25 All Time Favorite Family Photos

What inspires Hanna Hill Photography’s Family Photo Sessions?


25 Favorite Photos and a little peek into my 4 “Whys” and “Hows” for my love of capturing these Family seasons!

I’m feeling all the feelings this year because it will be my first year capturing the Fall Family season as a parent myself. I never imagined my love for capturing families could grow any stronger but now that I’m here snuggling my (almost) 1-year-old, I get WHY we do family photos even more. It’s so much more than a perfect Christmas card or capturing the Fall leaves, these moments and joys of being a family are so fleeting. You go to bed with a newborn and wake up with a toddler and wonder, “how has life gone so fast!'“

So today I thought I’d share my 25 favorite family photos (from 2015-2020 so far) in no real order; because I love all of my families and their images so it would be wrong to actually “rate” them but these 25 are what I call my Inspiration. The images that I think about when I consider the family photo galleries I want to create for new and past clients.

family snuggles around daughter during a family photo at the park

Photography does something nothing else really can, it bottles up our beautiful and messy lives into one perfect and timeless moment.

I’ve thought about my specific photography work a lot, I’ve tried to truly evaluate what it is I love about capturing these precious fleeting moments of parenthood and a few big things stand out….

mother cuddles toddler on bed with dad looking on with love
mother holds baby boy while looking on daughter and partner in black and white

First….

Photographing Childhood

We spend our lives as parents trying to create the best home and childhood for our littles. We bend over backward to be there with them when they fall, teach them truth, and fill their days with adventure and learning. Something I LOVE about photographing a family is truly capturing that perfectly guarded and nurtured childhood. I’m not there to force your baby to smile or toddler to “cooperate”, I’m there to capture this pure and hard-worked for family season. When I consider each session and what I want to deliver to the families who hire me, I imagine handing them photos that embody

Playful, Chaotic, Tender, Affectionate and Curious Childhoods


mother laughs out loud with young son on lap
mom throws son up in the air while dad plays with his two daughters in black and white

Second…

Photographing Parenthood

Family photos are NOT just for capturing your little one’s growing! It’s also so important to get yourself in front of the camera and document who you are with them! These images will be a timeless gift you can pass down to your children and their children. A way to capture not just the fun childhood you are creating for your kids but also the incredible job as parents you are doing. This especially goes out to those moms and dads who DO feel underwater sometimes being a parent. IT IS A LOT OF WORK! you deserve a celebration of those rare hugs from your wild toddler or butterfly kisses from your baby girl! I make sure the family galleries I deliver scream,

Joy, Connection, Silliness, Closeness

and Intentional and Thoughtful parenting!

new parents sit with baby on blanket on a grassy field in Durham, NC
family with 5 children snuggle together on their trampolines at home in raleigh, NC
dad carries toddler son on his shoulders while mom looks on joyfully at the community park in Durham, NC
4 children eating ice cream outside the local Parlour ice cream shop in downtown Durham, NC
three kids playing in the Eno creek in Durham, NC
family of four smiling together on a blanket at the local community park in Durham, NC

Third…

Photographing Color

If you have seen any of my work you know I gravitate towards the colors of life. Pocahantus was my favorite movie growing up and now as an artist I can see why :P No, but really, I deliver in every gallery

Deep Tones, Rich Color, and a Bright View of the World around us

now don’t get me wrong, you can see how much I love those black and whites! But let’s be honest the beauty of black and white is the way it focuses so perfectly in on the emotions of the special moment!

Fourth…

Photographing Emotion

I intentionally want to be in the moment with you. I want to capture a smile that feels real because your tickling your little one or holding your partner for a long moment. I want you to remember not just the way you looked in 2020 but the way your family was connected and bonded in those moments. Capturing the emotion of a family is never simple and does require a little direction and natural prompting. But if you can live into this experience and acknowledge that above being uncomfy in front of the camera you are documenting the purest love you have for each other, then I know you will be satisfied with the story your gallery tells.

be present with your loved ones and it will show in the photos!

siblings hud each other in black and white
family of 7 walk together through a field at a local Durham, NC park
family stands together in the shallow creek of Eno River during the Fall family photo session
mother holds baby in sling in black and white
family of 4 sit together in tall grass at sunset in Raleigh
toddler leads the way walking in a field with beret and parents following close behind in black and white
mother holds baby cheek to cheek at sunset in Raleigh, NC
family of three snuggle close after playing with the hose in their front yard
toddler son standing in front of his walking parents in Fall clothing
family sit in a field holding brand new baby in the air
mother holds baby son who smiles at the camera
Hanna Hill

Award-winning Durham, England, UK Birth and Family Photographer capturing lifestyle images of parenthood and documentary birth photojournalism.

https://www.hannahillphotography.com
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Fall Mini Sessions 2020 Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill