The McNeil Family at Cathedral Park in Portland

Every so often you book a session with a family and within about twenty minutes you are already hoping they will invite you back. The McNeils were one of those families.

We met up at Cathedral Park in Portland, which is one of those locations that never stops giving you something to work with. The St. Johns Bridge arcing overhead with its soaring aqua green towers, the river, the gravel shoreline, tucked-away pockets of trees and driftwood logs along the edges. You could shoot for hours and not run out of good corners. And with three very energetic little boys in tow, we needed all the corners.

The boys were the absolute stars of the afternoon. The two older brothers were all big smiles and quick movement, posing like pros one second and bolting off to chase each other the next. The littlest one, probably about a year old and brand new to walking, was on his own little program the entire time. He pulled his wagon. He stopped. He pulled his wagon. He stopped. He gave me exactly one serious look straight into the camera and then went back to his very important wagon work.

I love sessions like this. When there is a mix of ages and everyone is doing their own thing, you just have to loosen your grip on the plan and follow the energy. Some of my favorite frames from the afternoon are the three brothers piled in the wagon together absolutely dying laughing, and a quiet one of mom and dad with all three boys tucked around them on a giant driftwood log. Easy, warm, real.

What I didn't know at the time was that this would be the first of more than one session with them. Years later I got to photograph them again at Laurelhurst Park, and seeing those boys a few years older was one of those full-circle moments that makes this job so special. That is one of the best parts of family photography honestly. You get to watch people grow.

If you are a family in Portland thinking about updated photos, Cathedral Park is one of my favorite spots to recommend. Easy to get to, endlessly photogenic, and forgiving for little kids who need to run around. Reach out anytime, I'd love to hear what you're envisioning.