If you’ve ever dreamed of family photos on a mountaintop with sweeping Blue Ridge Mountain views, golden light, and your children running through fields of wildflowers, an adventure session might be exactly what you’re looking for.

As an Asheville family photographer, some of my favorite sessions take families beyond the typical park or field and into the incredible landscapes that make Western North Carolina so special.

Places like Max Patch, Black Balsam Knob, Bear Wallow, the Blue Ridge Parkway, waterfalls, mountain balds, and scenic overlooks become the backdrop for memories your family will treasure for years.

But while the finished gallery looks effortless, there’s so much more happening behind the scenes than what you see in the final photographs.

So if you’re considering booking an adventure family session, here’s a little peek behind the curtain so you know what to expect!

3 Things to Know Before You Go

1. Prepare for a Path Less Traveled By

🚙 Max Patch is about an hour and 20 minutes from Asheville, but could take longer at rush hour or during the Fall which is our busy season around here! I would say about 40 minutes is on main roads, about 20 minutes is on curvy mountain roads, and the last 20 minutes or so is up a narrow, winding gravel/dirt mountain road! If you have any motion-sick prone family members definitely let them ride up front and take some non-drowsy dramamine before you leave!

The destination is absolutely worth it and I think the commute actually helps the location to be less overpopulated!

📱Cell service is quite spotty once you embark on the gravel portion of the drive, so screen shot your maps directions just in case you lose service! I’ll also often share location with my clients on the way to the session so we can keep track of each other!

Once you’re near (especially if it’s a busy and/or holiday weekend), you’ll find cars parked along either side of the road and in the small gravel parking lot. Also don’t forget to secure or hide any valuables, locking up your car or bringing them along with you for additional safety! This goes for any trail, but honestly, it’s a good life lesson in general.

2. It’s the Climb

The Max Patch loop from the parking lot is about a 1.4-mile round-trip hike. I would say it’s an easy to moderate level of difficulty, easy if you’re local and hike fairly often and moderate if you are visiting and not used to activities like this!

🎵 And just like Miley Cyrus says:

“Aint about how fast I get there. Aint about what is waiting on the other siiiiiide. It’s the cliiiiimb.”

🌼 We will enjoy the journey just as much as the destination! We can take our time, stop for photos, pick a few wildflowers, and let the kids simply enjoy being outside!

🐝 There might be small bugs/gnats flying around. The bumblebees love the wildflowers too! And last time I went we did see a small snake slither across the gravel path! I always keep an eye out for critters but it’s helpful for everyone to know that we are in nature so we may see some friends out there!

🥾 Also, plan for gravel and also some muddy spots when planning footwear! The gravel likes to sneak it’s way into sandals so try to put little girls in shoes that won’t easily let in rocks!

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3. Cloudy with a Chance of Anything Could Happen

Mountain weather has a wholeeeee personality of its own.

⏰ “If you don’t like the weather in Asheville…wait 5 minutes or drive 5 miles.”

⛈️ One minute the forecast looks perfect. The next minute thunderstorms pop up. Clouds roll over the mountain tops. Gusts of wind blow your hair around. Sometimes we wait out small showers. Sometimes we adjust. Occasionally we pivot to a different plan altogether.

🧘🏽‍♀️ One of the biggest keys to an incredible adventure session is flexibility. And preparing the rest of your family to be flexible too!

⛱ We will do everything we can to plan for the best possible outcome and I will bring my clear umbrellas and change our session time based on what the radar is predicting, but sometimes you just have to put away the weather apps and just see what happens!

🌦️ Some of my all time FAVORITE images have happened after a forecast that almost convinced us to cancel. Aka the session featured in this blog post! In fact, if this mama at this session hadn’t already had her hair and make-up done (by the talented, amazing, lovely Madison) we might would have changed dates for this session too! And it never even rained a drop after we parked!

🌫️ There is also my enemy, the fog. The drive to your session might be lovely but as you get to higher elevations your views could be totally submerged in dense fog. I will try to check visibility for us, but sometimes this is unpredictable.

📆 The best thing we can do is always book a rain date and always be ready to pivot! It means so much to me that you have beautiful family photos so I will do everything I can do to make that happen for you!

❄️ Last thing I’ll say about the weather, it may be 5-15 degrees COOLER on top of one a mountain than it is in downtown Asheville! Bringing a sweater/cardigan/denim jacket is always a good option! When it’s early Spring or late Fall, you can plan to wear leggings or long underwear underneath your clothes to add an extra layer of warmth!

Remember, you’re not just taking family photos,

you’re making family memories!

Family Adventure Sessions are about more than updating your family photos, they’re about enjoying a fun experience together as a family in the beautiful WNC mountains…and I just happen to get to be there to capture it all!

Do you have older kids?

What I love about adventure sessions in particular, is that they allow older kids who might be more shy/self-conscious in front of a new person and a camera, to let down their guard and have some fun! The hike up is for building rapport and getting comfortable, the mountain top is for exploring and enjoying the views and capturing gorgeous photos, and the hike down is to reminisce on it all and talk about what you’re going to eat next lol.

If you would like to break the mold of traditional family photos and make your next family photo session an ADVENTURE…

I would love to help!

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Thanks for Reading!

with joy, Rachel