I have families like this one to thank for pushing me into new corners of San Francisco.
Our communication before the session was a bit sparse, as it often is when there are three kids in the mix. Mom suggested Lake Merced, a place I knew well enough but hadn’t photographed before. When we arrived, it quickly became clear that the meeting point we’d agreed on wasn’t quite the spot this family had imagined.
A last-minute location scramble is never my hope for a family session, but adaptation may be my most valuable skill. So we adapted. Quickly.
And the thing is, those quick pivots are often what break us out of routine and open the door to something better than the plan.
When we arrived at this new-to-me park on the edge of the lake, my senses were fully heightened. We had forty-five minutes before sunset. Three kids. And the invisible mountain that had already been climbed to get everyone there dressed, fed, and in reasonably good spirits. I don’t take that lightly. Every part of me was tuned toward making the most of that effort and honoring it with great photographs.
As it turned out, our improvised location delivered. The sunset light was extraordinary. A full moon rose over the glassy water. A small bridge became the quiet center of the session. We began in golden hour and finished in blue hour, leaning into that gentle, in-between moment when afternoon gives way to evening.
This Is Why
This is why I photograph families – because want you to remember how it felt.
If you see beauty in the chaos, if you want to remember the whole rollercoaster that is childhood + parenthood, I hear you.
Want to chat? Drop me a note.
