate turning one and for mom and dad to do something a little out of their box. You really only need a small 5 inch cake for this, so that it is only used by the one year old.

I hope this gives you some great ideas as we head into spring season here or inspires you to want a Utah Spring Session.

Allyson + Sydnee | Mona Lavender Fields

March 17, 2022 by tayneemillerphotography@gmail.com Leave a Comment

Moving back to Utah has been such a delight to have all four seasons. I have loved having so much variety for shoots to meet each person’s needs and wants. I am excited to show you some images from Mona Lavender Fields.

Of the seasons, summer might be my favorite here in Utah. You have so many different options for wildflowers, including the Mona Lavender Fields. It is one of the most beautiful locations, but it only blooms for about two weeks a year before they harvest it, giving limited opportunities for shoots.

This year, I will be doing mini sessions at the Lavender Fields to give more people the chance to have such a stunning backdrop.

Last year, I shot two beautiful sisters and immediately after starting, I knew it would be one of my absolute favorite shoots. I was so excited to go home and edit them and they did not disappoint. If this is a location or a bucket list spot for you, keep a look out for when I announce my mini sessions at the Mona Lavender Fields. My instagram link is provided here and I will be posting on stories when I open up dates.

Belnap Family | Utah Photographer

March 4, 2022 by tayneemillerphotography@gmail.com Leave a Comment

Excited to share another extended family session! I will always recommend when your whole family is together to get updated photos. Extended family sessions come with a big group photo as well as individual family pictures. A great way to update all different groupings.

We shot these out at Daybreak and it was once again a beautiful location and the weather was wonderful for the photos. I recommend having a clean location for a big extended family session.

Moncur Vow Renewal | Utah Photographer

February 25, 2022 by tayneemillerphotography@gmail.com Leave a Comment

The Moncurs, married 10 years ago, wanted to renew their vows with the family they had built together. Next to a bridge with a beautiful view of Oquirrh Lake at Day Break, I was so excited to be a part of such an important part of their life. It was absolutely stunning.

For the service, they only had their kids in attendance, one of whom acted as their officiant. As a spectator to the event, to see their son officiate was such a sweet touch to the whole experience. I loved seeing this because I found the children felt invested in the experience, and what better than to have your children a part of your commitment to your spouse and family. The kids made promises to their parents and to the family also as a part of the ceremony.

There are so many ways you can renew your vows and this was just an example of how they made it unique to them. They had a rose jar where they put their vows after they made their promises, which provides another symbolic and lasting representation they can remember forever.

It truly was such an intimate experience, and I was honored to capture them as they committed themselves once again to one another. They gave gifts to the kids at the ceremony, said a few things to one another, and made their promises. I am so honored that this is my job and grateful for the beautiful memories.

Williams Family | Utah Family Photographer

February 16, 2022 by tayneemillerphotography@gmail.com Leave a Comment

Winter is flying by which means we will be in spring and summer soon and that’s the perfect time for family photos! This session was done in the late fall early winter, but if you want something a little warmer, the next 6 months coming up will be for you!

Planning ahead of time not only takes some stress of you for the rest of the year but allows you to prepare for your shoot also. I love when a client has a vision just as much as I do for their session but allows me to create the magic!

The Williams family is my husband’s best friend from high school and it was so fun to reconnect with them and get some fun lifestyle images! We really focused on being fun and energetic so that the boys personalities would be reflected.

We did the William’s family session in Daybreak and it was such a fun setting. They have some great backgrounds, cute field areas, and even some water areas that really give you a diverse look for the session. Her boys were so lovely and well behaved and I hope I get to keep continuing to capture their friendship as it grows over the years!