Rain



In Early September at Gordy Jolma, in Brush Prairie, I picture golden grass, tall evergreens and sunshine.


Instead, it rained.


The entire time.


So naturally, we took pictures anyway. 😂


I knew this family from school, my daughter went to preschool with their daughter, so it was really nice getting to spend some time with them outside of the usual school drop-off/pick-up chaos.


The kids weren't exactly thrilled about the rain or the wet grass when we started, and it took a little while for everyone to warm up. But after a few minutes, they seemed to forget about the weather and started being themselves. Which is usually when the good stuff starts happening.

From "Say Cheese" to Stinky Feet



I'll admit, there was a moment during this session when I got nervous and completely abandoned everything I've learned about getting natural smiles.


"Say cheese!"


Yep. I said it. Not exactly my proudest photography moment. 😂

Thankfully, I quickly remembered that there are much better ways to get real smiles out of kids. So, we moved on to more important topics, like stinky feet. That worked considerably better.


The kids got progressively sillier as the session went on, and their personalities really started coming through. Their son had some of the best goofy facial expressions and even had a few ideas of his own for pictures. At one point he suggested taking photos in a specific spot because the bridge would be in the background.


Honestly, I appreciate a client who comes with creative direction. 😂

A Rainy Walk at Gordy Jolma



One of the fun things about Gordy Jolma is that there's plenty to see without having to turn a family session into a major expedition. We took a nice walk along the trail, stopping for photos along the way and talking about pretty much everything—golf, the old train bridge, the creek, parenting, and whatever else came up.


The location actually had a little extra meaning for this family because they enjoy golfing, and Dad had golfed here years ago when the property was still The Cedar Golf Course. It was neat to photograph their family somewhere that already had a little bit of history for them.


I've learned my lesson about height differences since a previous session, so instead of attempting the awkward "Dad bends approximately four feet downward to kiss Mom" pose, I had him give her a forehead kiss. Much better. Mom just had to stand on her tiptoes to make it work. 😂


Sometimes the weather doesn't cooperate. Sometimes the kids don't immediately cooperate either. And sometimes the photographer panic says "say cheese."

You just keep going.


And eventually, everybody forgets about the rain.