Brothers Exploring the Shenandoah River
When my son Thomas (the older of the two boys pictured here) was just a year old we took him to the river for the first time. I might have twisted my hubby's arm for some photos of the two of them (besides, what else was I to do? The 1 year old couldn't stand alone!), and they are some of my favorites of the two of them to this day. When my second was born he joined the river fun, too!
Happily for me it has become a whole thing. Every summer we camp along + swim in the river, and at some point I bring my camera to photograph my guys. I don't even really pose them–just guide them in the direction of the best light and capture them doing their thing. Since the river is cool we usually go during the warmer part of the day for the boys' sake, but of course that's when the sun is harsh. So I tend to scout out shallow areas with shade and just the right amount of light coming in, and these massive trees afforded just that. They arched up and over the water, roots gnarling along the bank and branches extending up and out to touch the gentle flow of the river.
And just as we reached our destination the 4 year old said "Mommy! I need to go potty." Recognizing the desperation in his voice, I knew the "potty" would have to be a tree, as we'd just walked a ways from the nearest bathroom. Ah, kids. All a part of the experience I guess!
I have mixed feelings about these photos–for the first time ever the boys were old enough, and the river low and slow enough–for them to stand alone for photos. I will absolutely still be recruiting my husband for photos of them all together, but I will treasure these and the memories for the rest of my life. My boys doing what they love most–exploring together. Splashing, throwing rocks, setting sticks and leaves afloat and watching for fish. Thomas even listened carefully with his ear to some shells to see if he could hear the ocean and it was adorable! We gathered rocks and shells and are going to make a river rock art project with them. I'll have to update this post with a photo when it's done!
I'm all about making memories *with* photos, so I love to incorporate fun activities in a photoshoot–anything involving water is a big hit with these ages.
Last year I did a summer lifestyle series with my kiddos–this kicks off the 2023 summer season! I hope you enjoy and are inspired to get outdoors and make some memories of your own. If you want someone to document–I'm SO here for that! Regardless, I hope you have the best summer making sweet memories with your family.
