salem family photographer

Salem Oregon Family Photographer - fall family mini sessions are right around the corner!

As you may or may not know, I only offer mini sessions for families on specific dates in the fall. Mini sessions throughout the year are reserved for newborns, maternity, individuals, and couples AND are only offered on weekdays. Fall Minis are on weekends and are open to everyone, but families get first dibs.

Anywho, my mini sessions dates will be as follows for 2026 (subject to change):

  • Saturday, October 17th & 18th (outdoor location TBA)

  • Sunday, November 1st (outdoor location TBA)

  • Sunday, November 8th (Studio location in downtown Salem)

If you would like to book a mini session, just send me an email at kelwardphotography@gmail.com!

Salem Senior Portrait Photographer - Mollia and her adorable family!

This was a first and I thought it was just the SWEETEST thing ever! Mollia really wanted to include her immediate family (including her little sisters, for whom she is a role model), as well as the matriarchs of her family (grandmas and aunt). We shot these in the studio I use in downtown Salem, which was really because it had plenty of room and air conditioning (it was a HOT day)! Don’t worry, we got other shots too (both in the studio and at a park)!

Salem Family Photographer - mother & daughter

I photographed these two beauties on a beautiful Spring evening at one of my favorite Salem locations (no, I’m not sharing it, haha). They hugged, laughed, twirled, and made it rain cherry blossom petals.

Wilsonville Oregon Family Photographer - fall mini session with the "K" family!

These little ones have the best cheeks ever! They also have some pretty great facial expressions and adorable little boots! I love seeing them each fall, especially at these ages because they change so much, so quickly.

Side note: This location, which is in Wilsonville, is where I’ll be doing fall mini sessions on November 8th this year! If you are interested, contact me ASAP!

Salem Oregon Maternity Photographer - studio + outdoor mini session

The nice thing about booking a studio session is the proximity of the studio to some pretty outdoor locations. We drove to this location, but it was less than 5 minutes away (and some are in walking distance). This is a great option when we can’t depend on the weather to cooperate! Even if it’s raining a little, we can do a few shots outside at the very end of your session!

Salem Oregon Family Photographer - another kid goes off to college!

This is the third (of four) mini sessions with this family, celebrating a major milestone. Right before one of their kids leaves for their first year of college, the family dresses up in that school’s merch and we do some photos at their house. The oldest went to Oregon State, the second oldest is currently at Grand Canyon University, and Miss Ellie is currently enjoying her time at Montana state (these photos are old, as usual). Anyway…GO, BOBCATS!

Salem Family Photographer - annual fall photos with Anna, Ken, and Asha!

I know I say this every time, but I looooove working with the same families year after year! It’s such an honor to be chosen as their family photographer and it’s really incredible to watch these families grow and change. This family is a special one, though, as I’ve been photographing Anna & Ken since they got engaged, and I’ve watched them deal with some really hard things (like Anna’s metastatic breast cancer). Little miss Asha has brought so much joy their lives and I just love seeing that.

Anyway, thanks to all of my clients who keep coming back. Your loyalty means more than you can imagine in a business like this!

Salem Family Photographer - cute little family session in b&w

Asha took hardly any time at all to warm up during their family session. Within a few minutes she was laughing, playing, and enjoying here time with Mom & Dad.

Pacific Northwest Family Photographer - at home session with two littles!

Anyone who has ever had 2 kids under the age of 2 knows how incredibly difficult it can be to get out of the house, let alone on time. Then there’s the hour long car ride, down to a photo studio, trying to keep them from falling asleep in the car, worrying about diaper blowouts, etc. So, every fall I take a little road trip up to Vancouver, to photograph some of my favorite clients!

Salem Oregon Family Photographer - adorable b&w family session (studio)

I adore this little family and love when I get to see them each year! The kids are beyond cute and I can’t decide which I love more…their big, brown eyes, or their pinchable cheeks! Side note: This session was from 2 years ago and I can confirm that this little baby is still rocking those cheeks!

