Most people call a Tuscaloosa family photographer because of a milestone.

Beth reached out to me for a family session with one of my favorite reasons a mom can give: they were repainting the house.

Which meant fresh walls, and fresh walls have a way of making you look around and realize the photos hanging on them are two haircuts and one whole personality out of date. It was time for updated family photos.

So we picked a date, and then Tuscaloosa did what Tuscaloosa does in the summer, which is get hot enough that you start negotiating with the weather app. We went anyway. And honestly? It ended up being one of my favorite sessions of the season.

Starting at Gorgas Library

Beth told me early on that she pictured something authentic, elegant, and classy. Not stiff. Not overly styled. Just beautiful, and still them.

The steps at Gorgas Library on the University of Alabama campus were the obvious answer. That white columned front has a timeless quality that photographs like architecture from a much older, much fancier place, and it gives a family session a little weight without making anyone feel like they’re posing for a portrait studio in 1998.

We spent about thirty to forty minutes there. That’s usually the sweet spot with young kids, especially in July. Long enough to get the images that will actually go on the wall, short enough that nobody melts down. Literally or emotionally.

Meet Asher and Irelia

Asher is five and plays soccer. Irelia is three and does ballet. Both of them love cats, dogs, Sonic, and Spider-Man, which came up approximately every ninety seconds, and which I fully support as conversation topics.

They were also, and I mean this as the highest compliment, absolutely hilarious.

I do a lot of goofy things at the beginning of a session to get kids comfortable with me. I ask ridiculous questions. I let them be the boss for a minute. I make myself the least intimidating adult in the vicinity. Asher and Irelia took that ball and ran with it, and what I got back was a solid stretch of the most committed funny faces I’ve seen in a while.

At one point I looked over at Beth and Jodell and they were just looking at each other, shaking their heads. That look every parent gives their partner that means “these are the ones we made.”

Those are my favorite frames, by the way. Not the funny faces, though those are going in the gallery too. The look on the parents’ faces while it’s happening.

A Word about Bribery

Beth came prepared with gummies.

She told the kids up front: do well during pictures, and gummies are happening. And reader, it worked. Beautifully.

I tell moms all the time to bring a bribe. A small treat, a favorite snack, something saved just for that day. I am not above it and neither should you be. A three year old does not have an internal reason to care about family photos. She has a reason to care about a gummy. We work with the tools we have.

One tip: keep it small and keep it out of sight until you need it. Something that won’t stain a mouth or take ten minutes to eat. And let me know you’ve got it, so I can help you time it for the moment we actually need the extra cooperation.

Then to the Riverwalk at Golden Hour

After Gorgas, we loaded back into our cars and drove the short distance over to the western side of the Tuscaloosa Riverwalk. We got there right at sunset, and it was gorgeous. That soft, low, forgiving light that makes everything look like a memory.

I’d brought along a little battery powered fan, which turned out to be one of the more popular items of the evening. In an Alabama summer, a fan is not a luxury, it’s a strategy. Between shots, we’d cool the kids off, let them shake out the wiggles, and go again.

I try hard to keep sessions fun for the little ones, and that matters even more when it’s hot. Kids don’t have a great filter for discomfort. If they’re miserable, it shows up in every single frame. So we move, we play, we take breaks, we cool off, we keep it light. It’s not a photoshoot to them. It’s an evening outside with a lady who asks weird questions.

What I do when mom is nervous

Almost everyone is a little nervous at the start. Almost everyone. That’s not a flaw in you, that’s just what it feels like to be looked at closely, and a good Tuscaloosa family photographer should be planning for it. And I’d rather name it than pretend it isn’t happening.

Beth’s nerves were mostly about the kids. Would they cooperate? Would they listen? I told her not to worry about it, that this is my whole thing, and to let me carry that part. A few minutes in, she could see it was going to be fine, and I watched her shoulders come down.

A few of the ways I try to make this easier:

A questionnaire before we ever meet. I send one out so I can learn about your family ahead of time, and so I’m not making small talk with strangers on the day of. I already know the kids’ names, what they’re into, and what matters to you.

Direct questions at the session. I’ll ask things like, “Do you have a side you prefer in photos?” and “Is there anything you’re self conscious about, so I can make sure it isn’t showing up on camera?” People are sometimes surprised I ask so plainly. But if you’re spending the whole session worrying about your arms, you’re not going to be present with your family, and it’s going to show. I’d rather just handle it.

Actual conversation. I ask how you met, how long you’ve been married, whether you’re from around here. Partly because it relaxes everyone. Mostly because I’m genuinely curious.

Which is how I found out that Beth and Jodell met through video games. They still play together, along with golfing and, in their words, “spending time with our children.” Five years of marriage and they still light each other up a little. You can see it in the images.

The part that made my week

After Beth saw the final gallery, she texted me to say she absolutely loved them. She also said something that stuck with me. She usually gets buyer’s remorse, and this time she didn’t have one bit of it.

I’ve thought about that text more than once since because it seriously made my day and it’s what keeps me going.

What this session reminded me

This one reminded me that the connecting is the job.

Not the settings on my camera. Not the location scouting, though I love that part. The actual work is noticing that a mom is worried about her kids cooperating and taking that worry off her plate. It’s asking the slightly awkward question so she doesn’t spend an hour bracing. It’s bringing a fan because it’s ninety five degrees and a three year old deserves to be comfortable.

When people feel genuinely cared for, they relax. When they relax, they’re themselves. And when they’re themselves, I get to photograph something true instead of something arranged.

The LaReau family made that easy. Thank you all for letting me spend an evening with you.

If your walls are looking a little out of date

If you’ve been thinking it’s time for updated family photos, whether you’re repainting, moving, or just realized your youngest has changed completely since the last set, I’d love to hear from you. You can reach out here and we’ll talk about what you have in mind. There is no pressure and no script. Just a conversation.

And if a full session feels like more than you’re looking for right now, I have mini sessions coming up. They’re shorter, simpler, and a lovely way to get a handful of updated images without planning a whole evening around it.

Either way, I hope you get some photos on those walls. The season you’re in right now is worth keeping.