The Journal

A glimpse inside the everyday magic of families’ lives.

Family Keeley McKay Family Keeley McKay

Clifford Family at Home on the Ranch

For years, I would spend my afternoons looking for beautiful new locations for sessions. Wide open fields full of wildflowers with mountains in the background, a picturesque creekside - you know what I mean. But lately I’ve been drawn to the simplicity of home, no matter what “home” looks like.

Why home? It’s where everyone is most comfortable. It’s full of snacks and things that kids can turn to when they’re feeling shy or just generally not wanting to participate. And it feels less like “a thing we have to do” for kids when they have the freedom to wander off to their room when they need a break. All of this works together to give us more natural and honest photos of your family that better reflect the nuances of everyone’s personalities at this stage.

Sami and her family are lucky enough to have this big, beautiful ranch to call home and it was so fun to let the kids show me around. Lots of wandering, picking flowers, finding eggs, chasing chickens, climbing roofs, and some of my favorite family photos of all time in between.

If you’re looking to bottle up a moment in time without over-engineering it, I’d love to document this season for you.

Film scans by The FIND Lab

Read More