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A Little Bit Posed + A Lot of Fun Candid Chaos | Richland Township Family Photographer

My session with this wonderful Richland Township family consisted of real laughs, real love, and just the perfect amount of “say cheese.”

Child with brown hair wearing a denim shirt makes a silly face by pulling the sides of their mouth and sticking out their tongue. Indoor setting with other people and objects in the background.


From the moment I arrived, it was clear this wasn’t just any family session. Three sweet little sisters, their mom and dad, grandma, and five very loved dogs all sharing one home. Their gorgeous and large multi-generational house is one of those homes that feels lived in in the best way, full of personality and real life.

A woman styles a young girl's hair in a bright kitchen. The girl stands with her hands on her cheeks, mouth open in surprise. A small dog and another adult are also present.


After I arrived and met everyone, we started inside. I eased into things the way I always do, with a few quiet moments in the kitchen while everyone is settled in. No rushing, no pressure. Just letting everyone be where they are. The girls were having a snack and getting their hair fixed by mom while they quickly warmed up to my presence.

These are the moments that matter just as much as anything else.

Three-photo collage: a woman and two children in a kitchen, a small white and brown dog on a wooden floor, and the woman holding one child with another child beside her.


I love capturing these kinds of moments and capturing the true personality of children. With my sessions, I never set a strict time constraint, so I always leave plenty of time for snacks and last-minute hairstyle and clothing changes! As well as plenty of time for everyone to get comfortable with me and my camera. I loved that it took very little time for them to be silly and themselves!

Smiling young child with blonde hair and a maroon sweater, with yogurt or cream smeared around their mouth, sitting indoors on a wooden floor.


Then we made our way outside….

Three young children sit on outdoor steps surrounded by potted flowers. The girl on the right kisses the toddler in the middle, while the boy on the left smiles at the camera.
Three young children sit on outdoor steps surrounded by plants; one child feeds another, while the third lifts something above the other's head.


The patio and yard felt like an extension of the home. Spacious, relaxed, and full of movement. The girls laughed together while the parents soaked it all in, grandma right there in the middle of it. Nothing overly structured, nothing forced. Just a little guidance here and there to bring people together, then letting the in-between moments take over.

Three young children sit on outdoor steps surrounded by potted flowers and greenery, holding small objects and smiling at the camera.


There is something really special about photographing a family in a space that truly belongs to them. Not just physically, but emotionally. You can feel the comfort. The familiarity. The way everyone fits into it, in their own way. This is why I always encourage families to stay home for their photo sessions!

Three young children sit on outdoor steps between flowerpots; the child on the left tosses petals, the middle child sits quietly, and the child on the right spreads their arms and smiles.


I loved how the girls would go from sweet and smiling to pure silliness! We had a lovely mix of candid fun photos of the girls and family together, them taking turns to show me things around the yard, showing off their bikes and scooters, and their favorite activities.

Person standing on grass, reaching up to touch a tree branch, with a blue barn and white fence in the background on a sunny day.


Some moments and photos leaned a little more posed with everyone gathered, looking in the same direction, with a quick smile for the camera. And then quickly, it would shift. Someone would laugh, a dog would run through, one of the girls would lean into her mom for a cuddle. Those are always my favorite parts of a session!

That balance is everything to me.

A young girl in a plaid dress stands outdoors, holding a yellow flower near a bush with similar flowers, with a white fence and plants in the background.
A young girl with blonde hair in a ponytail, wearing a blue plaid dress, stands outdoors next to yellow flowers and looks toward the camera.
An adult with light brown hair hugs a young child wearing a green plaid shirt outdoors in a sunlit garden.


With my family sessions, I always give a little bit of direction so you never feel lost. But I always give plenty of space so you still feel like yourselves.

Sessions like this are a reminder that family photos do not have to be perfect to be beautiful. In fact, it is usually the opposite. The movement, the noise, the unpredictability, and chaos of life with kids, that is where the magic lives.

