Stormy Boise River Family Session // photos by Hannah Mann
I photographed this family while they were traveling through town on a PNW roadtrip. They were in town for just one full day, but it was summer and the weather looked lovely. The day of the session, however, it all changed – the skies turned dark, and the forecast predicted rain. Because they live out of state, we couldn’t reschedule, so we bumped our session up a couple hours and just decided to embrace the dreary weather. But that still didn’t prepare us for what awaited…
As soon as we got out of our cars, the drizzle started. And about twenty minutes into our session, a totally unexpected windstorm arrived violently. We literally watched it descend upon us, as the sky turned blackish pink, and the air filled with thick dust and wildfire smoke from a fire a few hours away. The stormy air came at us like a wall, and wild, truly scary gusts of wind whipped right down the river as it was funneled straight at us. The large trees that had sheltered us from the rain before suddenly turned into dangerous safety hazards with branches breaking and flying in the wind – and also separating us from our cars.
The last thing I would ever do during a session is allow my clients to be in ANY danger, and this was not a good turn of events. We were just about to rush through the woods back to our cars for shelter, when the intense wind ended as quickly as it began, and we were left with a light breeze and sprinkling rain, and so much relief.
This isn’t the first session I’ve had where the weather was extremely uncooperative and the forecast didn’t prepare us at all – but it’s up in my top three, along with a session during really intense wildfire smoke, and another where we got caught in a totally unexpected hail/lightning storm while in the middle of a field far from our cars. But also, what is life without a dash of adventure and making room for the unexpected? And the eerie beauty of these photos is something I couldn’t’ create on my ideal sunshiny day, but is rather nature’s own contribution to the creative process and keeping me on my toes.
Wardrobe notes: mom’s dresses and little sister’s dress are part of my client closet! I did a virtual wardrobe appointment with this family, since they weren’t in town long enough for an in-person one. It worked out beautifully! Everyone who books a full session with me gets free access to my wardrobe, which includes dozens and dozens of gorgeous options for women, children, and babies. I’ve curated this intentionally over time so that busy mothers of all stages have flattering, stylish options that photograph beautifully, at no additional cost. I save families who use my wardrobe hours of time shopping and hundreds of dollars on unnecessary new clothes. Ready for a session where your family is coordinated beautifully but with zero stress? Send me a message!
Film is processed by Photovision Prints, digital is The Archetype Process.
Stormy Boise River Family Session // photos by Hannah Mann
I’m Hannah. I’m a photographer and educator based in Boise, Idaho, where I live with my favorite guy ever and our four little ones.
I’m obsessed with photographing families and celebrating the legacy that they are building – the one that is more important than anything else they will ever build in this life. I love capturing my clients at their beautiful best, yet never abandoning the raw and real. Neither is better than the other, and a great session is the perfect mix of both.
Say goodbye to stressful family sessions, underwhelming images, and wasted time. Instead, get ready for a seamless experience, plus photos you want to hang all over your walls – because they capture the heart of your family, and the beauty of the legacy that you’re building… and you all look amazing, too.
It’s so much more than taking pictures – it’s a celebration of the biggest treasures that life has to offer: loving, and being loved.
Get to know more about me or send me an inquiry. I’d be so honored to create some magic with your family in front of my lens!
P.S. Are you a photographer looking for transformative education so you can create the art and business you dream of? Browse my free resources, sign up for my newsletter, shop my guides, or learn about how you can work with me.
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