I’m a complete sucker for all things moody, so when this mama was like, “I’m thinking I want to do a rainy day,” I pretty much gave her no other option than to stick to her word! ha!

It actually turned out to be a perfect moody day for a family lifestyle photoshoot in that it rained JUST ENOUGH. No one got soaked, but there was enough drizzle to wet the umbrella and turn hair into a moody dream.

Shannon is an amazing mama of two kiddos who attend one of the schools I photograph, so that’s how we met! Her husband is a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox (who just won the World Series last year!!) and they only had a little time left until he went back up north to start the next season. So, I’d say our session was rushed a little more than usual, but you can’t tell at all!

Plus, with a lifestyle session, it’s really all about just showing up as you are that day. I don’t ask the kids to be in any kind of special mood or to smile. I don’t even mind if they cling to one parent the whole time. We play and snuggle and have a lot of fun, so it didn’t matter if there were only a few days to prepare!

I met them first at their home and they could not have been kinder or more welcoming. Since we’d be shooting in February, we were scoping out the home as our potential shooting spot because who knows what the crazy TN weather will throw our way, and we couldn’t wait until it got warmer. Ultimately, they wanted outside and it looked like the weather would hold up that weekend, so they had about 3 days to prep and get their wardrobe ready! She actually didn’t even text me, just showed up and everyone looked great! Perfect colors for the light and the season!

The kiddos got cold pretty quickly, so the little boy would get wrapped in his sister’s jacket and I gave the sister the blanket I usually bring on family lifestyle shoots, and she’d wrap up in that as we walked from spot to spot. It made shooting just a little more difficult in that they didn’t want everyone all bundled up in each photo, so we’d bundle up and then throw everything off and then bundle again and walk!

They also had their amazing dog, Nala, YES SHE IS NAMED AFTER THE LION KING, how amazing, and she was just perfect!

What really made this winter session work so well was that they’re such a close family. They’re full of love, and so quick to move toward affection, it made things so easy. They’re playful and silly and it came out in their photos.

Thank you, Shannon and family, for being one of my amazing families!