An At-Home Toddler Photo Shoot in Austin, TX
It was a cool morning when I drove into a quiet Austin neighborhood, though there was enough humidity sitting heavy in the air to know it was about to heat up! The home was modest, but sweet with potted greenery all along the front porch. Across the way was the true charm of the home: a beautiful natural area, green and wooded with a gentle creek flowing through it. The early morning songs of the cardinals could be heard in the tree tops.
Inside, Baby Girl was sitting on the dresser having her curls combed and styled, her watchful eyes, shy and curious, following me. To give her time to get comfortable with my presence, I stood in the next room and played peek-a-boo through the doorway. I received some cautious smiles in response.
Having been told how much Baby Girl enjoyed her books, once the beauty routine had been completed, I handed her a story. A girl after my own heart, I think she would have been content to read books the entire time I was there!
After reading a half dozen stories, we finally enticed her to leave her mini library and come downstairs to play, where she spent some happy time riding up and down the street on her tiny pink bike.
When the bike riding fun wrapped up, we headed to the wooded park across the street. There she found plenty of space to run and explore. She even discovered a puddle to splash in!
Next, we headed for the playground where much climbing and sliding fun was had!
The open green space was beautiful with dandelions scattered throughout. Baby Girl wandered around observing and exploring all she could see! At one point, I came closer to see what she was looking at. There was a swarm of bees on the ground, inches from her foot! I swooped her up quickly as I could and dashed away! Being that she was still a little shy with me, I hadn’t yet come close enough to touch her. I thought the tears would come with the abrupt way I had grabbed her, but none appeared. I set her down a good distance from the bees and she went on her merry way and continued exploring.
After a couple hours of exploring the park and the walking trails, we ended our session at the little creek. The temperature and humidity were creeping higher and Baby Girl was showing signs that nap time would be soon. A brief paddle in the cool, bubbling water of the creek was the perfect end to the session. Initially, Baby Girl showed some hesitation about the water, but with her daddy by her side showing her how to splash, she soon joined in the fun, as evidenced by the giggles we caught on camera.
One last photo for the day, her sweet baby curls! Sometimes those little curls stay for life and sometimes they straighten only to return after puberty. And sometimes they never return, so I wanted to make sure we documented those tiny ringlets.
Would you like to see more summery portraits of happy children in nature as we head into the cool Texas autumn? Or would you like to book a photo day to document your own children’s beautiful childhood here in Austin and the Texas Hill Country? Send me an email and we’ll plan out a fun day of photos for your family!