Amanda emailed me from Coquitlam with one simple wish: everyone together. Her parents, her husband, and their two kids — three generations in one frame, before the kids scatter further into their own lives.
We met on a sunny October afternoon on the Pitt River dyke in Pitt Meadows. If you have ever looked for a family photo location in the Fraser Valley, you have probably heard of this spot — it is one of the most popular places for family, wedding and maternity sessions, and once you stand on that wide gravel trail with the river on one side and the mountains behind you, you understand why. Golden leaves, open sky, and room for six people to actually be themselves instead of squeezing into a pose.
We started on the dyke trail, then moved to a grassy field where the whole family sat in a row on a fallen log. The coordinated fall neutrals — navy, cream, brown, grey plaid — did exactly what they should do: nothing loud, nothing competing with the faces.
What I love most about this session is how little performing there is in it. Amanda's parents laughing with their heads together. The three men in a big group hug that nobody had to stage. The three women — grandmother, mother and daughter — standing close, arm in arm. These are the photos that end up framed in a hallway, not just liked and forgotten.
If your family has been saying "we should do this" for a year now, consider this your sign. Three generations in one photo is the kind of thing you never regret having.
Family sessions with Silver Moon Photography start at $525. If you would like yours on the Pitt River dyke — or anywhere else in the Lower Mainland — get in touch here: https://www.silvermoonphotography.ca/contact/