Mini Sessions with Big Heart at Restoration Ranch, Colorado

Golden, Colorado Family Photography in the Mountains

There’s something really special about photographing families who show up not just for themselves — but for something bigger.

This summer, I had the honor of photographing a series of mini sessions at Restoration Ranch Colorado, just outside Golden. Families joined me in this amazing mountain location to update their family photos and support the amazing work being done at the ranch — with half of each session fee going directly back to the organization. (You can learn more about them here.)

The weather was beautiful, the light was soft, and each family brought their own kind of magic to the camera.

We started with a sweet family of three — mom, dad, and their adorable son, who showed up matching his dad's shirt perfectly. Mom, who works in dispatch, looked stunning in her brown summer dress.

Next came a family with four sons, each with their calm and cool personalities. Their mom (also in dispatch) told me she had bought frames years ago... but life, as it does, kept moving. These were the photos she had been waiting for — and getting to be a part of finally filling those frames felt incredibly special.

The final three families were all related — and photographing them together felt like stepping into a legacy. First came the parents, followed by their son (a police officer) and his kind-hearted little boy. Then their daughter, with her husband, son, and sweet daughter. After individual sessions, we gathered all three families together for a final extended family photo — a true full-circle moment.

What made this day even more meaningful was that every single family had someone who serves as a first responder — whether in dispatch or law enforcement. These are people who give so much of themselves every day. And yet, they took the time to come out, support the ranch, and capture the love that holds their families together.

As a Golden, Colorado family photographer, it’s days like this that remind me why I do what I do. Natural light, mountain backdrops, kind people, and photographs that matter — not because they’re posed perfectly, but because they mean something.

To the families who joined me: thank you. And to anyone wondering if it’s time to finally fill those empty frames — I’d be honored to help.