The sun was out and the only way to beat the heat was to get out early for this session at Alameda Open Space. Luckily the cottonwood trees along the river were perfect shade for some summer family photos. With light streaming through the leaves and the cool air off the water, the Odame family had just about a perfect morning. Especially Taron, who was killing it all morning in his awesome mirrored shades!

Alameda Open Space Summer Family Photo Session

When I got to the parking lot, I was a bit worried about the clouds on the Sandias. However, by the time I had our spots for the morning scouted, the summer Albuquerque sun was out in full force. This was perfect for the dense trees down by the river. These cottonwoods and coyote willow trees let through some amazing glow and beautiful greens! You couldn’t have asked for a better backdrop for the Odame family, their whites and earth tones just popped off the background.

From the get go, Taron was a dream to work with. Rich and Amy must have prepared him well because it didn’t require much to coax an adorable little smile out of him! Whether with mom and dad, or by himself, all it took was Fluffy on my shoulder or head to get him to look my way. (I’m not above shooting a family with a stuffed animal on my head – whatever works!) No help was needed for big smiles when Rich was tossing the little dude up in the sky though. He sure loved that!

Next we headed across the bridge to get some mountain shots by the water. Even with the river running low, the life it brings to this desert is hard to beat. It’s such a joy to capture beautiful summer family photos in a relaxed and stunning environment. On the way over I couldn’t help but get a shot of Rich and his little man rocking their shades together. They were just too cute!

Check out some of the pictures from this session – I hope you all love them as much as I do! Feel free to reach out if you’re interested in a summer family photo session. Whether down at the river or up in the foothills, it’s a beautiful time here in the 505!