Salem Family Photographer - adorable little family at deepwood museum & gardens

I am always behind on blogging, but this is a little ridiculous. Somehow I forgot to share this session, which is from two years ago! Nevertheless, check out adorable little Asha, with her parents.

Salem Oregon Senior Photographer - theater, coffee, and a great smile!

Sam’s senior portrait session was so much fun. We did the entire shoot in downtown Salem on a warm August evening. Sam is an actor and was rehearsing for a performance at The Grand Theater all day, so starting there made perfect sense! For the remainder of the evening, we just wandered around the streets and alleyways downtown. Our final stop was Archive Coffee & Bar, so Sam could order his favorite drink. All in all, I think we captured Sam’s personality with this casual urban session!

Portland Oregon Lifestyle Photographer - welcome to the world, baby Marcus!

At-home “lifestyle” sessions are my favorite way to photograph families with little ones. When I go to a client’s home, they have everything they need right there (diapers, change of clothes, snacks, etc.). They don’t have to worry about forgetting anything or plan for the unexpected. Toddlers and small children are usually apprehensive about a stranger photographing them, but being in their own home makes them feel FAR more comfortable. By the end of the session, they’re usually showing me their toys and telling me funny stories about their pets. Plus, it’s just so much easier for me (a woman whose children are all adults now) to hop in my car and drive to the client!

I do very little posing with lifestyle sessions. I may say, “everyone sit over there.” or “Let’s put the baby here.” Beyond that, though, I just let everyone do what they want…especially babies and toddlers! THEY ARE IN CHARGE! This cuts down on the stress of trying to get that “perfect” family photo and results in shots that are way more authentic.

I’ve been to Ashley and Alina’s house a few times now and in addition to getting to see their adorable family, I get to see the changes they’ve made to their first home! They’ve done quite a few DIY projects and they look SO good!

Salem Family Photographer - GCU sendoff!

If this family looks familiar to you, it’s probably because I’ve photographed them a lot. I mean, I’ve known Loui (the mom) for 30 years and Travis for nearly as long. Anyway, they have the cutest tradition for their family. Whenever one of their kids goes off to college, they all dress up in that college’s swag and do family portraits. Kyle is the 2nd oldest, but I’m so behind on blogging that he’s almost a junior in college and they sent another off last year!

Anyway, these were the photos we did (at their home) for Kyle’s sendoff to Grand Canyon University!

Salem Oregon Family Photographer - b&w family portraits (studio)

I love shooting outdoors, but sometimes (usually due to weather) shooting in a studio is a necessity! Families, especially those with young children, tend to have more fun when they’re not freezing cold or soaking wet. As you can see, this adorable little family had a great time during their indoor fall mini session!

Side note: I no longer have my own studio, but I still have access to several others (including the one in these photos) that are available as hourly rentals. So, if you like the look of this space, let me know when you book your session!

Salem Oregon Maternity Photographer - books, plants, and an adorable baby bump!

Sometimes it’s just too dang hot outside do do a maternity session. This was one of those days, when we had record highs last August. Rather than try to sweat through the heat, we opted to shoot in the studio, where we could all rejoice about the air conditioning.

The parents-to-be brought some of their favorite baby books, their ultrasound images, a baby blanket, and a name sign. I gathered up all of the plants (fake and real) that I could find, and Jessica’s emerald green lace dress tied it all together perfectly.

Salem Oregon Family Photographer - Newborn Asha

You may recognize these parents, as they’re long-time clients of mine. I also posted some of their gorgeous maternity photos recently, which you can see HERE and HERE. In those posts, I explained that Anna found out during her pregnancy that her cancer had returned, hence the chemotherapy while pregnant.

I met baby Asha at my studio in 2022, when we captured these precious photos. Ken brought one of his guitars and played some beautiful music for his little girl, who obviously loves it (look at that smile!).

Salem Oregon Family Photographer - fun & colorful studio session

The color coordination within this session brings me so much joy! The green hair matches the green shirt and then the purple necklaces (against the green shirt) matches the purple hair! I love their style and the love these kids have for their beautiful Mama.