Sister Bay | A Father's Day Gift For The Whole Family
But what do you do to get a genuine reaction from five adults, three dogs, and a baby for a picture? Well, I’ll let you use your imagination :)
All Over Fish Creek | Marcie and Adam's Family Session of Acceptance and Change
We stopped at Malibu Moo’s for the last 5 minutes of our session. I wasn’t expecting the kids to get ice cream all over their faces (and eventually clothes and legs). We embraced the change, and now we’ll remember a fleeting moment of innocence for the rest of our lives.
Björklunden in Bailey's Harbor | A Photography Session for Many Celebrations
You might not know that Lawrence University has a small campus in Door County called Björklunden, and in addition to university affairs it’s also home to a variety of concerts, plays (including Door Shakespeare), weddings at Boynton Chapel, and hiking trails. With a Lawrence graduate in attendance, Björklunden was the perfect spot for a family photography session celebrating Pam (the matriarch of the family)’s 60th birthday, a couple of engagements, and an absence of two front teeth.
Sturgeon Bay's Bayshore Inn | Five Generations Family Session
I photograph families of all different sizes, and with 29 people the DeVries family session was twice the size of my second largest of the year so far. 29 is a lot of people, but it’s understandable when you have FIVE generations in a single photograph! That’s incredible!
Fish Creek's Sunset Beach Park | A Door County Family Vacation
We start every extended family session with full-group shots, and I could tell that one of the small girls didn’t fully understand what was going on. As you can imagine, the idea of a photoshoot is really confusing if you’ve never been part of one before! I crouched down and ask what her favorite funny words was. She was a little shy, but her dad said “coyote.”
“Coyote,” I said, “that’s pretty funny! When I count to three, I want you to say ‘coyote,’ ok? One, two, three!”
“COYOTE,” she said, and she did great every photograph after that :)
Marti and Morry's 50th Wedding Anniversary | Ephraim, WI
Marti and Morry celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year, and they called me and scheduled a photography session for themselves and their family. One of my favorite moments from the morning was when the kids came up to me (they were very photogenic) and said “We want to jump!”
Door County's Crossroads at Big Creek | Kids, Dogs, and Family
With six kids and three dogs, we had a lot of energy in our session and focused more on the in-between moments than traditional portraits. Each family takes photographs a little differently, and it’s important to tailor sessions accordingly. We started by the Heritage Village’s historic buildings for large group shots, walked to my favorite foot bridge, stopped in the fields, found a nice spot along the trail, and finished in the tall cedars by the parking lot. With all that covered ground, I was pretty tired by the end!
Fish Creek's Homestead Suites | Gary and Marsha's 50th Anniversary
To make the day special, Gary and Marsha rented a house in Fish Creek for their entire family to stay the week. Everyone had such sparkling personalities, and they welcomed me with open arms. I learned which of Gary and Marsha’s three boys was the biggest trouble maker growing up, their grandchildren’s favorite ice cream (chocolate and cotton candy), and narrowly escaped a $20 bet that the kids couldn’t wrestle their uncle to the ground in five seconds (I’d never been so relieved to count to six).
Jacksonport Beachfront Airbnb | Cheers to 80 Years Extended Family Photography Session
Beth scheduled a photography session for her mother’s 80th birthday, but she and her family got so much more than just a group photograph. After getting a few awesome pictures of everyone together, we split into smaller groups and got a TON of work done in an hour. In addition to the large group photograph, we captured grandma with all her grandchildren, each individual family, a mini engagement session, a champagne pop, and candids of everyone having a great time!
Judy and Paul's 50th Wedding Anniversary on Kangaroo Lake in Bailey's Harbor
Families gather in Door County from many places and for many reasons. For Judy and Paul, their entire family flew from as far north at Canada and as far west as California to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. They spent the weekend together at a house rental on Kangaroo Lake and were blessed with fantastic weather for early May. After editing their photographs today, I enjoyed the evening napping on the porch with my wife and cat. Congratulations to Judy and Paul for the love you’ve shared for 50 years, and I’m excited to do the same :)
Twins High School Graduation Photography Session | Curtis and Bill
Does this count as a family or senior session? I don’t know, but I don’t mind blurring the lines! Bill and Curtis are twins graduating from high school in a few months, and they —along with their two best friends— will be splitting to attend separate colleges across the state. As a graduation gift, their grandmother scheduled a portrait session.
Door County's Crossroads at Big Creek | Winter Family Session for a Wedding Couple
The keys to a successful family session are to have fun, get the children involved, and celebrate the group as well as each individual. As Andrew and Elianna prepared baby Aria in her stroller, I gave the kids my camera to take pictures of each other. It’s a simple act, but it broke the boundaries associated with a camera, and they were immediately receptive to having their photographs taken.
Door County's Crossroads at Big Creek | Sally and Jason's Family Photography Session
We began with a traditional family session, and all I can say is WOW they were so photogenic! It always makes my job easy when kids are smily and giggly, and that’s exactly what I got. After our formal shots, Sally and Jason took turns tossing the littles in the air, and their expressions were pure gold. We finished with a quick game of tag before heading back to the car for juice and cookies.
We spent the second half of our session getting couple’s shots.
“Good luck,” Sally said, “we’re so awkward in front of the camera.”
That’s what they all say :)
Door County's Crossroads at Big Creek | Mini Winter Session for a Friend
On our way out, Linzee told me that their session was different than everything they’ve had in the past. She said that all of their other photographers just told them to smile for the camera, and she really appreciated how we created experiences and focused on her family’s personality. I wouldn’t have it any other way :)
Casadont Family Christmas | Large Family Photography Session
The holidays are a time for family reunions, and for the Casadont crew that means several flights from California back to Sturgeon Bay. If you’re thinking of hiring a photographer for your family, I’d love to walk you through my process.
Door County's Crossroads at Big Creek | Three Generations Fall Family Session
Dianne brings her whole family on a Door County vacation each year, and she wanted to commemorate 2018 with a photography session; what a great idea! Dianne is married to Mark, and they have a grown daughter Ali. Ali is married to Jacob, and together they have children Myra and Mackston.
After bouncing a few ideas around, we decided to work at Door County’s Crossroads at Big because of its vast location variety in short walking distance as well as its public indoor facility. Convenience is key when you have an infant!