H Family | Great Pond | Cape Elizabeth, Maine | Maine Lifestyle Family Photographer | Stepheney Collins Photography

Family photography does not have to be boring. It does not have to be matching outfits (unless that is your thing!) and stiff poses. It doesn’t have to look like what everyone else’s family photos look like. Every family is different, and every session is therefore different. I am dedicated to creating images for my families that are uniquely them; I want the photos to feel and reflect who a family really is in whatever season of life they are in at the time we are making the images.

When Katy reached out to book her family’s session this year, she wanted to do something nontraditional, which of course, made my creative heart sing. And while we didn’t end up going super nontraditional, she chose a unique location that made for some pretty unconventional images. I can’t say that I have ever photographed a family playing with abandoned tires, but the smile on Miles’ face and the ensuing giggle that followed each time he pushed a tire over was seriously the cutest thing. We did manage to leave the tires behind and explore the trail a bit, before making it back to the beach for a beautiful sunset. I’m so thankful to be able to photograph Katy and her family year after year; it is an honor to be trusted to capture these moments in their current season of life. Here are a few of my favorites!