outdoor family photos near Harrisburg PA

Family in All Forms: Nontraditional Family Photos in Harrisburg PA

When you think of family portraits, you probably picture a conventional family, as most of us do: two parents and a few kids. While that’s what most of my family photos in Harrisburg PA look like, every so often I have the joy of photographing a nontraditional family or chosen family. Recently I had that joy in my family photo session with two wonderful best friends and their children and it reminded me of how truly special these types of nontraditional family portraits in Harrisburg PA are. 

Mom best friends share a fun moment with their kids during their non traditional family photo session near Harrisburg PA
Best Family Photographer near Harrisburg PA

What Do Nontraditional Family Portraits Look Like?

Nontraditional family portraits can look so many different ways! In this case, it was a mom and her child with her dear friend and her child. It could also be a co-parenting family – children with their parents and stepparents. Or, your photo session could be your traditional family along with someone else who plays a strong role in your family, like your kids’ nanny or an extended family member who lives with you.

Ultimately, your nontraditional family portraits can include anyone who feels like family to you (within reason of course, because a family photo shoot with 20 people is a whole different ball game!). And that’s what makes it so special: it’s the people who are your family in a truly authentic way.

Toddler best friends share a sweet moment during their outdoor photography session with Karissa Zimmer Photography
Best outdoor portrait Photography | Harrisburg PA

The Beauty of Nontraditional Family Photos in Harrisburg PA

Nontraditional family photo sessions hold a special place in my heart for so many reasons.

First, they honor the relationships in your life that go beyond the bounds of genetics and our typical ideas of family. There’s no reason that your best friends or your cousins, for example, should have the joy of a photography session together just because it’s not a societal tradition (yet).

Second, these sessions celebrate the amazing fact that as people we can form amazing bonds with each other regardless of details like genetics or marriage certificates. Sometimes the most important and meaningful relationships in our life aren’t with our birth family, and in fact, it can be even more special that you and these people found each other in the world and developed such a deep relationship.

Third, I believe that a family photo session is a joy that everyone deserves to have. There are so many people who don’t have close family members or who don’t have a relationship with their family for countless different reasons. A nontraditional family photo session opens the door for all of these people to have the same joy and memories of a family photo shoot that people with traditional families get to enjoy.

Best Harrisburg PA family photographer captures a special bond between best friends and their children.

Creating Your Own Nontraditional Family Photos in Harrisburg PA

Whoever those people are in your life who are family in your heart, even if they’re not family by blood or marriage, I’d be honored to create stunning portraits for you! Contact Karissa Zimmer Photography and let’s start planning.

Two moms who are best friends and their toddlers have a outdoor family photoshoot together in a creek near Harrisburg
Best friend moms and their toddlers walk together in the woods at their outdoor family photoshoot

Family in All Forms: Nontraditional Family Photos in Harrisburg PA Read More »

The Benefits of Outdoor Family Photography in Harrisburg PA

We’re finally seeing those first few hints of spring after a long Pennsylvania winter! It’s enough to make anyone want to run outside and just bask in the sunlight we’ve all been missing this winter. One way you can take advantage of the beautiful spring is with outdoor family photography in Harrisburg PA. If you’re deciding between an in-studio or outdoor photo shoot, here are some special perks of outdoor portraits.

Best Family Photographer near Harrisburg PA
Outdoor Family Photoshoot

Authentic Family Fun

The best family photos always come from genuine smiles. I want your family to have fun during your photo shoot! Outdoor environments are a perfect way to do this. For many people, photography studios can be intimidating, but when your photo shoot is in a park, you’re in an area that is meant for fun and recreation, so it’s easier for the whole family to let loose and have a great time.

toddler girl smiles big next to bright red flowers at her outdoor family photo session in downtown Harrisburg PA

Low-Stress Environments for Parents of Active Kids

When you have active and energetic little ones, a photo studio can be a stressful place. You’re worried about your child running into equipment that could be dangerous or expensive, or messing up a carefully constructed background, so you feel the need to govern every step your child takes.

Outdoors, that’s not a problem! There’s plenty of space for kids to run around and be themselves, showing off that fun spirit that we want to celebrate in your family portraits. We can even choose a photo shoot location that your family is familiar with, like a park that you often visit, where you know your kids can run and play without safety hazards.

little girl plays outside at her Harrisburg family photo session

Taking Advantage of Nature’s Beauty for Outdoor Family Photography in Harrisburg PA

An indoor photo studio can be designed to make for beautiful photo backgrounds, but why create a pretty background when nature has already done the work for us? We’re fortunate in the Harrisburg area to have plenty of gorgeous parks and outdoor settings that are perfect for family photos, and as a local family photographer, I know all the best spots! I’ll work with you to choose a photo shoot location based on the look and colors you want in your portraits.

