Summer is hands down my favourite season for outdoor family photography in Edmonton. The warm golden light, lush greenery, blooming flowers, and relaxed atmosphere create the perfect setting for timeless family portraits.
If you’re planning a summer family photoshoot in Edmonton, here are my top tips to help you create beautiful, natural, and meaningful images your family will treasure for years.
Table of Contents
1. Choose the Right Outfits
Outfits play a huge role in the overall feeling of your family photos. The goal is to create a soft, timeless look that keeps the focus on your family connection.
Choose Comfortable Clothing
Flowy long dresses work beautifully for moms and girls as they add movement and softness to your photos. Most importantly, wear something you can comfortably sit, walk, run, and cuddle in. When you feel comfortable, you’ll naturally look more relaxed and connected in your photos.
Stick to Soft, Fresh Colours
For summer family photos, soft and natural tones always photograph beautifully.
Some of my favourite colour choices include:
- white
- cream
- beige
- soft pink
- baby blue
- sage green
I recommend avoiding overly bright or heavy colours like:
- bright red
- neon colours
- hot pink
- metallic tones
- strong black outfits
These colours can pull attention away from your family connection.
Coordinate, Don’t Match
Your family doesn’t need to wear identical colours. Instead, aim for outfits that complement each other naturally.
A simple rule:
If everyone looks like they’re going to completely different events, the outfits probably won’t photograph well together.
Keep It Simple
Simple outfits almost always create the most timeless family portraits. I recommend avoiding:
- busy patterns
- heavy lace
- large logos
- overly formal clothing
- bulky decorations
A lot of people think outfit preparation is the hardest part of planning a family photoshoot, but it really doesn’t have to be complicated. In most cases, simple and minimal outfits from your own closet are the best choice. I’ve noticed some families feel like they need to wear their fanciest dresses or most formal outfits for photos, but heavily decorated clothing can sometimes pull attention away from the connection and emotion we actually want to capture. Family photos are about the love, interaction, and little moments between you — not just the outfits. Your clothing should support that feeling rather than dominate the image. I have a more detailed blog about how to prepare your family outfit for photoshoot. This should help you prepare step by step.
Don’t Forget About Shoes
One last thing to keep in mind is footwear. Choose shoes that you can comfortably walk, run, and play in. You definitely don’t need fancy shoes for beautiful family photos, even a simple pair of white Vans or neutral sneakers can look great.
I learned this lesson myself when I was younger. I wore high heels for my own family photos, and it was honestly a disaster. I could barely walk on the grass, sitting down and standing up felt awkward, and instead of enjoying the session, all I could think about was not falling over in my heels. So trust me on this one: comfortable shoes make a huge difference during a family photoshoot.
2. Choose the Right Location
Location is one of the biggest success factors in creating beautiful summer family portraits. We are not just lokking for a beautiful location, but a location we are able to shoot your family in.
Think this way: a location may have beautiful flowers, but if it’s surrounded by parking lots or distractions, it won’t be a good place to photographe. The best locations feel natural, open, and peaceful.
When think about summer in Edmonton, I think those wild roses, green trees, river views, tall grasses and golden evening light.
Parks
Edmonton has so many beautiful parks for family photography. One thing I really love about this city is that we’re not surrounded by skyscrapers everywhere, so it’s easy to find natural locations with beautiful greenery and peaceful backgrounds for your family sessions. Even small community parks with open fields or ponds can create stunning backdrops for family portraits.
River Valley Locations
Edmonton’s river valley offers gorgeous scenery for outdoor family photography. If your kids are at an age where you feel comfortable around the water, there are so many beautiful riverside locations in Edmonton that create playful and natural family photos. Riverside sessions can feel playful, adventurous, and full of movement, especially for families with energetic children.
Flower Farms
Flower farms are one of my favourite summer photography locations in Edmonton. They create a vibrant and dreamy atmosphere that adds so much life and colour to family portraits.
3. Plan Around the Best Lighting
Lighting is the secret ingredient behind those soft, orange glowing outdoor family portraits. I know in Edmonton our sunset time is really late in the summer, but trust me, it’s all worth it. Those golden lights only appear about one hour before sunset, and it has to be on a sunny day.
I know with small kids, it can feel impossible to keep your children awake until 10pm. In that case, I usually suggest booking your session in September when the sunset is a little earlier, or choosing a cloudy day instead, although you won’t get those golden hazy tones in your photos.
Golden Hour
The most beautiful light happens during golden hour, which is the hour before sunset.
One hour before sunset is called golden hour, which is a family photographer’s favourite time of day. Honestly, there’s really no substitute for it. Well, technically one hour after sunrise is golden hour too, but I think I’d rather stay up late than wake up at 3am for a morning golden hour photoshoot.
Cloudy Days Can Be Beautiful Too
Cloudy days can also be beautiful for family portraits because the clouds soften the harsh sunlight into a gentle diffused light.
Why Midday Light Is Difficult
The reason why we usually avoid afternoon light is because the sunlight is too harsh and too high. We often have to give up many beautiful locations and place you under trees just to avoid heavy shadows on your face.
4. Relax and Enjoy the Session
As a family photographer who has captured so many families, I’ve seen people completely forget that it’s even a photoshoot and simply enjoy that one hour together as family playtime. I’ve also seen people worry so much about the results that they come over to check the back of my camera every five minutes.
Guess which families get the most relaxed and storytelling photos? Of course, it’s the ones who fully immerse themselves in the session experience.
Family photography is a collaboration. I guide you throughout the session, but the genuine connection comes from simply being present with the people you love most. The more families enjoy the cuddles, play fighting, laughing, and simply being together, the more natural and meaningful the photos become.
5. Let Your Kids Be Themselves
One thing we can never fully predict during a family photoshoot is kids, especially children between ages 2–5. Sometimes they cooperate, and sometimes they don’t.
I always tell parents before the session that I don’t expect children to give me perfect smiles the entire time, and I definitely don’t expect fake smiles toward my camera. I want them to simply be themselves.
I let them run, be silly, explore, show me their personalities, and even make funny faces. Those are actually the little moments we want to capture and preserve, not just the perfectly smiling moments.
Sometimes kids get upset because their parents don’t let them show me their new skills or funny little personalities. But honestly, those tiny angry faces, pouty expressions, and emotional moments often become some of the most precious memories in your gallery.
But don’t get me wrong, we can absolutely do things to help your kids feel more comfortable and willing to participate during the family session. This blog will probably help you prepare your children for an outdoor family photoshoot and make the experience feel more fun and relaxed for everyone.
Planning Your Summer Family Photoshoot in Edmonton?
If you are planning a family photoshoot, I hope this blog helps you feel a little more prepared and relaxed. If you are looking for an Edmonton family photographer who can create a stress-free and relaxing environment while capturing your family story, I’d love to connect with you.
Samantha, the visionary behind Little One Photography, is a passionate photographer with a special gift for capturing the essence of newborns and families. As an awarded newborn photographer, she has honed her craft to create timeless, emotive portraits that families cherish for generations. Samantha’s warm personality and patient approach put even the tiniest clients at ease, allowing her to capture genuine moments of connection and love.
