Jamie & Her Kids | Cosumnes River Preserve Family Session
Elk Grove Family Photographer
This was one of those sessions that felt easy from the very beginning. Jamie and her kids, Campbell and Calvin, showed up ready to just be themselves—and that always makes the biggest difference. We stayed in one area at Cosumnes River Preserve, letting the light and surroundings do their thing while focusing on what matters most: their connection as a family.
Starting Simple with Natural Connection
We started the session nice and simple with a mix of full family, individual portraits, and a few sweet combinations in between. This is always my favorite way to begin—it gives everyone a chance to ease in and get comfortable.
Right away, you could see how close they are. The kids naturally stayed close to mom, and those little interactions—hands on shoulders, leaning in, quick smiles—set the tone for the entire session.
A Fun Change of Pace on the Table
Moving over to the table gave us a fun shift without really changing locations. We captured a mix of everyone looking toward the camera and a few more interactive moments—and honestly, those in-between interactions are always where the magic happens.
The way the kids leaned into mom, laughed, and just enjoyed being together made these feel so natural and full of personality.
A Mix of Together & One-on-One Moments
This part of the session gave us a little bit of everything—full family photos along with individual moments between Jamie and each of her kids.
I always make sure to capture those one-on-one connections. There’s something really special about those images for both mom and each child. You can see the different personalities come out, but also the same sense of comfort and closeness in each pairing.
A Quiet Walk Together
These are always some of my favorite moments in any session—the quieter ones.
Watching Campbell and Calvin walk hand-in-hand down the path felt so natural and unposed. It’s simple, but it tells such a strong story of their relationship right now. Those are the kinds of images that tend to mean even more as time goes on.
Classic Family Portraits on the Bridge
The bridge gave us a clean, classic backdrop to wrap in some traditional family portraits.
These are the images that tend to end up on the wall or in frames—everyone together, close, and smiling. Even here, though, it never felt stiff. The connection between them kept everything feeling relaxed and genuine.
Ending in the Wildflowers
We finished the session in the tall wildflowers, and it couldn’t have been a better way to end. The light was soft, the colors were beautiful, and by this point, everyone was completely relaxed.
We captured a mix of full family images and individuals here, giving us that perfect variety to round out the session. It’s always one of my favorite spots at the preserve, especially in the spring.
This session is a great reminder that you don’t need multiple locations or anything complicated to create meaningful images. One beautiful spot, a little bit of good light, and a family that’s comfortable being together—that’s really all it takes.
Jamie, Campbell, and Calvin made this one easy, and it shows in every image.
Take a look at a few more family sessions below for inspiration and ideas for your own portraits.
