Family Photographer in Shawnee, KS
Woods, open fields and a lake, all in one park
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.
Shawnee has one thing going for it that most of the metro does not: you can get three completely different backdrops inside one park without moving the cars. That matters more than it sounds. Families rarely agree on what they want — somebody pictures a wheat-colored field at sunset, somebody else wants trees, and the kids want to be near water. In Shawnee you do not have to choose.
It also means a session here holds up well for a big group or a wide spread of ages. If you are photographing four generations at once, or trying to keep a two-year-old interested for the same half hour as a sixteen-year-old, having somewhere to walk to is worth a great deal.
I shoot outdoors and in natural light, and I direct only as much as a picture needs. There will be a few frames of everyone looking at the camera, because every family wants those on the wall. The ones that get printed are usually the other kind — a son putting his arm around his dad without being asked, a look between a mother and her boy that says everything.
Where We Shoot in Shawnee
Shawnee Mission Park is the one I come back to most, and it is genuinely the most flexible spot in the metro. Woods for something intimate and shaded. Open fields that go gold in the late afternoon and give a big family room to spread out. A lake with a dock, which is where the kids end up regardless of what anyone planned. Three looks, one parking spot, no rushing between locations.
The park is big enough that timing matters more than it does elsewhere. The fields want late afternoon; the woods are better earlier, or on an overcast day when the light is even. When we talk before the session I will suggest a start time based on where you want to shoot and how old the children are — that is usually the difference between a good gallery and a great one. If you want the reasoning, I have written about why the time of day matters more than the location.
Shawnee families also sometimes want something more architectural than a park. The Museum at Prairiefire in Overland Park, with its colored glass exterior, is about fifteen minutes south. And if you already have a place in mind — your own yard, the street the kids learned to ride bikes on — bring it. Somewhere that means something to your family beats somewhere that photographs well nearly every time. The family photography page lists every location I shoot across the metro.
Family Session Pricing
Fully edited galleries delivered in 5–7 business days · a 50% deposit reserves your date · no travel charge in Shawnee
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 Shawnee Families Ask
How much does a family photographer cost in Shawnee?
Sessions are $250 for 30 minutes, $500 for an hour, or $850 for an hour and a half. Shawnee is well inside the included travel radius, so there is no extra charge to come to you. Everything each package includes is listed above.
Is Shawnee Mission Park good for a large family group?
It is the best option I know of in the metro for a big group. The open fields give you room to arrange fifteen or twenty people without anyone being crammed in, and when the little ones need a break there is a lake and a dock fifty yards away. For extended-family sessions where three or four generations are together, this is usually where I suggest we go.
What time of day should we book?
It depends where in the park we shoot. The fields are at their best in the last hour or two before sunset, when the light goes warm and low. The woods are better earlier in the day or under cloud, where the light is even and you avoid harsh patches. Tell me which look you are after and I will pick the time around it.
How far ahead should I book a fall session?
Earlier than feels necessary. Fall is the busiest season of the year and the weekends with good color go first. If you want holiday cards in the mail on time, book in September rather than waiting for the trees to turn — by then the calendar is usually full.
Nobody in our family likes being photographed. Is that a problem?
It is the most common thing families tell me, and it has never once ruined a session. I do not ask people to hold a pose and grin at a lens for half an hour. We walk, we talk, and I photograph what happens in between. This is how I work with families who hate being photographed, if you want to know what to expect.
How long until we see the photos?
Your gallery is delivered within 5–7 business days. It is usually quicker than that in practice — I would rather say a week and surprise you than promise two days and leave you waiting.
Pick Your Spot in the Park
Tell me who is coming and what you are hoping for, and I will suggest the right corner of it and the right time of day.