Ottawa Ornamental Gardens Lifestyle Family Session: Henry

Oh my goodness, how could I have possibly forgotten to post this wonderful session with Henry and is awesome parents, Emma + Scott?! I knew I had issued it to them before hitting publish on this post as I was just so swamped with editing that I didn’t have time to wrap up blogging at the time (and of course didn’t want them to have to wait while I got my writing inspiration), but I didn’t realize just how long it had been since I actually finished this up. Well, long story short, I am (finally) sharing this wonderful lifestyle session and that is what really matters … right?!

I really love these little petite family sessions because they really are the perfect amount of time for a small toddler. A shorter session may not be able to get them comfy cozy with the camera, but a longer one is likely too much for them and their short attention span. Or perhaps the real issue is the fact that you can reason with them just yet. They know what they do or do not want, but can’t understand the concept of a couple more minutes, or bargaining. But I suppose it’s okay, because, boy-oh-boy are they ever cute and getting to watch them explore the world around them is really something special.

And that is exactly what Henry’s session was full of, exploration and cuteness! I specifically chose the Ornamental Gardens for his session because Emma let me know that he didn’t like to sit still and I thought that this location would be great for running around and exploring because their honestly isn’t a bad spot or view that we would need to avoid (in case his toddler eyes spotted something that was super interesting to him). And, if all else failed, I was certain we could get some smiles from the nearby farm animals that you can spot over in the Farm.

But apparently I was wrong, and the greatest enjoyment would come from watching the cars on the road and the occasional airplane flying overhead. This little boy really loves his motorized vehicles and I think he would have stayed and watched them literally all day if we let him. Although he did also love watching the fish in the pond as they darted from side to side underneath the little bridge. It was really cute watching him figure out where they were going and then turn his little head to try and see them under the rocks and bridge. Oh my goodness!

So again, long story short, a couple pro-tips for sessions with toddlers: 1. Keep it short and sweet, 2. Give them an area to explore, 3. Be prepared to pivot, and most importantly 4. Let it be done when the toddler decides it is done. Haha!