Last autumn, we had the delight of photographing this enchanting family on top of the bald mountain called Max Patch nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. The close-knit clan consists of Tricia, Jonny, their son Jude, and their rambunctious, friendly dog, Mordecai. The Walkers were interested in getting couple’s and individual shots in addition to the family photos.

The brisk early fall air was augmented by the stiff breeze that is commonplace to the tops of the grassy balds of North Carolina. We started the shoot with some group photos of the family, intermittently adding Mordecai into the shots here and there when he was not being distracted by other dogs or hikers. Later, as the sun was beginning to set, we took some shots of Tricia and Jonny. We took some of them together and some individual shots. Meanwhile, Jude and Mordecai cavorted through the grass.

After sunset, we began to make our way back to the cars. When we got to the bottom, Jonny discovered that the forest adjacent to the parking lot was eerily beautiful in the fading light. Jonny grabbed the vintage lantern that he had brought along and in that setting we snapped a few more photos of this beautiful, bewitching family. They turned out to be just as interesting and fun as the shots on top of the bald!

This session holds a very fond place in my memories. It was unique on so many different levels. Jonny, Tricia, and Jude are no strangers to the camera as they have experience in modeling. That, coupled with the family’s warm and amiable personalities, made this session so breezy. The biggest reason this shoot stands out is that it was the first of many adventures with the Walkers. We now consider them to be some of our most cherished friends.