The Allen family came to me with a request for family photos at their favorite place to explore at Saylorville Lake outside of Des Moines with their curious girls. They call it their secret beach, even though it’s not secret and we barely have beaches in Iowa. 😉 Nevertheless, we made some magic on the most gorgeous summer evening at golden hour. These are my favorite sessions to photograph. Family photos are stereotypically stressful, but they really don’t have to be. With a full session (90 minutes) we have time to move at your children’s pace. There’s plenty of time to let the kiddos take little breaks to explore and play in between the more posed photos. Their family created beautiful memories together while I snapped away and gently guided the session. We ended up with stunning photos of their last summer together as a family of four. Just a couple of months later they welcomed a third baby girl.





























