Filoli Family and Maternity Session in the Summer

Filoli in the summer is magical because…Hydrangeas!! However, if you’re wondering what season Filoli is best in, the answer is (almost) all of them. Spring, summer, and autumn are all beautiful for different reasons. In winter, Filoli is a bit more barren; however, it’s still more beautiful than any other location in the Bay Area (in my opinion).

I’ve been photographing this sweet family for a few years, and was so excited to hear they were expecting their second baby. We met in the afternoon at Filoli (3:00 being the ideal start time for most sessions!) and wandered our way through the garden for photos. In the summer, I typically start in the Hydrangea garden and work past the brick and green garden house and finish close to the gift shop.

With toddlers and young children, the key to a successful session is keeping the mood playful and light! Pressure to smile on command and behave a certain way leads to stress for everyone. When we try a certain prompt, and the child does not respond positively, we move on and try something else! This session was easy and yielded lots of sweet moments. It’s helpful when mom and dad trust the process and help keep the mood light.

Filoli is a historic mansion and garden located in Woodside, California. The owners leaned into European inspiration for the gardens, and you’ll see lots of brick pathways, stone gates, and geometric order. I photograph about 65% of my sessions at Filoli since it’s the perfect place for refined and elevated family photos. Although there tend to be a lot of photographers, the grounds are big enough for everyone to spread out, helping the session feel private. If you’re interested in booking a Filoli family photo session, feel free to contact me here!