A couple of weeks ago, I met this little dude and his mom at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum for a morning photo session celebrating him as a three year old. It was one of those perfect fall mornings, crisp at the start, with just enough sunshine to warm things up as the day went on.

I arrived feeling a little scattered. The week before had been a doozy and I was carrying a little bit of that with me. As I stepped out of my car, I caught the sun rising over the dense tree line to the east. The Arboretum was quiet, just beginning to wake up, and for a few minutes I stood there taking it all in. It was the calmest, slowest start to a morning I’d had in quite a while, and exactly what I didn’t know I needed. That feeling carried through the entire session.

We walked the Arboretum’s open spaces, dew accumulating on our shoes, looking for the best spots for photographs, and boy, did we find them. The colors were everything you’d hope for in a Wisconsin fall. Leaves in shades of red and gold, with patches of green still hanging on. Rust-colored pine needles covered the ground beneath the evergreens, while the pine trees themselves offered every variation of green, from vibrant to the coolest blue-green tones. One of my favorite discoveries of the morning was a pine tree that seemed to bubble up and out of the ground, almost like smoke spilling from a smoke machine. It was such an interesting shape, and one of those little details I might have missed if we’d been rushing from one photo location to the next. The morning sun eventually warmed everything up, casting the most beautiful golden glow around us as we wandered.

Experiencing this session through the eyes of a curious and adventurous three year old was my favorite part. We found spectacular trees, including one that looked like a spaceship and another particularly grand one that he chose himself as the perfect photo backdrop. There were pinecones with sticky sap still clinging to them, and even a “golden eagle” feather that he was especially proud to discover. As we wandered, he pointed out the little plant markers he referred to as “candlesticks,” knowing they were important and taking note of all the different trees and plants around us. He asked me to read the tags aloud which, of course, included their scientific names and I tell ya, my pronunciation could use some work.

I left this session feeling especially grateful. Grateful for a beautiful fall morning, for the opportunity to photograph an annual session, and for the reminder that sometimes the best parts of a session happen when we stop worrying about time, distance, or efficiency, taking the time to wander and explore.

Want gorgeous images like these? Contact me! Let’s book your session.