The Dickens Family | A Destination Family Portrait Session

Spoiler alert: this session looks like it’s straight out of a European fairytale! I’d never been to Princeton before, but the campus is so special to Kate and her family. When she asked about hiring me to create new portraits in their favorite place, I jumped at the chance! I absolutely love to travel, and working in new places with amazing people fuels my creative soul.

I won’t lie, though: I was NERVOUS before this session! Kate’s family is moving abroad soon, so these portraits would be especially meaningful. Her parents were going to join us for a few generational portraits, and we were going to end the whole session with a cake smash for Emma’s birthday. Oh, and we created a few new headshots for Kate. Oh, AND – we were meeting at high noon in a location I’d never been to before, an Ivy League campus bustling with people. To say there were some challenges is an understatement, but this is honestly my FAVORITE way to shoot!

We arrived early to scout out the campus, and immediately we could see why it’s so special to Kate. Princeton looks like it belongs in Europe, with beautiful white columns and Gothic architecture everywhere! The prettiest college campus I’ve ever been to, by far! Their ties to the campus go far beyond the beautiful scenery. Kate’s mom served as dean of Princeton University, and actually lived on the campus during that time. After dreaming of a Princeton wedding her entire life, Kate got just that: she and Matt were married in the campus chapel!

The kids did so great for the session, despite the heat! We always make sure to give them space to play and be themselves, ready to capture them at just the right moment. I like to say that family sessions feel like absolute chaos in the moment, but the images are so beautiful and REAL when you look back on them! Emma wasn’t a huge fan of her cake, but luckily her big brothers were ready to finish the smash!

Please enjoy a few of my favorites below! If you could take me along to a special destination for a portrait session, where would we go? Let’s connect today to start planning those dream portraits!