Corvallis Oregon Family Photography
Can we talk forever about this dreamy Corvallis, Oregon Family Photography Session? This session at Mary’s Peak brought me so much joy! Not only is Mary’s Peak one of my all time favorite locations for family sessions, it shows off a little extra in the Spring + early Summer. This family was also so fun and playful! It was truly a family session for the books!
Corvallis Oregon Family Photo Tips
As a Corvallis, Oregon Family Photographer, I know a lot about this epic location. Here are Corvallis, Oregon family session tips!
Weather
Come prepared! For this specific location, check this link for the current forecast! Mary’s Peak experiences much colder weather since it is the highest mountain in the Oregon Cascade Range. Snow often falls into the early Spring here and doesn’t always show up until the last mile of the drive up! Knowing the temperature helps you prepare yourself and your kiddos for successful family photos!
Wildflowers
Wildflowers start showing off in June and July! As you can see in these photos, flowers were in bloom in some spots! In the late Summer and Fall it’s warm, golden fields for days. Late Fall through early Spring is pretty cold with the likelihood of wind and snow!
Locations
I have a few go to locations here! Believe it or not, this session only shows 3 looks! There is also a whimsical forest (not recommended for young families or big families since its a small trail with a big drop off) and my favorite, a hillside that blocks the wind and shows EVEN MORE rolling hills than pictured here. It’s also less crowded!
Session Time
Sunrise time or golden hour before sunset is what you want for full sun days. If it’s cloudy it doesn’t really matter, but if we are planning on intermittent and unpredictable Corvallis, Oregon weather, we should plan based on sun! Shooting at sunrise or sunset golden hour gives you soft light, no ugly shadows, warm golden fields and GLOWING rolling hills. I highly recommend sticking to sunrise/ sunset times for best results at any session, especially open fields like this.
More Corvallis, Oregon Family Photo Ideas
I’m not going to lie, this location is my favorite. However, I have some close contenders that are absolutely amazing for your Corvallis, Oregon Family Photo Session! Here they are!
- Bald Hill– I did a post with this location in the later summer here! I talk up and down about the pros to this location in that post! It fully boasts oak trees, golden fields and a nice barn to guard against the rain!
- Fitton Green– Fitton Green makes my list of all time favorite photo locations. Here you also get rolling glowing hills, fields and wildflowers! The pro to here is that it is closer to Corvallis, Oregon and Albany, Oregon, it doesn’t have a season of snowfall and has some BEAUTIFUL oak trees!
- Avery Park– A favorite of mine in the Fall! This Corvallis park is huge and has the most fun variety of Fall foliage! There’s also a great park structure for the kiddos before or after their family session!
- Peavy Arboretum– Going for a forest vibe? This is your place! Also between Albany and Corvallis, Peavy has tall trees that provide reprieve from the rain and looks like an enchanted forest in photos.
Let’s talk about Corvallis, Oregon stops to make while you’re in town!
Corvallis, Oregon is a wealth of family session locations and is worth staying awhile! Here are my biggest recommendations!
- Stop by Tried + True for the best latte or brewed coffee ever. Seriously.
- I’m pretty sure it’s a fact of life that kids love donuts. Benny’s is so good and makes a great post session bribery, especially for sunrise sessions!
- Bellhop is such a great eatery! Good drinks, a reasonable kids menu + poutine! What’s not to love.
- Whether American Dream or Cibelli’s– you can’t go wrong with pizza in Corvallis!
- Driving in for your Corvallis, Oregon family session? The Corvallis Hilton or Corvallis Marriott are great places to stay!
A few family session tips!
Here are a few tips to help with planning your Corvallis, Oregon Family Session! Also, after you book with me, we talk more about helpful session planning hints based more specifically off your unique family and the age of your kiddos!
- Come with full bellies! This goes for kiddos AND parents. Believe it or not, it makes a huge difference!
- Wear muted or neutral colors! If you go with a pattern, subtle or small prints are best! When colors are to bright or pattens/ prints are too bold it can make the photos too busy and distract from making you and your family the star of the images. Wearing neutrals or muted colors truly allows me to make your connection with each other the highlight of the image.
- If bribery is cool with you, it definitely helps. Whether cocoa or donuts after or if I can bring snacks- this helps. Kids will often do anything for an MMM or a fruit snack. Weirdly enough I’ve also seen watermelon, popcorn, raisins and crackers be an excellent motivator. After booking with me, I send a family session questionnaire your way. In that questionnaire it dives into if you want me to bring some snack bribery and also what specific snacks, allergies or preferences I can consider when bringing snacks to a session.
Ready to plan your Corvallis, Oregon Family Photography Session?
What do you say?! I love Corvallis for family sessions- it truly offers so much variety and some of the coolest spots in the area. I actually chose some of my branding to be based on the golden fields and alpine glow of the rolling hills at Mary’s Peak and Fitton Green- they are some of my happiest places in this whole state. They’re also perfect family session locations, so it made sense!
Want to learn more about my work as a Corvallis, Oregon Family Photographer? Learn more here, at a page fully devoted to family sessions! I serve families within a wide area of 100 miles beyond Salem, Oregon. You can also see a whole bunch of family sessions I’ve photographed here. Ready to book? I’d love to photograph your own unique and beautiful family in your current season of life. Reach out here!
Until next time!
Warmly,
Kenzi
