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Natural light fan, blush lover, never not dreaming of Mexican food, join me as I share my favorite moments and details from the engagements and weddings I capture in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and beyond. P.S: Exploring blogs is better with a margarita!


Hi, I'm SARAH.

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Valley Forge National Park Family Photos | Michelle & Patrick

May 2, 2023

Weddings have me bopping around from time to time all throughout the East Coast. While I absolutely love it, sometimes it’s nice to sit back and appreciate the beauty that Pennsylvania has given us. For this Valley Forge National Park family session, we are focusing on Michelle, Patrick, and their little girl. A family that is celebrating the welcoming of their beautiful baby girl. It was a bright and sunny day at Valley Forge and a family session that I will never forget.

Back Story On Michelle & Patrick

As a Philadelphia wedding photographer, I have had the honor of documenting a lot of couples’ wedding days. With that comes the territory of becoming especially close with my couples. A part of why I love SCP and our values is that we focus on more than just “taking pretty photos”. While yes, you do get the beautiful end product, we are also focusing on creating relationships with our couples. More than relationships, but friendships actually. SCP wants our couples to know that they can come to us for any of their needs, not just on their wedding day. In comes Michelle and Patrick and their growing family.

I first met Michelle and Patrick back in 2017 when I shot their engagement photos. Feeling old here or what? We then continued celebrating their love story at their wedding in 2018, but it didn’t stop there. A few years later, now here we are, celebrating the growth of their little family and I couldn’t be happier.

Michelle & Patrick Valley Forge National Park Family Photos

For Michelle and Patrick’s family session with their sweet bundle of joy, we decided to head to Valley Forge National Park in King of Prussia, PA. Valley Forge is not only a historic landmark but a beautiful one at that. With so many different photo opportunities and backdrop options, it is one of my favorite locations for family photos, maternity sessions, and engagement sessions! We wanted to make sure that Michelle and Patrick got natural, organic, and down-to-earth type family photos. That means keeping things very natural with a lot of movement and of course, keeping it fun and laid-back. Michelle and Patrick brought along a small blanket and little toys to keep their sweet girl occupied. This is a life-saver btw when it comes to family photos.

We spent that afternoon catching up on each other’s lives and reminiscing back on all that we have gone through together. It was incredibly touching and a moment that I will continue to cherish.

Tips For The Best Family Photos

SCP does not get to photograph family photos all that often. We get so caught up with busy wedding season, that there are only a few times out the year that we get to photograph our beautiful families. However, if you’ve been debating on whether or not you need to update your family photos, it probably means you need to.

Below are a few tips to receive the best family photos that are “hang up in your home” worthy.

Keep Children Occupied

Bring along toys and games that keep any fussy children occupied. This is especially helpful if you’re wanting to take any solo photos and don’t want any kids getting distracted or running off.

Coordinate Outfits Based On One Person

Rather than worrying about what everyone is going to wear and trying to coordinate it separately, work together! Coordinate outfits based on one person, in this case, it could be Mom. Then everyone bases their outfits/colors on mom’s outfits. That way you don’t run the risk of your family photos being totally thrown off by your outfits.

Expect The Unexpected

When it comes to having kids at your family session, one thing is certain. You have to expect the unexpected and that’s just a fact. Some kids like to move around more than others. Some kids are more loud than others and you have to be able to roll with that. Instead of always trying to control your kids, allow them to be themselves. This not only creates genuine and real moments, but alleviates some of the stress of always having them be still for photos.

Get In Touch

I’m a Philadelphia wedding & portrait photographer ready to document your life’s moments wherever that takes me. Inquire here and let’s chat through the vision for your photoshoot!

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@sarahcanningphoto

Mexican food connoisseur. Most likely to quote F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Philadelphia wedding and engagement photographer.
Follow along as I share all my favorite things and more on Instagram while capturing couples madly in love!    

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