The first time I photograph a family I always prefer to do the session at home for a variety of reasons. But once we’ve done that, we can start to venture out and document some of your favorite places as a family. For our second session together, this family wanted to head out to the Balmy Alley murals in the San Francisco Mission District and I’m so glad we made it happen.

I photographed this session on both film and digital, the best of both worlds. The colors in the Balmy Alley Murals and the nearby 24th and York Mini Park just really made me super happy! On the way to the park we stopped in at El Chico Produce for a snack. Since my family sessions are two hours, there is always plenty of time to stop for a snack, take a detour or take a break for kids who get overwhelmed easily. The slow pace makes for great photos, and the patience really goes a long way.