Family Photographer in Overland Park, KS
Relaxed outdoor sessions for Johnson County families
See What a Real Session Looks Like
Four kids, six adults, one big Kansas City family — and Marie’s own words about how the day actually went.
Overland Park is the middle of my service area, and a good share of the families I photograph live within a few minutes of 135th Street. If you are here, you are close — there is no travel charge, and I can usually work around a nap schedule or a soccer game rather than asking you to build your Saturday around me.
Most families arrive a little braced. Somebody has told the kids to behave, somebody else is not sure what to do with their hands, and at least one adult would rather be anywhere else. That is normal, and it is usually gone within ten minutes. We start talking, shoulders drop, and the family stops posing and starts being a family. That is when the real pictures show up.
I shoot outdoors, in natural light, and I direct only as much as a photo needs. You will get a few of the classic everyone-looking-at-the-camera frames, because every family wants those. The ones you end up framing are almost always the others.
Where We Shoot in Overland Park
Museum at Prairiefire, 5801 W 135th St — the distinctive colored glass exterior is unlike anything else in the metro, and it changes character completely depending on where the sun is. Late afternoon is when it earns its reputation. It works particularly well for families who want something with a bit of edge rather than another park bench.
Plenty of Overland Park families also choose somewhere a short drive out. Shawnee Mission Park is ten to fifteen minutes north and gives you woods, open fields and a lake with a dock in one place, which makes it the most flexible option around here for a big group or a wide age range. Loose Park in Kansas City, with its rose garden and stone bridges, is worth the run east if you want something more formal.
And if you already have somewhere in mind — the park at the end of your street, your own back yard, the house the kids grew up in — bring it to me. A place that means something to your family will nearly always beat a place that photographs well. If you would rather see the full list first, the family photography page has every spot I shoot across the metro, and I have written up my favorite family photo locations around Kansas City in more detail.
Family Session Pricing
Fully edited galleries delivered in 5–7 business days · a 50% deposit reserves your date · no travel charge in Overland Park
30 Minutes
$250
- 25–30 professionally edited photos
- Free web & social downloads
- Your choice of location · 1 outfit
- Delivery via online gallery
1 Hour
$500
- 35–45 professionally edited photos
- Free web & social downloads
- Your choice of location · 2 outfits
1.5 Hours
$850
- 50–75 professionally edited photos
- Free web & social downloads
- Multiple locations within 10 miles · 3 outfits
Digital files: every package includes web-ready downloads, sized for sharing online and on social. High-resolution files — the ones you want for enlargements and wall prints — are available for an additional charge, individually or as a full-gallery bundle.
Advance booking: the pricing above is for sessions booked ahead of time. If the date you want is already taken and we need to fit your session in between existing bookings, pricing is subject to change — just ask and I will quote it for you.
Questions Overland Park Families Ask
How much does a family photographer cost in Overland Park?
Sessions are $250 for 30 minutes, $500 for an hour, or $850 for an hour and a half. There is no travel charge anywhere in Overland Park — the first 50 miles are included, and you are well inside that. Full pricing, including what each package comes with, is listed above.
How far ahead should I book a fall session?
Further ahead than most people expect. Fall color and holiday-card season is the busiest stretch of the year, and the good weekends go first. If you want cards out before the holidays, September is when to book, not November — I have written about why holiday cards really start in September if you want the timeline.
What if my kids will not cooperate?
They usually do, once nobody is asking them to. I do not spend the session telling children to smile — that is how you get the squinty forced one. We play, we talk, and I photograph what happens. If you want to set them up to enjoy it, prepping the kids without losing your sanity covers what actually helps.
What should we wear?
Coordinate rather than match. Pick two or three colors that sit well together and let everyone dress within them, instead of putting the whole family in the same shirt. The full what-to-wear guide goes through it properly, with the mistakes worth avoiding.
What happens if it rains?
We reschedule, at no cost to you. An overcast day is often better light than bright sun, so I will not move a session just for cloud — but nobody is shooting family portraits in a downpour. Here is how I handle weather in more detail.
How long until we see the photos?
Your gallery is delivered within 5–7 business days. In practice it is usually faster than that, but I would rather promise a week and beat it than promise two days and make you wait.
Let’s Get Your Family on the Calendar
Fall dates in Johnson County go quickly. Pick a time that suits you and we will sort out the rest.