What’s better than splashing around in the creek for some outdoor family photos with your bff’s family? As a Missoula photographer, I get to spend my days hanging with my crazy-in-love couples, honeys saying ‘I Do’ and nature lovers visiting for their annual dose of the mountain magic, but some of my favorite shoots are when I get to hang right around the corner from my house and capture some of the people I love most in this world.  

Truth be told, I take family photos of my best friend, Amanda, her partner Ryan all of the time. Add their twin girls (who are somehow now TEENAGERS?) to the mix and it’s bound to be the best day ever. So when Amanda + I were throwing around some family photo ideas for summer, we were like why not full send our fun day and go play in the river??? 

Oftentimes my clients, especially when I am shooting a destination wedding or adventure elopement, want those big beautiful mountain views that Montana has to offer. I loveeee the mountains and they definitely make for some awe-worthy photos, but sometimes it’s so nice to ditch the tourists, hang out in a quiet spot you love, and soak in the fact that we live in a freakin’ stunning place! No big views or wild adventure needed. So if you’re looking for some secret spots and hidden gems for a photoshoot in Missoula, I’ve got you! 

Now that I’ve convinced you there is beauty to be found everywhere, let’s get back to my bestie’s outdoor family photos. She brought along her husband, Ryan, and her twin daughters for our biannual photo sesh. It was boiling hot that day and we had already planned a little dip into the river to cool off, but the heat made us dive immediately into a water fight. 

As the afternoon went by and sun dipped lower into the sky, rays scattered through the trees and into the shaded river below, lighting up the clearing with glowy rays of magic you couldn’t plan if you tried!!! Don’t believe me? Take a peek at some behind the scenes video snippets in this Instagram reel from their shoot! Dreaaaaamy stuff, am I right?!? 

So don’t sleep on Missoula my local babes! Who wants to plan outdoor family photos in a field somewhere or maybe even take a dip for a couples photoshoot this summer? Hit me up cause I am SO ready!