A Fairytale Morning at Zilker Botanical Gardens
Every year, I look forward to photographing this family I’ve had the joy of working with for several years now. They have the sweetest tradition: the children take turns picking the theme for their family Halloween costumes, and their mom spends the whole year planning, sewing, crocheting, and building everything from scratch. She always outdoes herself, and this year was no exception.
This year's theme? Sleeping Beauty.
The little girl wore the most beautifully homemade Sleeping Beauty dress—I couldn’t resist asking if she chose pink or if blue was an option (Which one would you pick?) Her brother took on the role of Maleficent transformed into the dragon, complete with a sword affixed to the front of his costume to show he had been slayed by Prince Philip. What really amazed me, though, was the smoke effect he and his dad built together. They ran a tubing system through his hat and down his costume, with a button at his waist that released smoke from the dragon’s head. Incredible!
Dad stepped into character as Prince Philip, while Mom dressed as one of the Fairy Godmothers. At times, her green costume almost blended right into the lush backdrop of the Zilker Botanical Gardens, where we spent a fun morning wandering with the kids (and their dog!), stopping at their favorite spots for photos.
It’s always such a joy to see how much the kids have grown and to capture their creativity each year. I can’t wait to see what theme they dream up next time!
****If you’d like to schedule your own family photo session at Zilker Botanical Gardens, please reach out to me in advance. Photography sessions at the gardens require a reserved ticket through their system for your specific date, and spots are limited per time slot. A $50 photography admission fee is required by the gardens. This $50 additional fee will be added to your final invoice if you choose this location.****