A woman sits on outdoor steps hugging three young girls, surrounded by potted plants and flowers, with a white fence and yard sign in the background.
A woman sits on outdoor steps with three young children; one hugs her, another sits on her lap, and the third leans against her. Potted plants and flowers surround them.
A woman sits outdoors on a stone step with three young children, surrounded by flowers and greenery, all smiling at the camera.


Five dogs, three daughters, three generations, and a home that holds it all so well. It was full, a little chaotic in the best way, and completely true to who they are.

And that is always the goal of my family photo sessions!

A woman and a young child sit on outdoor steps, surrounded by potted flowers and greenery, sharing a kiss.
A young girl with brown hair in a denim shirt smiles outdoors near stone steps and potted flowers, with greenery in the background.
Young girl with brown hair in braids, wearing a denim dress, sits on outdoor steps next to a floral pot with yellow flowers, smiling at the camera. White fence and plants in background.
A young girl in a denim dress sits on outdoor steps, laughing, with yellow flowers in a patterned pot beside her.
A young girl with braided hair, wearing a denim dress, sits on outdoor steps near yellow flowers, making a scrunched, playful face.
A young girl with blonde hair in braids, wearing a maroon sweater, sits outside on concrete steps next to a pot of yellow flowers.
A young girl with braided hair in a denim dress stands outdoors, making a playful flexing pose and pointing at herself with both thumbs.
Young child with blonde hair in a maroon sweater smiles and tilts head, sitting outdoors near yellow flowers and concrete steps.
A young girl with brown hair in braids, wearing a denim shirt, smiles while standing among tall, dry grass.
A young child with blonde hair and a maroon sweater stands among tall, dry grasses, holding a stalk and smiling at the camera.
A woman with long blonde hair holds a young girl in a plaid dress outdoors near a porch on a sunny day.
Three children play outside: one on a pink scooter, one sitting in a red toy car, and one on a blue scooter, near a blue house with various toys around them.
A young child with blonde hair sits in a red and yellow toy car, holding the steering wheel and looking at the camera.
A young girl in a denim dress draws with colored pencils at an outdoor table decorated with autumn items, including a pumpkin and leaves.
A young girl in a denim dress stands at an outdoor table with colored pencils, leaves, and a pumpkin, smiling at the camera on a sunny day.
A young child with blue eyes and blond hair wearing a plaid shirt reaches toward the camera, standing outside near a bench.


And here’s a fun little coincidence I have to share. Grandma is actually the one who reached out to book this session as a gift for her daughter and their family. It turns out, she’s the aunt of one of my very closest friends of 16 years. I honestly assumed that’s how they found me, but they had no idea I was best friends with their niece and cousin!

A family of five sits on a porch swing, smiling at the camera. There are two adults and three young children, with plants and a stone pillar in the background.


Thanks to Grandma for holding a small dog up behind me to capture some genuine smiles from the girls during one of our final photos of the session!

A family of five sits on a couch outdoors with five small dogs, smiling at the camera on a sunny day.


It was so nice to meet and photograph this beautiful family and be their Richland Township Family Photographer, and I look forward to working with them again in the future!

I am currently booking for Spring, summer, and into the fall. Please do not hesitate to get in touch to ask more questions or to book a newborn or family session! 

Just send me a message to get more details or to get on my schedule!

~All images by Mary Beth Miller Photography ~
Mary Beth Miller Photography specializes in newborn and family photography in the greater Pittsburgh area.

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724.371.6575
marybeth@marybethmillerphotography.com

Established in 2009
Family & Newborn Photographer serving the greater Pittsburgh area; Wexford, Mars, Cranberry Twp., and also serving Boardman, Poland, and Canfield, Ohio.

Mary Beth Miller Photography

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Established in 2009
Family & Newborn Photographer serving the greater Pittsburgh area; Wexford, Mars, Cranberry Township