Backyard Summer Sessions
Summer at home never looked so good.
The wet footprints on the porch. Popsicles before dinner. Sprinkler water flying everywhere while somebody squeals like they’ve never known joy before. The kiddie pool that somehow turns your backyard into the best place on earth. The tomato plants you swore you’d keep alive this year. The family dog under the patio table hoping for hot dog casualties.
This is the stuff.
Not the perfectly posed version of summer. Not everyone smiling at the camera in matching linen while trying not to sweat through their shirt. I’m talking about the real thing. The bright, nostalgic, loud, sticky, sun-soaked magic of being home with your people.
Backyard Summer Sessions are built to document what this season actually feels like while you’re in it. The colors, the rituals, the chaos, the tiny traditions that will hit you right in the chest years from now.
If summer at your house looks like chalk on the driveway, popsicles on the steps, bikes in the yard, water balloons in a bucket, corn husks on the kitchen counter, and your kids living barefoot from June through August, you’re exactly who this is for.
Two Ways to Bottle Up Summer
Front Porch Mini
Perfect for a few updated family photos with a lot more warmth than a standard mini
Your $250 Summer Mini includes:
20-minute studio session
Fully edited proofing gallery
Your choice of 15 images
Print release included
Up to 2 people included
Option to add additional children or family members
This one is quick, easy, and full of charm. Think front steps, porch swing, sidewalk chalk, a popsicle, a garden hose, or your kids lined up on the porch looking cute for at least seventeen seconds. These are ideal for families who want a little slice of summer documented without turning it into a whole production.
Backyard Documentary Session
$600 | 90 minutes | 30 images
This is the one for the families who want to remember summer the way it really felt.
We’ll plan your session around the rhythms and rituals that make your home yours. Picking veggies from the garden. Washing the family minivan in swimsuits. Running through the sprinkler. Catching lightning bugs. Making homemade popsicles. Jumping on the trampoline until everyone is feral in the best way. Watering flowers with a cup that is absolutely not meant for gardening. Making s’mores on the patio. Playing basketball in the driveway. Eating watermelon on the back steps. You get the idea.
This session is documentary at heart, but gently guided where it needs to be. No stiff posing. No weird pressure. Just a lot of space to play, connect, move, laugh, and let your real life be enough.
For Families Who Know, Your Backyard Is the Memory
What your summer session could include?
Every family’s version of summer is a little different, and that’s the whole point. Your session can be shaped around the things your family actually loves doing together at home.
Maybe that means picking cherry tomatoes from the garden and rinsing them off at the hose. Maybe it’s popsicles on the porch and a wagon ride down the driveway. Maybe your kids want to run through the sprinkler until their hair is plastered to their faces and everybody ends up soaked. Maybe it’s slow and simple with lemonade on the patio and a bedtime bubble bath after a long day outside.
running through the sprinkler
washing bikes or the family van
porch popsicles or ice cream sandwiches
gardening and picking veggies
chalk art in the driveway
tree climbing or hammock snuggles
backyard picnics
watermelon on the porch steps
sharing snacks on a towel in the grass
jumping on the trampoline
blowing bubbles
slip n slide chaos
making s’mores or roasting hot dogs
a golden hour walk around your property or neighborhood
filling up water balloons at the hose
riding bikes up and down the driveway
barefoot races across the yard
watering plants (and everything else nearby)
Worried Your Kids Won’t “Behave” for Photos?
I wrote a blog post for parents who worry about cooperation, forced smiles, and kids being “too much” during photos.
Why I Never Tell Kids to Say Cheese→
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we have to have a big or fancy yard?
Not even a little bit. A porch, a driveway, a sprinkler, a patch of grass, a garden bed, or even just the feel of home is enough. These sessions are about connection and memory, not square footage.
Will you help us plan what we do?
Absolutely. Especially for the 90-minute documentary session, we’ll talk through what summer looks like for your family and build the session around activities that feel natural and meaningful.
Are these only for families with young kids?
Nope. They’re especially sweet for younger children because summer rituals are so physical and playful, but older kids, teens, and even multi-generational families can make this kind of session incredibly special too.
What should we wear?
Think summer. Real summer.
Color is welcome here. A red swimsuit, retro stripes, cutoffs, bare feet, worn-in tees, sundresses, overalls, the goofy towel your kid insists on wearing like a cape. These sessions are meant to feel alive, not overly polished.
I’m always happy to help with styling, but the goal is for everyone to look like themselves on their best summer day. Nothing too fussy. Nothing you’ll spend the whole session adjusting. Just comfortable pieces that move well, photograph beautifully, and fit the vibe of your home and family.
Will we still get a few photos where everyone is looking at the camera?
Yes, but they won’t be the whole point. We can absolutely make space for a few more traditional portraits while still keeping the session relaxed and true to the spirit of summer at home.
What if my kids are wild?
Perfect. Backyard Summer Sessions were basically invented for kids who are wild.
What is a backyard documentary family photo session?
A backyard documentary family photo session is a relaxed, in-home or at-home photography experience that captures your real life as it naturally unfolds. Instead of posing or directing every moment, your photographer focuses on genuine connection, movement, and everyday routines, like playing outside, running through the sprinkler, or spending time together in your own space. These sessions are designed to feel easy and natural while creating images that reflect what your family life actually looks and feels like in this season.
Who are Backyard Summer Photoshoots ideal for?
Families with little kids who want real moments over posed portraits, nostalgic souls who love summer traditions, parents who know the magic is already happening at home, and anyone who wants a gallery that feels colorful, playful, and wildly personal.
If you’ve ever thought, “I wish I could just remember what this felt like,” this is for you.
Serving Summer-Lovin’ Families Across Northern Indianapolis.
One day, the kiddie pool will be gone. The sidewalk chalk bucket will disappear. The minivan will get replaced. The trampoline might finally lose a spring. The garden will change. The porch will look different. Your kids will stop asking for one more push on the swing and start disappearing into summers of their own.
That is exactly why these matter.
Not because everything looks perfect, but because it doesn’t. Because this is your life right now, and it’s worth remembering before it changes again.