Timeless portrait photography at meaningful locations in Bloomington, IL with Your Reflection My Style Photography.

Same Location, Different Story: How to Keep Family Portraits Fresh Year After Year

Same Location, Different Story: Ten Years of Family Memories

Can you photograph a family in the same location year after year without their portraits looking the same?

I think this family proves that you absolutely can.

I have had the privilege of photographing this family at the same beautiful location seven times over the past ten years. The grounds offer so many different backgrounds, textures, paths, trees and pockets of beautiful light that we can create something different each time.

But the biggest reason their portraits don't look the same isn't the location.

It's the family.

Over these ten years, I have watched their family grow from a family of three with an eight-month-old little girl, to a family of four with two children who have grown up in front of my camera.

And because I am sharing their most recent 2026 portraits first, I thought it would be fun to take a little trip back through the years and see how it all began.

So let's go back to 2016...

2026 — Where They Are Today

This is their most recent session, and their family is now complete.

The children who once ran around this location as little ones are growing up, and it is such a privilege to document these different seasons for them.

Their clothing is another thing that has always made their sessions special. They have a wonderful sense of style and consistently choose outfits that coordinate beautifully without looking overly matched. Their clothing choices complement the location and each other while still allowing everyone's individual personality to show.

And now, let's go back ten years...

2016 — Where It All Began

In 2016, their daughter was just about eight months old.

Their family looked very different then, but even in these first portraits, you can see the beginning of the story.

This was the first time I photographed them at this location—and certainly not the last!

At the time, none of us knew how many memories would eventually be made here.

2017 — A Little Announcement

By 2017, their daughter was a little older, and their family had some exciting news to share.

Their session became more than just family portraits—it became a way to announce that a baby boy was on the way!

I love looking back at this session knowing what was just around the corner.

The family of three was about to become a family of four.

BTW- I believe when we arrived at Ewing, it literally poured when we pulled up but we waited about 10 minutes and were able to move on with our session! It was a little wet at first!

2018 — Now a Family of Four

And here he is!

2018 was the first year I photographed both of their children together.

Their son had arrived, and suddenly the little family from those first 2016 portraits had grown.

This is one of my favorite things about photographing families year after year. You don't just get to see the children grow—you get to see the story unfold.

2019 — Growing Up Together

Another year, another chapter.

The children are growing, their personalities are developing, and we are still using the same beautiful location. This session was busy as their little boy was racing everywhere but so happy!

But if you compare these portraits with 2016, it is easy to see just how much has changed.

2021 — A Few More Years, A Few More Memories

By 2021, the children were becoming more independent and their personalities were really starting to shine through. The little princess was perfect at posing and their son looked absolutely adorable but keeping the suspenders on, the shirt tucked and the sports coat on was a challenge for everyone!

Love the laughing and joy that can be captured between siblings at these ages! Can we also say that this beautiful family each has their mini me! Amazing how much they each look like their mom and dad!

And once again, the same location gave us plenty of possibilities.

We didn't need to find somewhere completely different to make the portraits feel different. This was one of my favorite sessions as we had great location and weather plus how cute is this little family!

By 2024, the children had grown so much from those early sessions.

At this point, we've photographed this family together for years, and there is something really special about that familiarity.

They know what to expect from their sessions, I know their personalities and how they interact, and we can concentrate on creating portraits that feel natural to them.

And then came 2026...

Ten Years Later

This year, we decided to return to Ewing Manor, as we have for so many of their previous sessions. The grounds give us so many beautiful options that there is always something new to discover.

There was just one little addition to this year's session that I had completely forgotten about...

Their puppy! 🐾

They brought their newest family member along for a few portraits, and thankfully, this little guy was on his very best behavior while we were there. In fact, he didn't use the facilities at all during our time at the Manor—which I was especially thankful for!

I should mention one important detail for future sessions, though: dogs are not permitted on the Ewing Manor grounds. I had simply forgotten that rule when we planned this session, so we were very fortunate that everything worked out without any problems.

And now, looking at their 2026 portraits, you would never know that there was a little puppy adventure happening behind the scenes!

Their family is now complete, and it is such a joy to see how much everyone has grown since that very first session in 2016.

And here we are.

Ten years after that first session.

The same beautiful location. The same family. But definitely not the same portraits.

Looking back through these sessions is such a wonderful reminder of how much a family can change over the years. Children grow, personalities develop, and life happens—and that is what makes each session special.

One of the things I especially love about this family is that they don't let their portraits live only on a computer! They have many of these images displayed throughout their beautiful home as wall portraits, and each year they also share their family with friends and loved ones through beautiful Christmas cards.

Their memories aren't just digital files tucked away on a hard drive. They are photographs they get to see every day and share with the people who walk through their door. And that makes me so happy as a photographer.

More than anything, though, I am incredibly thankful for clients like this family who continue to trust me to capture their family through the years. It is such a blessing to be invited back into your lives—even if it's just for an hour or so each year or two.

I don't take that trust for granted.

Thank you to all of my families who allow me to be a small part of your story and give me the privilege of documenting the people you love most. It truly means more to me than you know.

And to this family—thank you for letting me capture so many of your memories over the years. I look forward to seeing where life takes you next and, hopefully, being there with my camera to capture it!

I would love to start capturing your family's story, too!

Whether you have a favorite location you return to year after year or you're ready to discover somewhere new, let's plan your next family portrait session and create images you'll treasure for years to come.

Let's get your next family portraits on the calendar soon!

0 Comments

Previous Post Next Post

Our 2013 Fall/Christmas Mini Sessions are HERE!

September 19, 2013

Chicagoland Sessions in September and October

September 17, 2013

Limited Edition Sunset Sessions

July 8, 2024

Limited-Time Photography Session Specials

June 11, 2026

10 Years, 7 Sessions at the same Location?