Highland Cow Photo Sessions in Waterford, VA - An Experience You Won't Soon Forget

One of the biggest questions I hear from moms is, "will my kids behave?".  As a parent or a photographer you never know if the babies and toddlers (or teenagers) are going to be excited or irritated, nervous or brave, curious or very sure during the experience.

While you can hire a photographer for every chapter of your life, every year, or for every experience I don't think it comes very easy to many, no matter the age, to be in front of the camera and have someone take photos of you whilst also being directed to "act naturally".  

There is something to be said about having a go-to photographer for this reason, someone they see constantly behind the camera, that can make the process a little more easy for everyone... but I digress.  

Now add in another family photo session dynamic and enter live animals stage left.  

Ladies and Gentleman, I give you - The Highland Cows of Scarlet Springs Farm. 

Dealing with any animal, you never know if they are ever going to want to be in the space they are asked to be in.  

The farmer at Scarlet Springs is amazing, and knows her animals incredibly well, but we always have to be mindful of not only the children but also these Giant Floof Babies that will absolutely let you know exactly how they feel, just like the toddler you're trying to convince to get into their car seat.

And then, some magic always happens.  

It's like we forget about the secret language between children and animals.  And how every once in a while we get the privilege of seeing beautiful, quiet, interactions between these beings that have an automatic love for one another and allow everyone to slow down and feel the regulation that they bring for each other.  

And we get the honor to be witness to moments like this.

We had a very calm baby getting hugs from a very sweet coo and on the opposite side of the spectrum a very unsure but curious young man who was okay with his distance but still wanted to let us know everything he was seeing and experiencing.  

Its experiences like Highland Cow Family Photo Sessions that just give you a bit of perspective on life.  

We don't need to control and direct real family time.  This was a solid 20 minutes of time where the family got to slow down, breathe, and just be together for a while, outside, in fresh air, walking on grass (and cow poo), and connecting with one another and sweet animals that loved the extra attention (and the extra snacks). 

So what can you expect during your Highland Cow Full Family Photo Session Experience?  

• During your Full Session we will start with a fully guided Family Session on the property
• The Full Experience includes time inside the fence line for smaller, calmer energy families and a little extra time to love on these big lovies.  
• You get to pet, feed, brush, interact with, and snuggle up to these very tame and docile sweet baby angel highland cows.  
• Your entire finalized gallery is included in your session fee.  Along with an 8x8 Gift Album from me.

We'll capture moments of sweet, quiet, gentle connection between family members and candid, unposed time with the cows too making this an awesome opportunity to update your album, holiday card, or wall art. 

If you're worried about what to wear during your session on the farm you can always access my Style Guide HERE. But some general tips are: 

• Dress for the weather.  
• Dress to impress - the environment.  Move aside ball gowns and fancy pants, we are in a pasture... 
• Shoes still matter, even though we may come across muck, a cow patty or two, and standing in the grass most of the time we don't want our throw away shoes or fancy heels - we do want not distracting footwear but also feel free to play up the farm life style look.  
• Neutrals and earth tones will go great with the aesthetic.  Flowy dresses, cotton or linen, jeans and light colored Ts.  
• Accessories probably won't bode too well here as they may be unsafe for the cows.
• Bug spray and sunscreen always a good idea.

As always, in documentary family sessions, remember to

• Engage with one another more than you do me or the camera.
• If you don't know what to say or do - just start noticing things and narrating it.  If you have littles with you, remember to engage with their awe, wonder, and lust for life as they are seeing it all for the first (or one of the first) times.
• Slow down.  Our time may feel short, but the moments are precious.

These are the times that fill our buckets and our souls.  That speak to us in memory when the monotony of life can and will overcome us.  These are the sweet little blips of time that flood our hearts in the quiet and the still.  

There is nothing better to me than watching your family just be.  Naturally engaging, authentically connecting.  Seeking out the joy that adds to your memory bank.  The gratitude for watching from this side of the camera is immense.  

So if you're every worried about not knowing what to do during your family photo session, its important that you trust your photographer and let them guide you.  But honestly, there is another option, and that is to not "do" anything, but just be, experience, and breathe in the moment that can so beautifully be framed as connection.

It helps to have these adorable Highland Cows to engage with too.