Family Photos With a Two Year Old at Birmingham Botanical Gardens
As a Birmingham, AL family photographer, one of the things I love most is getting to photograph families through the different stages of their lives. Watching children grow year after year is such a gift, especially when families invite me back again and again to document these seasons for them.
This was the second year we met for a spring family photo session around their daughter’s birthday, and it felt like such a sweet reflection of what life with a two year old really looks like.
We photographed their session at Birmingham Botanical Gardens during the beginning of spring. The weather had finally turned warm, but the trees were still mostly bare, giving everything that soft early spring feel that always photographs so beautifully.
Halfway through the session we stopped for a snack break, which honestly felt very on brand for life with a two year old. I love leaving space for those moments instead of rushing through them. Family sessions with toddlers are never really about getting them to sit perfectly still. They are about leaning into who they are in this season.
Like most two year olds, she had absolutely no interest in sitting still for long. At first she was a little shy, staying close to Mom and Dad while she figured out who I was and whether this whole photo session thing sounded fun. That stage never bothers me! Kids do not need to immediately perform for a session to be successful. Some of the sweetest moments happen during the slow warm up.
Before long, we were letting her run back and forth between her parents and me, laughing the whole time. The more we played, the more her personality came out. Those little games always work better than asking toddlers to stand still and smile anyway.
Halfway through the session we stopped for a snack break, which honestly felt very on brand for life with a two year old. I love leaving space for those moments instead of rushing through them. Family sessions with toddlers are never really about getting them to sit perfectly still. They are about leaning into who they are in this season.
One of the reasons I love photographing families at Birmingham Botanical Gardens is because there is room to move, explore, and breathe a little. It never feels overly stiff or confined, which makes it perfect for young children who want to play more than pose.
The older I get, the more I realize that these photographs are not really about perfect behavior or perfectly posed smiles. They are about remembering personalities. The way your child ran toward you laughing. The snack breaks. The shy smiles at the beginning. The way they fit in your arms during this exact season of life.
Those are the things that matter years from now.
If you are looking for a family photographer in Birmingham AL who will help your session feel relaxed, natural, and centered around your family as you really are, I would love to photograph you. Reach Out Today
