DeAuna and Trent have created quite to life for themselves. They’re caring, compassionate, creative, and amazing parents. And it is easy to see their character traits are being absorbed by their two boys and daughter.
The Marks family take every opportunity they can to revel in their surroundings and they take the time to appreciate the little things. Whether that’s a breeze blowing through an orchard, a jam session with whatever musical instruments are handy, or a simple adventure into the trees.
This helped immensely during our portrait shoot in a walnut grove outside of Fresno, California. DeAuna and I had brainstormed some ideas on how the look and feel of the session was going to be. A few days before the session, Trent and I took a drive to an orchard where he and DeAuna had their wedding ceremony. It was a perfect setting with great light, amazing textures and ample space for the Marks family to go on an adventure as I document the moments.
“There were a few personal items we brought that reflected our home life and overall family character. There was also some thought put into our attire. We kept the colors soft and light,” DeAuna explained. “For our photo shoot we chose the location of our wedding that took place 12 years prior. It was a riverside property with old trees and an orchard. It was nice to have old and new memories there.”
The day of the session, they showed up in some snazzy ’30s style attire and some musical instruments. A quick jam session was started and the rest was history.
The boys ventured into the trees. The baby girl remained smiley and happy. And I followed along catching those moments when the boys stroll through the orchard turned into an adventure.
“The freedom to have moments with my family and laugh together all while knowing that those moments would be subtly captured by Jerome. We can look at the photos now and know that what was captured was the real us,” said DeAuna as she reflected on the session.
“Our favorite shot is definitely one of the candid shots where we are all just hanging out together. No one is looking at the camera in the shot. It feels natural and looks beautiful.”
With Trent staying busy as a firefighter this season in California, and DeAuna keeping their home running smoothly between everything she’s taking on, the Marks family has a few heirloom pieces that represent who they are as parents, the wonderment their children have with their surroundings, and who they are as a family at this point in their lives.
A few tips from DeAuna about preparing for your portrait session:
- We would suggest keeping it personal
- Ladies, consider wearing a pair of sentimental earrings or necklace —maybe something of your mother’s or grandmother’s. My husband brought an item that represented his mother. It was nice to have those special nuances in the photos.
