Salem Oregon Family Photo Session

Salem Oregon Family Photo Session

Hello family session of my dreams- this Minto Brown Island Park, Salem Oregon family photo session SHOWED UP. It was the coolest getting to know this family and take their yearly family photos. This fam was silly, connected and so so fun! It was the kind of session that makes me repeatedly thankful I get to do this job. Thank you so much to this wonderful family!

Minto Brown Island Park

Minto Brown Island Park is a popular location for a Salem, Oregon family photovsession. For good reason too- regardless of the season the park is so dreamy. I think that this end of Fall family sessions may be one of my all time favorite times here. I mean, it’s golden, warm and magical. There are countless looks and trails to explore in this park- and it’s very dog friendly for those of you wanting to include you furry family members in your session! As a Salem, Oregon Family photographer, Minto Brown Park is one of my all time favorite shoot locations. It especially shows off in the Summer and Fall!
I really love how lifestyle centered this Minto Brown Oregon family session was. It was full of opportunities to let the kids be kids- to allow the parents to enjoy the moment- and to just go with the flow of the session.

What to Wear

This family also hit it out of the park in their outfits! This family went with a palette of soft, muted tones and I’m honestly obsessed. The muted tones allowed in color with out being overwhelming- allowing the family to be the focus of the session. I love the choices of flowy dresses and jumpsuit- most amazing choices! The movement of flowy dresses photographs like no other, but the jumpsuit is such a cute look on the kiddos while giving them the freedom to run around without tripping or getting caught in things!

A couple things I do for families with young kids:

For sessions like this I always come prepared with a blanket for sitting photos (some of my favorite), a monkey stuffed animal that sits on my lens as an assistant for the littles, hand warmers (lifesavers) and gummies to use as bargaining chips (with permission of course). These things equal to a recipe of fun success with families that have young children!

Let’s talk Salem, Oregon weather for your family photo session

Well, Oregon is known for it’s rainy weather and grey skies. Good news for you, overcast weather is THE BEST for photos! Full sun casts shadows on the face, each other and in the photo. Not to mention it makes the face super shiny looking- all together not ideal when you’re going for timeless. In my opinion Fall and Spring are the best times for family photos in Salem, Oregon! Here’s the low down on Salem, Oregon’s weather seasonally!

Winter

You get overcast pretty much all the time and that’s awesome for photos! You also can have your session about any time of the daylight hours since we’re not having to work around the sun. It’s 30-50 degrees on average, so lean into cozy winter looks- sweaters, long sleeve dresses and beanies are great and so fun! The negative to this time of year is the rainfall- I always recommend choosing a spot that has good tree cover or having a back up plan! Minto Brown Park has great tree cover and The Gray Lab Studio in Salem, Oregon is a great back up plan with a great cozy vibe! Also, I am happy to allow reschedules if the rain is insane- there’s room for flexibility!

Spring

One of the best times for Salem, Oregon family photos! I highly recommend sunrise or sunset for sessions this time of year. Grabbing gold hour and blue hour allows for diversity in the vibe of your photos and the most soft, flattering light. Also, no harsh shadows! Weather is typically 50-65 degrees in the Spring so as a whole basically anything goes outfit wise! You can dress cozy, light layers, or fairly comfortably a spring/ summer dress vibe. This time of year you will get lush greens and the start of wildflower season as well. The drawback is also, the rain! A good back up plan as mentioned above is key! And knowing there is flexibility in reschedules provides some peace in the planning!

Summer

If you want golden tones this is your season! Salem, Oregon summers are beautiful and depending on what part of the summer, fairly moderate in heat. Plus, the risk of rain in basically nonexistent! Minto Brown Park has the most gorgeous golden fields this time of year- and even some wildflowers in the early summer months! The only drawback to summer sessions is I only shoot there at sunrise and sunset because the sun is so powerful. That makes sessions early morning or pretty late for young kiddos- that dreamy golden light is so worth a day of extra coffee (I have a great recommendation below) and the joy of golden hour photos. Weather wise since we only do sunrise and sunset, weather stays around 70-90 degrees depending on the month- a lot cooler than mid day meaning a more comfortable session and less summer sweat.

Fall

Okay, not to be biased but this is my favorite season for Salem, Oregon family sessions- especially at Minto Brown Park! You get golden fields in the early Fall and the transition into the crisp air and leaves. The weather is cooler and not a ton of rain until late Fall. In late Fall, the risk of rain is there but in turn there are the most beautiful golden tones in the fallen leaves. It’s magical. This session at Minto Brown Park was mid to late Fall and oh my goodness could it be much better. This session was a late October golden hour session and it was goals. A benefit to Fall + Spring Salem, Oregon sessions is that sunrise and sunset sessions are not too late at night, but not too early either. The risk of rain is mitigated with good tree cover! There is always flexibility of reschedules due to rain, but the Fall is the busiest family photo season of the year- so weekday reschedules are more feasible. Fall family sessions typically book months in advance- and for good reason since it’s, in my opinion, the most beautiful season of the year. Plus, temps are moderate like in the Spring- around 40-65 degrees, so you can dress just about anyway you want depending on the aesthetic you’re wanting! But, I know there are Spring and Summer fans out there too!

If you’re not from Salem, Oregon and want to make a day out of it!

• Stop by Archive for a great cup of coffee! And they have amazing tacos: win-win!
• The Grand Salem is the best hotel for a cozy staycation while remaining downtown!
• Spend some time at the Salem Carousel– it’s really fun and beautifully restored!
• Whether take out or dine in, Gamberetti’s is the place to eat!
• Take your kiddos to Bush Pasture Park and the Deepwood Museum! Beautiful gardens, a green house, historic buildings and great walking paths! It’s acres of space to run around and has multiple playgrounds too!

I am just so grateful for this session, these gold Fall tones and these really amazing clients I got to meet this year. It’s a good life.

Want to see another session here at Minto Brown Island Park? Check out this late summer/ early Fall Maternity session!

Want more info on my family photography? Click here! I joyfully serve the Salem, Oregon community and all surrounding areas- no travel fees!

Ready to plan your session at this pretty location? Say hey and let’s plan it!

Warmly,

Kenzi