Pittsburgh Family Photos in the Flowers | Hartwood Acres Mansion

If you are looking for a beautiful spot filled with flowers for a family photo session in the Pittsburgh area then you need to get to Hartwood Acres Mansion in Hampton Township. This family photo shoot took place in the beautiful fenced-in flower garden located right next to the mansion!

When I arrived at Hartwood Acres to meet my clients for their session, I was thrilled to see so many flowers in bloom. I knew the majority of our session with their three adorable little girls would need to take place in the flower garden!

The garden was filled with Zinnias, Russian sage, daisies and other gorgeous blooms giving it a very Secret Garden vibe! I am so grateful to the people that maintain these beautiful gardens, they do an amazing job.

This location is usually a hotspot for photographers and usually, there are at least 5 to 10 other photo sessions happening here at the same time. So let me tell you how giddy I was that we had the whole garden and mansion to ourselves for a whole hour!

There happened to be an event taking place on the front lawn of the mansion and there is a good chance this may have scared other photographers from coming on the same evening. Whatever the reason was, I was pretty excited to not have to be cautious of staying out of other photographers’ shots. ;)

I photographed this couple and their beautiful girls last year and I was so excited that Mom contacted me and wanted to do another family photo session! During this session, she mentioned how she looked back at the photos from our previous session and could not believe how much her girls had grown and changed in just a short year.

Last year her baby had just turned one and as time has a way of slipping by, she had just turned two shortly before this session. I have never met a two-year-old with so much character. She was cracking me up for the whole hour with all of her different expressions and adorable two-year-old antics.

And her older sisters are also so much fun to hang out with! As a mom to three boys, it was so neat for me to witness how these three girls were so similar to my boys in how their behaviors are so similar according to their birth order.

I love to get a photo of just Mom and Dad! They recently celebrated ten years of marriage!

We also headed over to the rear of the mansion for a few more photos in the beautiful courtyard and on the steps. This is always a gorgeous spot for pictures! The girls danced and played around the courtyard and then we headed right back to the gardens to catch the last light of the evening.

I absolutely loved hanging out with this family again and I hope to photograph them again in the future!

Unfortunately, these flowers will not last long, but keep in mind that (hopefully) next mid-July they will be blooming again and you can plan a session for here next year! If you’re interested, reach out and we will pencil you in for a session for the summer of 2024!

If you want to learn more about this fabulous photo session location, check out this blog post I wrote featuring the Hartwood Acres Mansion! There you will find many more details about how to find this location which is located just north of Pittsburgh. I also mention in that post another field on the property within the park that is currently filled with wildflowers that make for another perfect family photo session location!


If you’re looking for a newborn or family photographer in Hampton, Indiana or O’Hara Township near Pittsburgh,  please get in touch to inquire about a session! I’d love to plan a photo session for your family!

Here are some other blog posts from photo sessions at Hartwood Acres Park that you might want to check out! 

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All images by Mary Beth Miller Photography 

Mary Beth Miller Photography specializes in family and newborn photography in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and many of the surrounding areas. Mary Beth has over thirteen years of experience photographing families, newborns and babies in Pittsburgh including Hampton Township, India Township, O’Hara Township, Indianola, Dorseyville, Oakmont,  and Fox Chapel.  Her style is very relaxed and natural and your family session will feel like a stress-free Sunday afternoon with your family!