family - Stephanie Friedman

Mayfield Park – Holiday Family Photos

by admin | Dec 31, 2024 | family, photography

Sunrise Session in the Park | Austin Family Photo Session

Last year I met this family at Lakewood Park near their home in Leander, Texas for their holiday photo session.

This year, the plan was an early morning session at Mayfield Park in Central Austin. After stalking the Mayfield Park booking calendar 30 days in advance to make sure we had a time slot and then paying the location fee, we were all set.

mayfield park fall family photo session

Tips for a Family Photo Session at Mayfield Park:

PERMITS: A commercial permit (including a location fee) is required to take photos at the Mayfield Cottage and Gardens. And bookings are only available 30 days in advance.
PEACOCKS: Be mindful of Mayfield Park’s free-roaming peacocks. Keep a respectful distance, but if they’re near you – feel free to capture them in your backgrounds. Or you can bring in your own peacock feathers to blend in.
PARK FEATURES: Besides the cottage on the grounds, there are also seasonal flowerbeds, lily ponds, a small water feature, stone arches and a stone tower. You can also explore the nearby Mayfield Trails.
PARKING: The small lot often gets filled up quickly, so you may need to park on the street.

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Please check out some of my favorite images below and contact me if you’d like to book your own Family photo session in Austin, Texas. Explore more photo sessions on my blog.

After I took their Christmas Card photos, there was a costume change for Halloween. She was a “Greek Goddess” among the flowers, towers and roaming birds. See some favorites below.

Interested in Booking a Family Photo Session?

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Now Booking – 2025 Family Photo Sessions

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Now Booking - Spring 2025 Family Photo Sessions in Austin, TexasNow booking dates February - May 2025 for families in the Austin, Texas area. If you want updated photos to print for your walls, to post on social media or to document this milestone time, my Calendar is...

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How to Pose Young Kids and Babies – Family Photo Session at Bull Creek Park

by admin | Dec 12, 2024 | advice / tips, family, photography

Top 10 Tips for Posing Toddlers and Babies | Austin Family Photo Session

Family photo sessions are a wonderful way to freeze time, but when photographing toddlers and young babies, it can feel like you’re running around in circles.

I use these Top 10 Tips below to help with shorter attention spans and very active kids during family photo sessions.

1. Choose the Right Time of Day

Pick your session time mindfully. I offer sessions during the “golden hours” — early morning or late afternoon — when the light is soft and flattering. Choose the time that best aligns with your toddler’s and baby’s nap and feeding schedules to get the best moods.

2. Start with Family Group Shots

I like to start my family sessions with the classic posed family group shot. It’s easiest to start standing with the parents holding the children. I might ask the toddler to yell out something silly like “CHICKEN BUTT” or “DINOSAUR FART” to get some natural smiles.

3. Encourage Playful Interaction

Toddlers are happiest when they’re allowed to play. I encourage them to scout out their surroundings, smell flowers, or climb a tree. These playful moments make the session more fun for them and less stressful for the parents.

4. Keep it Simple for Babies

For young babies, focus on poses that showcase their sweetness and connection with family. I also like to make sure to get detail shots that help capture this moment in time.

5. Make It Fun

Turn the session into a series of games to keep toddlers excited and engaged. We might play peekaboo, pretend to be a flying superhero or hunt for the best rocks or leaves.

6. Up in the Air = Smiles

If you want natural smiles and giggles, send the kids “up in the air.” They can also be spun in a circle or hung upside down.

7. Embrace their Personalities

Remember, kids are kids! This is the time to let their true quirks and personalities shine in the photos.

8. Be Flexible and Follow Their Lead

Kids have their own timelines, and that’s okay. If a toddler wants to go run off and explore or a baby needs a quick snack, go with the flow. That gives you time to get moments with just the parents alone.

9. Explore your Surroundings

If you’re at a park, explore that park. We sent leaves floating down the current and threw rocks in the creek at Bull Creek Park.

10. Keep it Moving with Prompts

Toddlers have short attention spans, so be ready to capture the moment as soon as you tell them the prompt. Keep your instructions simple: “Mom and Dad walk and swing your child”

I find focusing on prompts and games makes more a more successful family photo session that trying to do specific poses with really young kids.

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Please check out some of my favorite images below and contact me if you’d like to book your own Family photo session in Austin, Texas. Explore more photo sessions on my blog.

Interested in Booking a Family Photo Session?

Contact Me

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Brothers at the Blanton – Family Photo Session

by admin | Dec 2, 2024 | family, photography

Flying high at the Blanton Art Museum Courtyard | Austin Family Photo Session

Last year I met this family at the Domain (Rock Rose Avenue area) for photos and ice cream.

This year, the plan was the Blanton Museum Courtyard and soccer photos as a treat at the end.

FYI: the Museum is closed on Mondays so that’s the day they chose for their session. It was truly less crowded than my normal weekend sessions I’ve had at that location.

