It’s easy to think that family portraits are only for young families — when the kids are small and everything feels fleeting. But the truth is, every season of family life deserves to be documented — even (and especially) when the babies are now teenagers, and the years have deepened your connection in quiet, beautiful ways.

This fall petite session at Reynolda Gardens and the Reynolda House Museum of Art in Winston-Salem, NC was a perfect reminder of just that.

This family of four, with two teenagers — a son and daughter — walked into their session with ease, laughter, and a closeness that only years together can create. In the golden light of the gardens, against the backdrop of changing leaves and timeless architecture, we captured moments that felt both effortless and full of meaning.

There’s something special about photographing families in this season. The kids are older, more independent, and often resistant to the idea of “family photos” — and yet, when they arrive and lean into it, what results is often the most natural, genuine connection of all.

Their images reflect more than just faces — they reflect years of shared experience, inside jokes, routines, and the unspoken tenderness that grows stronger over time. These portraits are just as important as the ones taken in the toddler years. Maybe even more so.