July 3, 2026
We absolutely LOVE doing sessions that are unique! Nick thrives when he can use his creativity and try something out of the ordinary. This was a photo shoot we did about 2 years ago with Kayla and her boys. She wanted to do something fun with them while they were still little enough to actually want to, because let’s be honest, when kids get older they don’t always want to do things like this.
During the consultation call, she and Nick came up with this idea together of doing a formal portrait beforehand, boys dressed up and she would be in a gown. When we were done with the traditional portraits, it was time to get dirty and have some fun! Let me add that we made a whole entire weekend of this. We found a camping spot at Pine Flats campground, which is about an hour and a half away from Boise and has this beautiful river running right by it. We took our 3 kids and 2 dogs up a day before the shoot and had a little mini vacation!
When Kayla and her boys arrived, we all make the short trek down to the river. We did the traditional portrait and then Nick mixed up some mud, gave the kids just a little bit of direction and that’s when the magic happened! I guarantee you that it’s something they will never forget! Kayla actually opted for a large wall portrait of them in the mud rather than the traditional image.
Afterwards, we played in the water (which was freezing) and headed back up to our campsite. We made hot dogs, burgers and smores around the campfire together and they headed home that evening. It was so fun! Watch the video below for a short glimpse 🙂
-Erin Allen
