Family farm/ranch lifestyle sessions are some of my favorite sessions and why I became a photographer! Check out some answers to frequently asked questions below!

How do we schedule our session? Life on the farm/ranch is so unpredictable!

The million dollar question! We’ll start by picking a date that you think will work based on your family’s schedules and historic timelines on the farm, then adjust if needed as it gets closer. Weather challenges, breakdowns, and location logistics are all a normal part of agriculture. Flexibility and adaptability is key, so I leave plenty of time in my schedule to swap dates or times if needed.

What about the weather?

Ah, if only we could get a handle on Mother Nature’s crazy antics. My life is just as dependent on Mother Nature as yours, so I’m quite used to last minute schedule changes due to weather! When scheduling, we’ll pick a date that we think will work, keep an eye on the weather as it gets closer, and adjust if needed.

Can we take some posed photos too?

Yes! I often have families request a hybrid session of lifestyle and portrait photos. If you’re planning on an evening/sunset session, I recommend starting with the lifestyle portion, then finishing with portrait photos once the sun starts to set. This makes for some beautiful lighting in your posed family photos!

Can we change our outfits?

Of course! These are your photos, and I want you to get out of them what you’d like! Actually, if you are using your photos in your business’ marketing efforts, I encourage you to change outfits. Having photos with multiple outfits will help you diversify your marketing content and keep things interesting for your target audience.

What do we wear?

I’m glad you asked! I dive more into this in this blog post: https://hannahdorn.com/2023/07/05/what-should-we-wear-for-our-lifestyle-session/

How long is the session?

I plan on 2 hours for each family farm/ranch lifestyle session. Oftentimes we’re moving between fields or farm sites, traveling to find cows in a pasture, or chasing down family members in equipment. Family photo sessions by nature tend to come with a certain level of stress, so I see no reason to add more by creating hurried and rushed timelines!

What do we do with the photos?

So many options! 

• Print them out! Your gallery comes with full download and print rights to print your photos through your favorite printer.
• You can also print photos directly through your gallery or view some of my favorite print styles and sites in this blog post.
• Create a photo book. My favorite sites for printing photo books are MPix and Parabo Press.
  • Side note, if the thought of creating a photo book is daunting, my seasonal packages come with a complimentary photo book!
• Use in your business’s marketing materials like this!
  • Link reel of Ruggles catalog

Hopefully, this post answered your burning questions about family farm/ranch lifestyle sessions! Seasonal packages are booked for the year in February, and one or two season packages can be booked at any time.

To book your family farm/ranch lifestyle session, click here.