Eugene, Oregon family photographer: Susan, Ryan, and Josiah

Susan, Ryan, and their son Josiah met me at Hendricks Park last month for a family photography session to document Josiah turning a year old. They are relatively new to this area, having moved here recently from the East coast, and I’m so glad I got to be their Eugene, Oregon photographer! They loved the idea of a lush, park-like setting for their photos, so Hendricks Park was a perfect choice. It was too late in the summer for us to catch many blooms (this particular park is renowned for its rhododendrons, which reach their peak in late spring and early summer), but the trees were beautiful, the grass was green, and a few of the leaves were just beginning to fall to earth, giving just a hint of the beautiful autumn season to come. 

It was great meeting this sweet family, and we had a wonderful time together. Josiah wasn’t shy with me at all, and he is quite a character! He really turned on the cheese for me—he seemed fascinated by my camera and hardly looked away from it once during the whole time we were there. It was like he was saying, “Watch me do this!” “Did you see that face I made?” and “Don’t miss this one, it’s going to be good!” I loved that he had so much fun and gave me all those cute expressions! He is an adorable little guy. I think he looks a lot like his daddy, but I love the red hair he inherited from his mom too. It will probably darken up as he gets older and become more auburn, like hers, but he sure he is a cute little redhead!

Hendricks Park has so many pretty spots to sit that we really didn’t need a lot in the way of props. I brought a wooden stool from my photography studio in Eugene, Oregon, and we used a patchwork quilt for Susan, Ryan, and Josiah to sit on, but other than that the park provided all the variety in backdrops we needed. From stone walls and park benches to open, grassy areas framed by trees, Hendricks Park had us totally covered, and I loved the different textures we were able to incorporate into our photos. We did several black and white pictures during this family photography session, and the rich textures of the leaves and stones made them turn out beautifully. 

It was a pleasure to spend time with this family and to celebrate Josiah’s milestone with them! I hope they’re very happy in their new home. It’s always an adjustment moving to a new place, but this really is an amazing area of the world, and I’m sure they will build a wonderful life here. I so enjoyed the time we were able to spend together taking pictures and creating memories, and I hope I’ll get to be their family photographer again at some point. In the meantime, I wish them lots of luck and happiness with this new start in Oregon!