Cass first met this family when their oldest was a newborn. That was a different kind of session (tiny baby, two parents figuring out the first days). This is what it looks like a few years later, with more kids, more noise, and a backyard full of things to do.

Family of four smiles together among lush garden plants and climbing vines in their San Rafael backyard

Father crouches beside young child picking tomatoes from garden vine while mother holds toddler, dappled sunlight filtering through lush foliage

A mother holds her young daughter close in a sunlit backyard, both smiling warmly as the girl whispers in her ear

Their San Rafael home has a backyard that does all the work. Tomatoes coming in, magenta climbing roses, the kind of garden where kids just disappear into. The whole afternoon had that quality (loose, unhurried, everyone finding their own thing).

A family of four laughs together on the grass beneath a flowering tree in warm afternoon light

Father lifts laughing toddler overhead while mother sits beside them, golden afternoon light streaming through the window

A woman reads a picture book to two curly-haired toddlers in warm afternoon sunlight streaming across their laps

The oldest knew how to be in a session (easy, confident, already taking care of her younger siblings). The little ones just ran. Into the garden, toward the hose, up to whatever looked interesting next.

A curly-haired child in a blue dress waters plants with a hose in the sunlit backyard garden

Two young children reach toward vibrant pink climbing roses against a wooden fence in a sun-dappled backyard

Two toddlers with curly hair hold hands while playing in a sunlit backyard garden

A curly-haired toddler grins widely at the window, bathed in warm afternoon sunlight

That’s mostly what Cass is doing in a session like this: watching what’s already happening and being ready when it gets good.

A family of four sits together on a white bench in their sunny backyard, children in bright red

Two curly-haired toddlers laugh joyfully on a porch swing in warm afternoon sunlight

A family sits together on brick front steps, framed by a deep red Japanese maple and purple-leafed vines

Interested in an in-home family session in Marin County? Learn more or get in touch.

In-Home Family Session — San Rafael, Marin County · June 27, 2023