Backyard Family Photography in Des Moines, Iowa

Backyard, Des Moines was photographed during the slow, hazy stretch of summer that seems to arrive alongside life with a new baby — days shaped by warmth, exhaustion, closeness, and the strange feeling that time is both standing still and moving impossibly fast at once.

Shot primarily on film both indoors and outside in the backyard, the session focused less on structure and more on atmosphere: soft evening light across skin, a baby shifting between stillness and movement, parents settling naturally into the rhythm of this new season together. The imagery leans into texture, intimacy, and the emotional quietness that often exists in the earliest months of family life.

Rather than heavily directing the session, the approach stayed observational and intuitive, allowing moments to unfold naturally while still paying close attention to composition, light, and the emotional pacing of the imagery. The result feels warm, cinematic, and deeply personal without losing the simplicity of what the session actually was — a family at home with their new baby during the middle of summer.

For families looking for newborn and family photography in Des Moines that feels natural, film-inspired, and emotionally grounded, this session reflects a quieter and more visually intimate approach to documenting early family life.

This session also continues the story first documented during the Pattons’ engagement session, carrying the imagery forward into an entirely new season of their life together.