August 2016 Rural Photo Shoot

Check out my cute little girls in this August 2016 rural photo shoot. 

August 2016 rural photo shoot was very special to me. Because it’s all about fun and play. And it’s at my parents’ home – the place I lived and played at when I was their ages.

So, I wanted to capture Summer play. And what better location that at the first home and back yard I know?

If you’re reading Farm Fit Living for the first time, you may not know what the August 2016 rural photo shoot is. For those of you who are new, be sure to read the next couple of sections. And check out previous photo shoot sessions for some awesome blasts from the past!

But, if you are a loyal follower and lover of my blog and the rural photo shoots, go ahead and scroll down past all this mumbo jumbo to the bright and beautiful photos of the August 2016 rural photo shoot.

What Is The Monthly Photo Shoot?

Well, it is a challenge. I started this challenge in June 2016 as a way to capture the growth of my girls. And also to grow in my photography skills as well. I plan to continue this challenge for many years to come as a way to collect memories with my girls.

Now, I’m not just photographing them in a normal day. But I’m actually dressing them up cute like I would if I was taking them to a professional photographer. I always intended to play with props and use natural lighting to capture their best moments just as a professional photographer would do.

I get to use my creative brain and really think of some ideas to make the best photo work. It’s fun, I’m making memories and I’m saving money by not having to hire a professional photographer. This photo shoot is something I can plan and look forward to each and every month. It will showcase our favorite memories and events of that month.

Furthermore, I encourage you to take part in this challenge as well. Why not? Well, I will tell you why I am doing it. Maybe it will entice you to try it as well.

WHY A MONTHLY PHOTO SHOOT?

Seems like it would be stressful to throw in a photo shoot in an already busy month. But, when Maci was a newborn, I was starting to believe it to be necessary. I was fighting with myself over the fact that I had not scheduled a photo shoot with a photographer after the birth of my newborn.

So, I took newborn pictures of her. A month later, my mom came to visit and encouraged me to take some pictures of both girls myself. During the June 2016 rural photo shoot, I used Mylee’s Allis Chalmers peddle tractor, rocking chair and trees in our own yard for an awesome first photo shoot.

That’s when the idea popped into my head. I have the cute props and the camera. I have the gorgeous rural scenery. Why not?

So, the monthly photo shoot challenge was born. I had so much fun with our first photo shoot in June that I decided to keep it up each month.

Because my girls are growing up and changing so much, I felt this would be a genius idea to keep track of their growth. And so far, the results of each have been timeless treasures for me and our extended family who want to follow as the girls change. 

August 2016 Rural Photo Shoot

Because August is my least favorite month of the year, I had a difficult time deciding when and where to schedule it. Also, canning season was consuming life as I knew it. I needed a quick getaway. 

Luckily, my green bean plants produced a crop! I wanted my grandma to help me learn how to pressure can them, so the girls and I traveled there for a couple of days. I took my camera along. And I’m so glad I did.

Because my mom has an amazing yard with lots of blooming flowers. Her yard is green all year around. She even has some cool props, such as old fencing, wagons and toys to play with. All of these things made me miss my childhood growing up there.

And that is when my lightbulb moment happened. I would shoot the August 2016 rural photo shoot right there where I grew up. Plus, I had mom to help me! It was definitely a win for me.

This location was a comfortable one for all of us. Thus, this photo shoot was so much fun! The girls were happy to be playing in their grandma’s yard. So, these photos feature playfulness and lots of personality I will remember for many many years to come.

Here are the best samples from the August 2016 rural photo shoot. We’ll start with Mylee.

Mylee

Mylee is three years old going on thirteen. She is Miss Personality but also Miss Congeniality because she has the biggest heart. She’s always thinking of others. 

And she loves animals. Animals love her, too. Here’s a fun one I captured with my parents’ dog Big Mack. 

Mylee is also at the stage where she wants to learn everything. She is so thirsty for knowledge that she sat me down earlier this month. She told me she wanted to go to school.

And I was so glad she told me! But I didn’t feel like she was ready to attend three year old preschool in town. So, I decided to put my education degrees and experience to work. I’m teaching her myself and I’m so happy to do so.

Also, Mylee is excited to learn physical skills as well. Like riding a bicycle. Good thing “GiGi” has one for her at her house!

She did awesome riding that little bike! She needed a little bit of help learning how to push on the pedal when it got stuck at the top. But she caught on pretty quickly. Soon, she was peddling around all by herself.

I love watching her develop her confidence. It’s amazing to see her go through the steps from trying, seeking encouragement and succeeding. 

So, I mentioned above Mylee has an amazing heart. This makes her an amazing big sister to little Maci.

Maci

This chubby little bundle of cute will be 5 months old this month. That age where so much is happening. She’s growing up so fast.

Maci is starting to really work on some teeth. In fact, I’m sure this will be the last toothless photo shoot you will see of her. I am beginning to see little bumps just below the gums, so I know they are coming in.

To ease her teething pains, I bought her this Baltic Amber Teething Necklace. I had one for Mylee when she was teething to help her get through teething a little more easily. These necklaces really work great!

And teething pains doesn’t stop this little ham from presenting us with the cheesiest grins each and every day. Her smiles really help us find some light in the midst of a long day. She is a blessing to all of us.

Location of the Shoot

As I mentioned, the August 2016 rural photo shoot took place in my parent’s yard on their farm. It is the same yard I grew up playing in so many years ago.

However, the yard and scenery has changed quite a lot since I played in it. Their grass stays green all year around now thanks to a sprinkler system. Mom has taken the extra time she has to plant and maintain beautiful flora all over the yard.

And she also provides some great back drops in the wooden fencing, chairs and wagons the girls enjoyed. The August 2016 rural photo shoot was all about playing, so we took advantage of having a lot of fun with this!

Props & Camera Used

Using my Canon T5i, my iPhone6 and natural lighting,  I attempted to capture the best quality photos I could with what I had to work with. I also increased my ISO feature so I could catch the girls a little bit better in real time. 

The girls had fun with GiGi’s swing set, pets, wooden fences and chairs, wagon and many other props. And I edited the best pictures I took in Picmonkey.

And it was difficult to choose the best pictures. Because we all had such a blast with this photo shoot – all the pictures were just so good!

Biggest Challenges

I must repeat that all the pictures were just so good! I had no challenges taking the pictures and getting their girls to show their true personalities. They just shined through.

But one issue I’m continuing to work through is the use of natural lighting. We took photos before 10 a.m. but the day was also cloudy with storms preparing to roll in. Also, I’m working on my editing techniques with changing lighting and shading in Picmonkey.

The more I practice and play, the more I find what I like. And I’m definitely having a great time practicing with the Picmonkey program and improving my skills. 

Stay Tuned for September 2016

I already have a great photo shoot planned for September. Because we take our vacation in September with the whole family, I will have help with the girls. I also have developed a love for destination photo shoots. 

Because it just makes each photo shoot so unique!

So, I hope you enjoyed the photos this month. Be sure to look back through the months to see how much my girls have changed through each month. 

Have you started your monthly photo shoot challenge yet? 

~ Much Love ~