Late Summer Family Photos in a Zinnia Field


There is something especially beautiful about a late summer family photo session—the warm evening light, the rich colors, and that feeling of wanting to hold onto summer just a little bit longer.

For this family of five, a field filled with colorful zinnias at Maple Acres Farm was the perfect setting.


Photographing a Family as It Grows

One of my favorite parts of being a family photographer is getting to photograph the same families through different seasons of their lives.

This was my third time photographing this family, which made the evening even more special. Our first session together was before their youngest daughter was born. Now, I had the chance to photograph all five of them together.

Seeing how much the children have grown is such a wonderful reminder of why family photographs matter. Life changes quickly, especially when children are young. Photographs give us a way to remember not only what everyone looked like, but what being together at that particular stage actually felt like.

A mother and young daughter in floral dresses walk hand-in-hand through a vibrant zinnia flower field.
Three children run through a colorful flower field toward the camera as their parents stand together smiling in the background.
A smiling father poses with three young children in a vibrant flower field filled with colorful zinnias.

Golden Hour at Maple Acres Farm


We scheduled their session during golden hour, when the sun is lower and the light became soft and warm. Against the colorful zinnias, it was gorgeous.

Late summer is one of my favorite times for outdoor family photography on the Main Line. Everything is still lush and colorful, but the evening light begins to have that warmer quality that hints that fall isn't too far away.

The zinnia field gave us plenty of color and texture without needing anything elaborate. The flowers, warm light, and the family interacting together were really all we needed.


Letting Kids Be Kids

With three children, I never expect—or want—a family session to consist entirely of everyone standing still and smiling at the camera. These three were fun, energetic, and completely themselves. They ran through the field, explored the flowers, laughed together, and gave me so many opportunities to capture the little moments in between the more traditional family portraits. Those are often some of my favorite images from a session.

Of course, I always make sure we create the photographs parents want—the entire family together, the children together, individual portraits, and photos of each parent with the kids. But I also leave room for movement and play. When children are allowed to move around and have some fun, their personalities come through. And that's when we get the genuine smiles, laughter, and connections that make a gallery feel like your family rather than simply a collection of posed photographs.

Joyful young blonde girl in blue gingham dress laughing outdoors among colorful red flowers and green foliage.
Smiling boy in floral blue shirt holding an adult's hand outdoors with colorful flowers in background.
Young blonde girl in a blue smocked dress smiling in a garden with colorful zinnia flowers in the background.

A Little Bit of Summer to Keep


There is something fleeting about photographing children among flowers at the end of summer.

The zinnias won't be there forever. The warm evenings will eventually turn cooler. And these three children will never be exactly these ages again.

That's what I love about family photography. It's not creating a pretty photograph for a holiday card or something to post online. We're preserving a chapter of a family's story.

My goal is to create a session that feels easy and to create family portraits you'll have to remember years from now.


Happy family of five posing in a colorful flower field at golden hour, parents with three young children smiling outdoors.