Family Session at Ridley Creek State Park
November sessions at Ridley Creek State Park always have a little extra magic. The leaves are hanging on just enough to give us rich autumn color, the air feels crisp, and everything slows down in the best way. This family session was the perfect example of why late-fall photos are some of our favorites.
This sweet family of five came ready to have fun — mom, dad, their twin daughters, and their son. From the moment we started, the kids absolutely crushed it. Anyone who’s photographed young kids knows that’s no small feat, and this crew truly impressed us.
Of course, every successful family session has a little behind-the-scenes teamwork. The parents came prepared with some top-tier motivation: promises of Happy Meals and ice cream afterward. Honestly, that’s elite parenting strategy right there. We added a little extra encouragement on our end too — candy breaks sprinkled throughout the session to keep energy high and spirits happy. Hershey Kiss breaks quickly became a fan favorite and gave us plenty of smiles between shots.
One of our favorite parts of this session was the color coordination mom chose. The outfits worked beautifully with the natural tones of Ridley Creek in November — warm, cohesive, and timeless without being overly “matchy.” The colors photographed so well against the fall foliage and added an extra layer of polish to the final gallery.
One thing that really mattered to us during this session was making sure mom and dad were just as much a part of the story as the kids. As families grow and life gets busier, we see it all the time — parents naturally pour all their energy into their children, and somewhere along the way, photos of them together quietly disappear. The kids are documented beautifully, but the relationship that started it all often gets overlooked. We’re always intentional about changing that.
During this session, we carved out time for just the two of them — small moments, easy laughs, standing close, reconnecting for a second while the kids took a break (and enjoyed a few Hershey Kisses). These photos aren’t just “extra” images; they’re reminders. Reminders of who they are together in this season, of the partnership that carries their family forward.
We believe family sessions should tell the whole story. The kids matter deeply — and they did an incredible job — but so do the parents. Their relationship deserves to be documented through the years, just like every growing smile and missing tooth.
This family trusted us with that, and it meant so much. Capturing them at Ridley Creek this November felt less like a session and more like preserving a chapter — one full of love, laughter, candy breaks, and the quiet strength of two parents at the center of it all.
