Documentary family photo sessions
Candid, real & authentic to you –photo sessions for families in Longmont, Lyons, Boulder and the greater Front Range area of Colorado
Beyond photos
Family is a simple word for the people and pets in our lives we cherish most. We truly believe yours is worth celebrating and documenting as it is.
Our clients open their homes to us, their relationships, their lives, trusting us to observe and document all the beautifully imperfect details and moments that make us all who we are.
We’ve literally captured first steps (see below). But also momentary, loving glances. And tender embraces as you’ve done it 1000 times. And tiny toes of course. That’s the magic — the everyday. The real stuff you’re that’s gonna mean everything someday to you or someone you love.
This work is joy.
“The way my children look at me in these pictures brings me so much confidence as a mom, more than anything else ever has.
Their style is easy on the kids and on my husband, who does not like to pose for a picture! Everyone gets to be themselves and somehow they make us all look like we are made for this. If you are considering having Jess & Austin take your family pictures, do it!
It’s the best investment in my family I can think of, we get them every couple of years!
You will not regret it!”
— Holly
How this works
Those family photos you took as a kid in the park, all dressed alike, cheesing at the camera?
This is really different.
That style of family photos is prevalent and popular because it’s the most commercially approachable way of photographing families professionally. It’s the easiest on both the photographer and the family alike.
Which initially sounds great! But when there’s vulnerability you subsequently get closer to the truth.
In those sessions, the photographer doesn’t need to know anything about who you are, the way you normally dress, the way you live, the way you love — so you don’t offer these things. You get a uniform and stand still and stare at the camera and hope your kids cooperate.
And you do end up with photos of what your family looks like.
But if you want photos of who you actually are, we’re asking you (yes you) to choose something that’s not entirely easy — to be vulnerable, and put yourselves out there. We can totally try a classic portrait — just know that the entire session doesn’t hinge on perfecting that one shot.
Only by letting us in, by showing us a glimpse of who you really are, the things you actually do, and the ways you actually do them, in the places you do them, can you come away with photos that will make you say “Wow, that’s really us!”
Included in all packages
We help all of our clients with brainstorming, recommendations, logistics, vibe, outfits, and more — really any and everything to help your session be meaningful and true and fun.
We never show up on the day and ask, “What’s the plan?” We’ve got you! Here’s what you can expect from us.
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Activity, location, timing, and outfit recommendations
Help with location/event permits
Basic session timeline
Unlimited phone & email consultations
Flexible rescheduling options for any curveballs
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Your entire experience documented by Jess & Austin both – in our documentary style that prioritizes having a great time and being true to yourselves above all.
Our clients often tell us they were kinda nervous about being in front of the camera but were shocked at how easy we made it for them.
Light direction without micro-managing, documenting without faking. You’re gonna have a good time.
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Most of our photography coverage is digital, but at every session we shoot some film for that magical, imperfect “you just had to be there” feeling that old-school film hits just right.
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Sneak peeks within 24 hours
A beautiful online gallery of edited images delivered within 2 weeks of your session
Optional heirloom photo album, thoughtfully designed by us to last a lifetime and more
High-resolution image downloads with printing rights
High-quality print options right from your gallery
Our family photography packages
Standard session
Up to 2hrs photo coverage • $600
This is a great amount of time to let everyone get comfortable, and let a chill experience unfold naturally on its own time.
During a session, families commonly:
Bake something together • read a favorite book • have a little picnic • play in the yard • dance in the living room • work on a garage project • go on a lil hike • make some art • feeding, swaddling, cuddling
…but these are just starting points! Don’t think of this as two hours of being “on” and avoiding all tangents, meltdowns, losing focus, or losing steam. Think of it as two hours of playing, being together and letting your normal life flow.
Travel within 1hr of Longmont is included; beyond that, coverage minimums increase
Custom session
Most families book with us without knowing exactly how much time they need for their session — that’s totally ok!
We can still get started planning a custom package that fits in everything you want to do and the places/locations you want to go. A custom package could be right if:
You want a full day-in-the-life session
You love the idea of documenting an activity together that takes more time
You want to head to central or western Colorado — like the Breckenridge, Aspen, Telluride or Ouray areas — or maybe something a bit further away. We don’t charge travel fees, but do require coverage minimums for extended travel.
You have other guests attending — every family & friend group is unique! We want to hear about your dynamic and how you imagine incorporating them into your plan
A few testimonials
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Annalise
“I was beaming from ear to ear when I first saw the pictures Jess & Austin took of us with our sweet daughter, still so new to the world. These are some of the very first photos we have of her; we have them framed in her bedroom, and they serve to remind us how precious our time is together — time that goes by in what feels like a blink. I would absolutely recommend the Drawhorns to any friends, family, anyone! They are talented, their energy is warm and calm, and the photos they capture are absolutely timeless.”