Outdoor Family Photography session at The Peter Allen House near Harrisburg PA
Family Photography at The Peter Allen House

Creating Memories in the Moment

You want your family photos to be beautiful artwork for your home, of course, but they should be so much more than that too. A family portrait can transport you back in time to this amazing stage in your life, no matter how many years pass. It’s even better when the photo itself is linked to specific memories with your family. That’s my goal for family photo shoots: to allow your family to simply have fun and enjoy the day together while I turn that experience into gorgeous artwork. Outdoor photography is perfect for this - every time you see the portrait, you won’t just remember bringing the family to a studio, you’ll remember all the fun you had at that park spending quality time together.

Harrisburg PA Family of 4 smiles together at their Outdoor family photo session

Make the Most of This Spring! How to Book Your Outdoor Family Photography in Harrisburg PA

Outdoor family photography in Harrisburg PA is an investment you’ll thank yourself for in the years to come, and this spring is the perfect time to take advantage of our stunning local scenery! Contact Karissa Zimmer Photography to book your family photo session.

The Benefits of Outdoor Family Photography in Harrisburg PA Read More »

Harrisburg Fall Family Photos: Tips for Better Family Portraits

Harrisburg fall family photos are some of my favorite client portraits. They have a quaint and cozy feel that will warm anyone’s heart, and they take advantage of the stunning autumn colors we have here in Pennsylvania. For families, a fall photo session is a fabulous way to get beautiful custom artwork that preserves the memories of this chapter in their lives. How can you make sure your fall family portraits turn out the best that they can? Follow these tips to prep for your session like a pro.

Best Harrisburg Family Photographer captures fall family portraits

Plan Your Wardrobe Strategically

As a mom, I know that planning your family’s wardrobe for a photo shoot can be a daunting task. I recommend that you start with your own outfit and then just go one person at a time. Choose one or two core colors that are fall-appropriate, like rust orange or navy blue, and then complement them with neutrals. Here are a few other tips that can help:

  • Avoid any items with prominent logos or words (something subtle like a small logo on a shirt pocket is fine).
  • Stick to solid colors and simple patterns, avoiding patterns that are too bold or busy. If you aren’t sure about an item, take a full-body picture of someone wearing it and look at whether it takes attention away from the person’s face.
  • Choose earthy neutrals like tan, gray, and ivory as opposed to more stark neutrals like white and black (white and black can be excellent for some other seasons, but more natural shades look better with fall colors).
  • Bring fall-appropriate layers, like scarves, jackets, and wraps, that look nice with your wardrobe. These add texture and will come in handy on a chilly fall day.
Outdoor Fall Family photographer captures images near Harrisburg PA

Keep Your Kids in the Loop

Have a chat with your kids in advance to let them know that the photo shoot is happening. When you do, present it as a fun family outing rather than as something unpleasant the kids will have to do. If you lead with a positive attitude, they’re more likely to follow suit and come to the photo session with a smile on their face.

Best Harrisburg Family PhotographerBest Child Photographer near Harrisburg PA

Set Your Deadline as the Day Before Your Harrisburg Fall Family Photos

This is one of those little mind tricks that works wonders! When you’re preparing everything for your session, set your mental “deadline” as not the photoshoot day but the day before your photo shoot. Plan to have all the outfits laundered, pressed, and hanging together, have a bag of snacks and drinks packed in the fridge, etc. Last-minute issues can arise on the day of, so if all those details are already done, you have room in your schedule to accommodate those issues.

Candid outdoor fall photos in Central PA

Keep in Touch with Your Photographer

You and your photographer are a team with the same goal: to create amazing fall family photos for your family. Make sure you communicate with them like a teammate. If you change your mind about anything, from the color scheme of your wardrobe to deciding to include grandparents in the photos, speak with your photographer so they can plan accordingly.

Child outdoor photography session

Make Sure No One Arrives Hungry for Your Harrisburg Fall Family Photos

Fall family photo sessions often take place around dinner time because that hour just before sunset creates beautiful natural lighting. But it’s best to have your dinner before the session rather than after, particularly if your kids are little. We want your kids to be having fun and flashing plenty of happy smiles, and that’s more likely to happen with a full belly. If you want to give the kids something to look forward to, you can take them out for dessert after the session.

Outdoor child portraits in Harrisburg

Plan Extra Travel Time

I can’t emphasize the importance of this enough! First, your session is scheduled for a specific time based on the sunset time. If you get stuck in traffic and arrive 15 minutes late, the sun won’t wait for us, so we won’t have time to get all the portraits we want. Plus, when you’re running late, it adds stress to the whole family and that won’t start off your session on the right foot.

Family poses together at their outdoor fall family photography session near Harrisburg PA

Planning Your Harrisburg Fall Family Photos

Want to start planning the perfect family photo session this fall? Contact Karissa Zimmer Photography and let’s chat!

Harrisburg Fall Family Photos: Tips for Better Family Portraits Read More »