Tips for a Family Photo Session at the Blanton Museum:

PARKING: I always recommend paying for parking at the Brazos Garage on MLK and then walking over.
LOCATIONS: There are so many intersesting and colorful backgrounds in this one small area. I love that you can see the Texas Capitol peeking behind their heads when they are seated under the Petals sculptures. Don’t forget about the alphabet mural on the backside of the Museum as well. *If you want to take any photos inside the Museum itself, permission is required.
WARDROBE: You’ll be surrounded by some bright, vivid colors, so keep that in mind when planning your outfits.
SCHEDULE: Double check the Blanton’s Events page and the University of Texas Football schedule to make sure you won’t have conflicts

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Please check out some of my favorite images below and contact me if you’d like to book your own Family photo session in Austin, Texas. Explore more photo sessions on my blog.

Interested in Booking a Family Photo Session?

Contact Me

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Bull Creek Park – Family Photo Session

by admin | Dec 2, 2024 | family, photography

Bull Creek District Park | Austin Family Photo Session

I met this family of four at Bull Creek park one fall afternoon for photos. I’m always happy when families are willing to wade in the creek at the end of their session.

Luckily the water levels were good, and it wasn’t too cold outside that day. The boys were happy to sit on fences and climb on rocks and go exploring.

Tips for a Family Photo Session at Bull Creek District Park in Austin:

Bring a towel and water shoes if you don’t mind going in the Creek for some photos and want to dry off afterwards.
The Park restroom is currently under contruction (as of November 2024), so be forewarned
This location works well for an early morning or a sunset session.
This spot is very popular for all types of photo sessions, so don’t be surprised to see other photographer’s working there.
Parking – it’s never happened to me or my clients (knock on wood), but I’ve seen lots of reports of car windows being smashed and broken into in their parking lot – so be cautious

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Please check out some of my favorite images below and contact me if you’d like to book your own Family photo session in Austin, Texas. Explore more photo sessions on my blog.

Interested in Booking a Family Photo Session?

Contact Me

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Blanton Museum Courtyard – Fall Family Photo Session

by admin | Nov 22, 2024 | family, photography

Blanton Museum Courtyard on the University of Texas campus | Family Photo Session

I last photographed this family at Katherine Fleischer Park. For this year’s holiday photo session, they chose the Blanton Museum Courtyard on the University of Texas campus as their location.

Once I double checked the Blanton’s Events page and the University of Texas Football schedule to make sure there wouldn’t be conflicts, we were set. FYI: the Museum is closed on Mondays if you want to go when it’s least crowded in the Courtyard.

Tips for a Family Photo Session at the Blanton Museum:

PARKING: I always recommend paying for parking at the Brazos Garage on MLK and then walking over.
LOCATIONS: There are so many intersesting and colorful backgrounds in this one small area. I love that you can see the Texas Capitol peeking behind their heads when they are seated under the Petals sculptures. Don’t forget about the alphabet mural on the backside of the Museum as well. *If you want to take any photos inside the Museum itself, permission is required.
WARDROBE: You’ll be surrounded by some bright, vivid colors, so keep that in mind when planning your outfits.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Please check out some of my favorite images below and contact me if you’d like to book your own Family photo session in Austin, Texas. Explore more photo sessions on my blog.

Interested in Booking a Family Photo Session?

Contact Me

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University of Texas – Senior + Family Photos

by admin | Nov 17, 2024 | family, photography, seniors

University of Texas at Austin campus | College Senior and Family Photo Session

Did you know that the University of Texas Tower building will undergo construction starting Fall of 2024 and go until Summer of 2027?

Not wanting construction fencing in her photos, this Class of 2025 Senior’s mom made sure to get her family and senior graduation pictures done early.

And we weren’t alone in this plan, lots of other graduation photos were happening on campus the same night.

If you’d also like to plan ahead, the University Co-Op has cap & gowns in stock (but the 2025 tassel charm was not available yet, so we left it out of our photos). If you’re planning on photos after January 2025, you should be able to get the correct year on your tassel charm.

Tips for a College Senior Photo Session at the University of Texas at Austin:

- Around Graduation, Campus gets full of photo sessions, so try and plan early or choose off-times for your photos.
- You may need to wait your turn in front of popular spots.
- Iron your regalia.
- You can pose in your full cap and gown, part of your regalia, regular clothes or any combination of the above.
- If you have a particular spot on campus that means a lot to you (ex. where you took the majority of your classes), let your photographer know – I also have a BLOG POST with my location recommendations
- If your family will be in town, we can add-on a mini-family photo session
- Bring two bottles of (cheap) champagne if you want to pop the cork (and a towel for after you spray it in the air)
- Get ready to “Hook ‘Em Horns!”

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Please check out some of my favorite images below and contact me if you’d like to book your own Senior + Family photo session in Austin, Texas. Explore more photo sessions on my blog.