I love going to the Christmas tree farm. Growing up I never had a real tree and for the first few years of my marriage, I wasn’t totally convinced we needed a real tree, especially when we were living in a small condo. But when Drake turned two, we moved into our new home right at the start of the holiday season. Mr. Chocolate announced it was time to get a real tree. It had been a tradition he had grown up with, and his parents and siblings all had real trees in their homes. He loved the smell of pine needles wafting through the home. He insisted real trees were prettier and easier to decorate. We had the space now for a real tree, and most importantly he wanted a real tree for his children the same way he had one.

In the end of course I relented, and we took Drake to pick out his first tree. As we pulled up to the farm, I realized Christmas tree farms are an amazing photography backdrop! There are so many ways to utilize the tress in creating moments whether it’s leading lines, framing, or peek-a-boo moments. Drake (and later Juliet) loved running through the trees creating real expressions of joy and wonder. The trees themselves are uniform in color and size making a great background with little distractions. Picking out a Christmas tree has now become one of my own personal favorite holiday traditions.

Here are some of our photos through the years.

Juliet trees (1 of 1)

Drake trees (1 of 1)


Framing 3 (1 of 1)

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Drake trees first (1 of 1)

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And of course who could leave out our 2015 attempt at a family photo

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I love looking through my photos these days, remembering each year and seeing the difference in how our family has grown and changed through the years. It’s also amazing to see how different my photography has evolved each year. So far I have been the one behind the camera, but I think if I were to ever schedule a Christmas card shoot, I would definitely pick out a tree farm as the place to shoot.

Where do you typically buy your Christmas trees?