Makenzie and Ben are not only the cutest couple, but also the best parents to the two cutest little kiddos around. I mean, come on, this family is just adorable. I was so excited to get to capture their beautiful family and have some fun in the desert at sunset! Little Hudson was loving it, climbing around when he wasn't asking why this was talking so long ever 2 minutes lol! We went out to one of my favorite spots for some cool golden hour family portraits, and the results were just perfect.
With Joshua Trees, beautiful creosent bushes, and these wild cream cliffs, the fossil beds are a seriously epic location for any kind of photoshoot! My philosophy on family portraits is get the classic poses, but don't go overboard. How many different variations of everyone huddles together smiling do you really need? You are only going to hang 1-3 of this exact photo... so then once we get that, it's all about having fun! I think family photos, and just photos in general are one of the most important things, especially in order to remember and look back upon. My photos with my Dad are priceless, and I wish I had more. I wish I had photos of us like this every few years, but at least the ones I do have I can look back on and see him smiling and hugging me.
So as someone who understands how much family photos really mean, this has really changed how I prepare and look at a family session. It's not about how many "good" photos I can get in a bunch of different poses, but how many smiles, laughs, and real moments I can get of everyone there, so they have these memories forever.
Las Vegas has so many gorgeous and epic locations around, all they are all so different looking... like wild orange rocks, beautiful lakes, aspen groves, and dry lake beds... making being a photographer in Las Vegas so much fun! I get to suggest these crazy locations to my clients, and sometimes get the chance to show them something they've never seen! Like this spot, Makenzie and Ben live only a few miles from and now they can take their kids hiking there or go out exploring, which is such a fun thing to do on a Saturday!
One of my favorite things about this spot is the colors. The way the desert lights up and almost glows when the sun hits it just right is extraordinary! The warm tones are just perfect for beautiful family portraits. To me, colors are a big indicator of feeling, and the yellow warm tones conveying warmth and happiness, the exact feelings every family portrait session should show!
Hudson and Liberty are just such cuties... I mean look at these two! I was dying the entire shoot because Liberty's little pig tails were glowing with the sun shining behind her. And Hudson was so sweet, holding her up, giving her sweet little kisses, and just being such a good big brother! She was so cute and happy the entire shoot, I can't wait to see what she's like when she can talk and run around! And this family just has the biggest blue eyes you have ever seen, just absolutely gorgeous!
XOXO,
HAYWAY
