Craig McNeil
August 17, 2021

I met with a new client last week who lamented it had been ten years since their last family portrait.  She added the grandkids are now adults and an updated portrait is long overdue.  


This client calls Castle Pines home.  The Grandpa expressed his desire to capture the present family members in the same location and posing used in their previous portrait so he could enjoy the progression over the years.  


I met Grandma Dee so she could show me the location.  Ironically it was much the same but the trees are ten years older and the bushes have filled in nicely.  I shared my thoughts on how I would recreate the family image, and we agreed the location was perfect.  


The weather forecast for portrait day called for clear and sunny skies so I planned accordingly.  However, as I began setting up I noticed the clouds beginning to build and grow into that dark blue threatening sky to the west.  It was not looking good, but I kept thinking it will move off just as fast as these dry storms usually do.


By the time I finished setting up the equipment the family had arrived and so did the rain.  The sprinkles soon turned into a downpour.  The storm cell seemed to enjoy itself as it thundered and threw lightning bolts around.   We dashed to our cars to wait out the rain hoping it would be brief.  The storm seemed to intensify so I determined it best to postpone the session and call it a day.


When I asked the client about rescheduling they made it clear this was their only opportunity as all family members were leaving the following day. The next best option would be during the holidays, but there was no guarantee about that.  Just as I was thinking this session was not going to happen the family members all agreed to go back to Grandma and Grandpa’s home to re-group over dessert.  Their home was only a few minutes away.


With the family gone and the session supposedly cancelled I sat in my car for a bit.  Once I had straightened up my equipment and got ready to head home I noticed the rain had indeed stopped.  Those closing moments of daylight were fast approaching as something told me to call the client and see if they were still available to come back to the location and try to get this done.  There was a resounding yes, and I got the session done before the crickets started chirping.  Our success is what you see here.  

Craig McNeil

About the author

Craig McNeil is a professional photographer in Denver, Colorado specializing in outdoor family portraits.

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