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Family of four standing together in front of white Victorian farmhouse, Columbia MO family photographer.

A Farm Full of Character

There’s a certain kind of light that shows up right before the sun dips below the tree line and turns everything gold. That’s the light we had for the Bryant family’s session this June, and it made their farm look like something out of a storybook.

I’ve had the privilege of photographing this family for years now, and sessions like this one are exactly why I love that kind of long term relationship with a family. You get to watch the girls grow up right in front of your camera, see how their personalities develop year over year, and notice the small things that change even when everything else about the farm stays the same. It’s one of my favorite parts of being a family photographer in Columbia MO.

Family of four smiling together in front of farmhouse, mom and dad with two daughters.
Family of four holding hands and walking down gravel driveway toward farmhouse.
Family of four walking hand in hand near farmhouse and brick chimney.

A Farmhouse Straight Out of a Storybook

I met the Bryants at their family farm just outside Columbia, a place with a white farmhouse trimmed in gingerbread woodwork, a wraparound porch, boxwoods lining the gravel drive, and hydrangeas the size of dinner plates blooming right on cue. Even the chickens got in on the photos. This is a family that clearly loves where they live, and it showed in every corner of the property we walked through.

We started at the house, working with the classic white farmhouse as our backdrop. There’s something about that architecture, the wraparound porch, the detailed trim, that gives a portrait real weight without trying too hard. From there we moved into the side yard under a big old oak, out past the hydrangea beds, and eventually down to the chicken coop and the vegetable garden, letting the evening unfold at its own pace.

Mother, teen daughter, and younger daughter standing together by white hydrangea bushes.
Mother and teen daughter smiling together with younger sister standing in front, hydrangeas in background.
Three generations of women embracing, younger sister holding a daisy
Father laughing while playfully holding daughter upside down, family gathered around laughing.
Father laughing while playfully holding daughter upside down, family gathered around laughing

Dad brought the energy too. At one point he had Rosie flipped upside down laughing so hard she could barely breathe, and everyone else was cracking up right along with her. Those are the photos families end up loving most years down the road, not the perfectly posed ones, but the ones that remind you exactly what that summer evening felt like.

Lilly and Rosie

What made this session so much fun was watching the two sisters together. Lilly, the oldest, has an easy smile and has clearly settled into the role of big sister who dotes on her little one. There’s a photo of her kissing Rosie’s cheek that stopped me in my tracks when I saw it on the back of my camera. And Rosie, the youngest, in a hand smocked floral dress with ponytails bouncing, was an absolute firecracker the entire evening. She ran through the grass, hunted for her favorite chicken on the property, picked cherry tomatoes straight off the vine, and handed her dad a fistful of lavender like it was the most important gift in the world.

Teen girl in white dress standing behind younger sister on gravel driveway, hands on her shoulders, Columbia MO farm family session.
Older sister and younger sister with foreheads touching, both smiling, outdoor family photography Columbia MO.
Teen girl kissing her little sister's cheek on a gravel path lined with trees.
Two sisters holding hands and walking down a gravel driveway near a white farmhouse.
Little girl in floral smocked dress looking up at her older sister while holding hands, walking near farmhouse.
Two sisters sitting together on brick porch steps, younger sister holding a small white flower.
Little girl in floral dress and pigtails standing on a gravel driveway, Columbia Missouri family photographer.
Close-up portrait of a smiling teen girl with long blonde hair, outdoor natural light.
Teen girl with eyes closed, blonde hair blowing across her face in the breeze.
Little girl in floral dress holding a daisy, leaning on a white porch railing.

A Girl and Her Chickens

No farm session is complete without the chickens making an appearance, and this family’s flock did not disappoint. Rosie scooped up one of the hens like it was the most natural thing in the world and carried her around the yard, chatting away the whole time. Lilly got in on it too, cradling one of the birds and planting a kiss right on top of her head, which might be one of my favorite unexpected photos from the whole evening. There’s something about a farm kid and a chicken tucked under one arm that just captures a certain kind of childhood, dirt on the hem of a smocked dress and all. It’s these little unplanned moments, the ones you can’t really direct, that end up being the heart of a session like this.

Teen girl in white dress walking outdoors while holding a pet chicken.
Smiling teen girl holding a gray chicken, farm family portrait Columbia MO.
Teen girl kissing the top of a gray chicken's head, eyes closed.
Little girl laughing while carrying a large speckled chicken across the lawn.
Little girl in floral dress running through the grass chasing a chicken, farmhouse in background.

Rosie’s Garden

Speaking of the garden, the Bryants have quite the setup. Raised beds full of corn, peas, tomatoes, radishes, and herbs stretch out behind the house with a wildflower field as the backdrop. Rosie was so excited to show me around her garden. She picked snap peas straight off the vine for me to try, then went on a mission to gather bouquets of every flower she could find blooming. Lavender, chamomile and whatever was picked. By the time we wrapped up, she’d put together a little handpicked bouquet just for me to take home. Those moments weren’t posed. They just happened, and they ended up being some of my favorite frames from the whole evening.

Mother and daughter bent over a raised garden bed with a wildflower field behind them.
Little girl reaching into a raised garden bed to pick peas.
Close-up of a child's hand holding three freshly picked cherry tomatoes.
Little girl in garden holding a pea pod, side profile against a wire trellis.
Mother and daughter examining plants together in a raised garden bed.
Little girl stepping along a garden bed edge while her parents watch and smile.
Mother laughing as her daughter hands her a freshly picked radish.
Parents walking through the vegetable garden while their daughter looks back at the camera.
Little girl holding a bundle of fresh herbs with her family blurred in the background.
Little girl holding out a handful of purple lavender sprigs to the camera.
Family of four smiling together in a garden surrounded by blooming lavender, Columbia MO family photographer.

Golden Hour in the Garden

We closed things out with some of my favorite portraits of the whole session: the family together in the garden as the sun dropped low, everyone glowing in that soft golden light, surrounded by lavender and lush green rows they’d clearly put real care into.

If you’re local to Columbia and looking for a family photographer in Columbia MO who will let your family’s personality lead the way, whether that’s on a farm, in your backyard, or somewhere in town, I’d love to help you capture a season like this one. Reach out through Love Tree Studios and let’s talk about what a session on your own property could look like.

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A June Evening on the Farm: The Bryant Family Session

Family, Lifestyle & Portraiture