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David
“I really will love those pictures forever, and remember that age and stage of my children better than I could have without the Drawhorns. Thanks very much Jess & Austin. We will be hiring you again and again.”
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Megan
“Between front porch photos with our animals, the top of Rocky Mountain National Park, and family photos, the Drawhorns have been there every step of the way capturing the raw moments perfectly. They make you feel at ease; they were meant to do this. You’d be lucky to hire them!”
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Holly
“The way my children look at me in these pictures brings me so much confidence as a mom, more than anything else ever has. Their style is easy on the kids and on my husband, who does not like to pose for a picture! Everyone gets to be themselves and somehow they make us all look like we are made for this. If you are considering having Jess & Austin take your family pictures, do it! It’s the best investment in my family I can think of, we get them every couple of years! You will not regret it!”
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Anna
“We didn't have to do anything but hang out and be ourselves, no awkward instructions or forced moments or anything, and as a result, the photos feel totally and authentically us.”
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Jessie
“When I first saw our pictures, I was shocked by how Jess & Austin were able to capture the joyful little moments that we experience every day but rarely get on camera. I loved that we didn’t feel pressured to dress up or make certain poses; every picture was very natural and encompasses the joy we feel on a daily basis as a family.”
Family photo FAQs
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We live in Longmont, Colorado and are available to travel all over the Front Range. This includes: Boulder, Lyons, Lafayette, Loveland, Berthoud, Fort Collins, Louisville, Frederick, Denver, Westminister, Lakewood – all the places!
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For real, there’s no wrong time. We recommend doing photos often over the years so there isn’t pressure on any one shoot to be the perfect distillation of your lives. And because Colorado is so lovely and seasonal! There’s always something we can do inside or outside throughout the year.
We firmly believe that any holiday cards can have photos from any time, but if you’re looking for that classic holiday look – book your session in October or early November so you have time to have your cards printed.
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We want to photograph you at home!!! I cannot stress enough that no matter how in progress your house is, or what you’d like to change about it, or if it could be a little cleaner – your photos will reflect what really matters about your house: that it’s full of love and fun. The whole point of a documentary session is to fix this point in time, as it really is.
If your house is under renovation or something or just isn’t going to work – we can go anywhere outside! Your favorite park or coffee shop, or for a little mountain adventure.
A rental studio only works in certain cases but we’re happy to discuss!
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My biggest tip for a photo session is to not buy new clothes! Instead wear something you already love and feel at home in. No matching required, but it should generally look like y’all are somewhat on the same page outfit wise?
It’s common for the kiddos to go through multiple outfits in a session for all the reasons you could guess! We can also dig into their dress up bin!
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I know it sounds nuts! But again, it’s not two hours of posing and smiling at the camera. A lot of our clients think of themselves as “only needing one hour” of photos – but we’ve really found that two is the sweet spot. It gives us plenty of time for everyone to get warmed up, for the kids to get used to us, and to really access being your true selves.
If you can’t remember the last time your toddler went two hours without having a meltdown – it’s all good! Almost every session we do features some tears at some point. We can always take a break, and snap a few photos of a little recovery cuddle :)
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You know your routine best, so we’re always going to defer to what time of day everyone is relaxed and happiest. For babies and younger kids, this tends to be earlier in the day. For older kids, we love an evening golden light romp around the backyard!
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Your mileage may vary! You’re absolutely welcome to invite everyone who makes your family who it is, whether that’s grandparents, your nanny, the neighbor kids, whoever!
Just carefully consider the dynamics and personalities at play, and to be so for real – whether you’ll be able to relax and be yourself around your own parents!!
We recommend having your first session be just your core household, and bringing in extended family for subsequent sessions.
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Birthday parties, absolutely!! We are primarily wedding photographers after all, and we love to really get into an event and document the spirit of what’s going on.
For extended family sessions, sometimes! These sessions can often look like a lot of switching out people and everyone doing the same pose. If you have family visiting and want to get some great photos of everyone together, we recommend planning it around an activity – like a backyard bbq or picnic at a park. We can do plenty of staged photos, but we want to create the circumstances for lots of candids too!
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Item description
How to book
your family photo session
The booking process
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If you like what you’re reading and seeing, hit that CONTACT button below. We’d love to hear from you!
Note: you truly don’t need to have everything figured out before inquiring! Most people book with a general timeframe and vibe in mind (and we help them with all the rest of the details in the planning process). -
We’ll meet over video and just get a feel for what you’re looking for and what we offer, and answer any questions you may have about us, our process, or anything else.
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We’ll send over a proposal and contract to sign when you’re ready!
Note: As much as we’d like to, we can’t work with everyone that inquires with us.
After booking
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After you’ve signed your proposal and contract, the fun begins! Tons of exclusive information coming your way, including a questionnaire to get the ball rolling and help you get a feel for what’s possible!
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We’ll review your questionnaire together over video, chatting through specifics, recommendations, and timeline.
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With a fun plan in place, all that’s left is to show up and get to it!
