Adventure Family Photos in Rockland, Maine
Family photography has my heart! Documenting small moments of kids just being themselves - running in the grass, giggling, and reaching up to be held - this is what it’s all about. Freezing these memories on film, so families can hold the photographs in the family album for years to come.
In order to create space for these candid, intimate moments, I find it helpful to photograph families in their own element - doing what they love in a place that’s special to them. When I first spoke to Kat about photographing her family, she brought up Beech Hill as a hike they’ve enjoyed over the years when visiting Maine. Kat and Chad, alongside Noa and Mac, adventured up the mountain on a sunny evening in August. In the hiking and (eventual) resting on the mountain, I was able to photograph those in-between moments as the family hung out together.
Maine family vacation photography
Kat’s mom moved to Maine several years ago, and ever since, the family spends time in the Midcoast every summer visiting. It’s become a special time for slowing down and enjoying Maine’s beaches, forests, and ponds. Coming all the way from California, Maine offers a smaller community feel where they can do activities they don’t always get the chance to do back home.
Family vacations to Maine create a unique opportunity to document family traditions at beloved places. Family vacations are more than just a break from the routine—they are opportunities to create lasting memories with loved ones. While the experiences you share are unforgettable, capturing these moments with a photographer can provide a family heirloom that can be revisited years after those vacations end.
Hiking photos for adventurous families
We took the long way up Beech Hill Preserve in Rockport Maine - hiking close to a mile up a wooded path. The sun poked through the leaves as we rounded corner after corner on a slow easy ascent. The trail passes through sugar maple stands and young forest, with little wooden foot bridges (that Mac insisted on walking along in between being held by dad). As one of the only bald hilltops in the region, Beech Hill is known for it’s wild blueberry picking and sweeping views of the bay and nearby mountains. The hike took about 25 minutes, with stops along the way. It was all worth it for the stunning sunset views off the summit, and adventures on the historic Beech Nut stone hut at the top.
Once at the top, Mac and Noa wanted to explore the rocky paths and other trails. At the top, the sun was setting over wildflower fields at the edge of a grassy field. We played in the grass, walked along the hut, and adventured down some paths. All the time, I photographed the curiosities of the family as they enjoyed their rest after a hike.
Family dance party
As the sun was starting to set, sleepiness and hunger began to set in. At this point, we took a snack break and rest in the grass. Feeling renewed, we ended the session with a dance party to Bluey. Standing next to the wildflowers, Mac and Noa giggled and twirled as Kat and Chad swung side to side. I pulled out my Polaroid for some quick final portraits before packing it in to descend the mountain. It was a beautiful end to a unique family session.
As a documentary family photographer, my ultimate goal is taking photographs that feel like YOU. I don’t pose my families, nor am I one to force anyone to smile and look in the camera. Rather, through activities - like incorporating adventure, games, and music - together we create a setting that works for documenting those in-between moments.
