Looking for a Cedar Falls family photographer? Some families you photograph once and deliver a beautiful gallery. And then there are the families that feel like you become a part of their family too.
The Kleins are just those people to me.
I’ve been photographing Max and Kate since 2018, back when they were dating. I’ve watched them get married, photographed their maternity session, their destination wedding in Florida, and more family sessions than I can count. And somewhere along the way, our youngest kids came into the world one day apart, in rooms across the same hospital hallway.
So when I say this family holds a special place in my heart, I mean it in the most literal way possible.
This fall we headed to Big Woods Lake in Cedar Falls for their most recent session, this time with grandma and all four kids in tow. Three generations. Four kids. The most insane fall color Iowa has ever seen.
It was perfect.
Why Big Woods Lake is One of My Favorite Fall Locations in Cedar Falls
Cedar Falls has some genuinely beautiful spots for family sessions but Big Woods Lake in the fall is something else entirely. The trees in the fall turn this incredible gold and orange, the light shines through in a way that makes everything glow, and there’s enough open space for kids to actually run around and be kids.
What a Multi-Generational Family Session Actually Looks Like
One of the things I love most about sessions like this one is that the energy is already there. You don’t have to create moments when grandma is walking hand in hand with her grandkids. You don’t have to prompt genuine laughter when the little ones are doing what little ones do. It all unfolds on it’s own.
My job in sessions like this is simple, I give everyone something to do and then I stay out of the way. I asked the kids to walk with grandma. I asked Max and Kate to just be together. And then I watched what happened naturally and photographed all of it.
That little cowboy hat on young Max? His choice. Lennie’s tiny white dress and bowed pigtails? Pure magic. The way grandma looked at her grandkids while they walked? My favorite.
What It Means to Have a Photographer Who Knows Your Family
There’s something really special about working with a photographer who has watched your family grow. I know how Max and Kate move together. The jokes Max is going to make and the way He looks at Kate. How to get those kids to smile. I know that the real moments happen in between the posed ones.
That kind of familiarity shows up in the photos and it’s something that only comes from showing up for a family over and over again across years.
If you’re looking for a Cedar Falls family photographer who will invest in your family the same way, that’s exactly the kind of relationship I want to build with every client I work with.
Ready to Book Your Cedar Falls Family Session?
Whether it’s your first session or your fifth, I’d love to be your photographer. Fall sessions book fast but I photograph families year round across Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Waverly and all of northeast Iowa.
Inquire here and I can’t wait to meet your family.
About Alex McCrary Photography
Alex McCrary is a wedding and family photographer based in Waverly, Iowa serving Cedar Falls, Waterloo, and all of northeast Iowa. With 8 years of experience and a warm, candid, golden hour style, Alex captures families exactly as they are. She is also the creator behind Cutesy Wedding Ideas, a viral wedding inspiration series reaching millions of brides on Instagram and TikTok.
