Tag: family photos in Ruston Louisiana

There’s something truly magical about lakefront evenings in late summer — the warm glow of the sun, the gentle ripple of the water, and the peace that comes with stepping away from the hustle of everyday life. The Byram family’s session at their beautiful lake house on Cross Lake was nothing short of that kind of magic.

With three kids ranging from 13 to 8 years old, this session was full of personality, laughter, and sweet moments that only a close-knit family can create. From the second I arrived, I could tell this wasn’t just a vacation home — it was a place filled with memories, traditions, and love.

We started on the dock, where the family stood hand-in-hand, barefoot and relaxed, surrounded by the soft lapping of the water and the glow of golden hour. The older kids were naturally helpful and sweet with their youngest sister, who twirled in her pink floral dress, her bow catching the breeze. Mom and Dad stole a few quiet moments together too — moments that always make for some of my favorite frames.

The styling was simple, summery, and perfect for the setting. Soft pastels and whites played beautifully against the lush green trees and the deep blue lake, giving the entire session a light, airy feel that was both timeless and playful.

One of the best parts of this shoot was capturing the little candid moments — the glances, giggles, and spontaneous hugs that remind us what family is all about. There’s no doubt the Byrams have created something truly special at their lake house. It was an honor to help preserve those memories through my lens.

Here’s to barefoot summers, dockside sunsets, and families who know how to soak in every moment.

The McKissack family. Aren’t they so cute?!

We met for their session at Lake Bistineau on a very cloudy and gloomy day with every threat of an absolute downpour. Thankfully the rain held off and we’re able to capture some super sweet photos.

One thing I absolutely adore as a family photographer in north Louisiana is letting kids be kids. Letting them have fun. There’s nothing like it. You’ll notice that more and more in my sessions with littles, we have lots and lots of fun!

These kiddos were so sweet and I just loved this session. Thank you McKissack family!!

The Neville family. What a joy they were to meet and photograph. Ugh, how I loved this session!! It was a bit of a gloomy day when we started but it turned out to have glorious sunshine towards the end. I always love when that happens!!

We chose Lake Bistineau state park for our session location because it’s just so stunning. You can never, ever go wrong here. Whether the water is down or whether it’s full it’s just absolutely gorgeous. The Spanish moss in the trees breathe such a gorgeous texture in the background and gives all the south Louisiana feels. Not that I have ever been there. But I imagine this is what it looks like. Haha!!

We walked our way throughout the state park and stopped at different areas giving us so much diversity in the photos. I really love locations like that, where you can walk around, get comfortable with each other and just have the best time and the best variety.

The Neville kiddos were some of the sweetest and most fun. It was so easy to photograph them because they were so open to whatever ideas I had and just went with the flow. Dream!!

I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do.

I have photographed this precious family several times, all such special moments that I have been so honored to photograph. It all started with their engagement session, newborn season of their first baby girl, extended family photos and maternity photos, newborn session with their second baby girl and now this beautiful family session. I know I have said this many times, but when families come back year after year it thrills my heart. To know that they trust me, not just once, but over and over again with their most precious times in life. I do not take it lightly. It is the greatest honor.

We started this sweet session in my backyard. Haha!! Hey, wherever a pretty spot is we can make work. After we finished up there we moved on to the second location where we captured some of the most fun-filled images. With toddlers it is so important that you keep them engaged. If all we are doing is smiling at the camera they will get bored FAST!! This is where I encourage play rather than poses. We sing songs, we run around mom and dad, we swing, we play airplane. Anything that sounds fun, we give it a try. There’s always something that littles like best and want to keep playing over and over. For Selah, she loved everything we did and I’m convinced we could have played these games until there wasn’t a speck of light left in the sky.

I loved reliving this session as I edited the photos, remembering all the fun we had together. I know these are memories that mama will cherish forever!!!

This session was the final session in the series of family sessions from our family vacation to Virginia. To say I was sad to leave this gorgeous place is an understatement. It is so easy to photograph a location THIS good!!

We met the Borlovan family at their beautiful home for their session. Ugh, how gorgeous!! We made our way to mom’s favorite spot on their land to being their session and I can totally tell why it is her favorite spot. I was in photographer heaven. Haha!!

Each of the kiddos were so sweet and cooperative. We had so much fun together and even ended with the horses. It was truly a dream that I wish I could relive over and over again.

The Diaz family. We love them so much! We met them around three years ago and almost instantly became friends. It was a joy to photograph them again this year while we made our family vacation in Virginia.

We chose this stunning location in the Virginia countryside, surrounded by lush green mountains. We had the warm, glowing sunlight and a beautiful blue sky to help create images that I know this family will cherish for a lifetime.

There is never a family session that I photograph that I am not finding some way to incorporate fun into the session to help everyone feel at ease. I always want their true personalities to shine through with every image. This better tells their story instead of only capturing stiff poses. If we have ever worked together then you know how I feel about this. We love movement and fun!!