Orofino Idaho Family Photographer | The Durkan Family Session
The Durkan Family | Orofino, Idaho Family Photography
There are sessions that remind me exactly why I do this work. The Durkan family was one of them.
Christina, Kyle, Gavin, and Levi came out to the woods near Orofino for their very first family session — and I mean ever. No pressure, right? But honestly, from the moment we started, it felt like we'd done this a hundred times before.
Here's the thing about teenage boys: everyone assumes they won't want to be there. And maybe they walked in a little skeptical. But that's exactly why I don't pose — I direct. We keep moving, we keep laughing, and before anyone has a chance to get bored or stiff, something real happens. A genuine smile sneaks through. A brother does something ridiculous. Mom grabs a hand and just holds on.
That's what this session gave us, over and over again.
We had mom and dad dancing in the golden light while the boys — predictably — goofed off in the background, completely oblivious to how perfect they were making that frame. We did piggyback rides that turned into full belly laughs. And yes, those teenage boys walked hand in hand with their mom through a field of wildflowers, and it was every bit as sweet as it sounds.
An hour and a half goes fast when everyone is genuinely having fun. And this family? They had fun.
After the sneak peeks went out, Christina told me that even dad was excited. The dad was excited. That might be my favorite thing to hear after a session. If you can win the dad over, it's a WIN!
The golden hour light filtering through the trees, the old weathered buildings, the lush green meadow — Orofino put on a show for the Durkan family, and they showed up and matched it completely.
Christina, Kyle, Gavin, and Levi — thank you for trusting me with your first session and for giving me everything I could have hoped for and more. I only have one regret: we didn't do this sooner.
But hey — that just means we have more sessions ahead of us.
Ready to create something like this for your own family? I'd love to hear from you. Sessions like this fill up fast, especially during golden hour season!