Extended Family Photography in the Colorado Mountains, Cottonwood Pass

Extended family photography in the Colorado mountains doesn't always go according to plan. Sometimes the weather shifts. Sometimes you pivot locations the morning of. Sometimes you end up chasing light between rain showers on a mountain pass you hadn't planned to be on at all.

And sometimes, that's exactly where you were supposed to be.

The air was thin and damp when we arrived at Cottonwood Pass. September in the high country, when the aspen leaves are just starting to turn and the afternoon light has a different quality, softer, more silver than gold. Rain had been threatening all day, and it would find us eventually. But for now, the mountain was quiet. Waiting.

Jennifer and Brandon brought their son Levi to meet his aunt, uncle, and cousins for the first time. Meg and Matt had traveled from out of state to Breckenridge with their two girls, and this session was the reason everyone carved out time in the schedule. Two sisters. Their husbands. Three kids between them, the youngest only a few months old. Seven people standing on a mountain together because this was the week, and this was the place, and sometimes you just make it happen.

I'd worked with Jennifer and Brandon before. I photographed her maternity session and then Levi's newborn session just a few months earlier. There's something that shifts when you've already been part of a family's story. You know how they move together. You know what makes them laugh. You show up with history instead of introductions. And now, with the whole extended family gathering, it felt like the next chapter of something I'd already been invited into.

Later this year, I'll photograph Levi's first birthday too. That's the thing about building relationships with families over time. You get to witness the seasons change.

When Colorado changes the plan

The original plan was Dillon Reservoir. I have a spot there I love, the way the water holds the last light, the mountains stacking up behind it. But the morning of, I was watching the weather like I always do, and it wasn't looking good. Rain moving in. Afternoon storms building. The kind of forecast that makes you pause.

When you're coordinating an extended family session with people visiting from out of state, rescheduling isn't always an option. The window is the window. So we pivoted.

I suggested Cottonwood Pass, near Buena Vista. Different direction, different vibe, but equally stunning. And if we moved the session earlier in the day, we'd have a better chance of staying ahead of the weather.

I arrived several hours early and drove the pass slowly. Windows down despite the chill. I walked the trails, checked the meadows, and noted where the light was falling and where we might find shelter if we needed it. There was a creek running somewhere below, the sound of it soft beneath the wind. The aspens were gold-tipped and trembling. I wanted to know this mountain before the families arrived, so that when they did, I could lead with intention instead of guessing.

Of course, Colorado had her own ideas.

The rain found us anyway. It came in waves, light mist, then heavier drops, then a pause where everything felt suspended and still. Instead of calling it quits, we kept moving. We'd shoot between showers, huddle under trees when we needed to, and chase whatever light the clouds were willing to give us.

It wasn't the golden, sun-drenched evening I'd imagined. But there was something about the moodiness of it, the way the rain softened everything, the way the kids' cheeks flushed pink from the cold, the way everyone leaned into each other a little closer. Some of my favorite moments from this session happened in the in-between. When the sky was uncertain and the family was laughing about it anyway.

What to know before booking a mountain session

Weather in the Colorado mountains is unpredictable. That's just the truth. Afternoon storms roll in fast, temperatures drop, and conditions can shift between the time you leave your house and the time you arrive at your location.

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't book a mountain session. It means you should book with a photographer who knows how to handle it.

I monitor the weather in the days leading up to every mountain session. I have backup locations in mind. I build flexibility into the timeline. And when things shift, I communicate early so we can make decisions together. You don't have to manage the logistics. That's my job. You just show up and be with your family.

Why Cottonwood Pass is worth the drive

Cottonwood Pass sits on the Continental Divide, about two and a half hours from Colorado Springs. It's not the most well-known mountain pass in Colorado, and that's part of what makes it special. You won't find crowds here. What you will find is wide-open alpine terrain, wildflower meadows in summer, golden aspens in September, and views that stretch for miles in every direction.

The road winds through aspen groves and evergreen forests before opening up above the treeline. The higher you climb, the quieter it gets. By the time you reach the top, the world feels very far away. There's an alpine lake near the summit, trails that wander off toward the horizon, and a stillness that settles into your chest if you let it.

The pass intersects with the Colorado Trail, so if your family loves hiking, there's room to explore beyond the session. Buena Vista is just down the mountain, which makes it easy to grab dinner afterward or extend your trip. And if you're looking for something to pair with your time in the mountains, Cottonwood Hot Springs is nearby, rustic, family-friendly, and perfect for tired legs after a day at elevation.

No photography permit is required for sessions here. Just a willingness to go somewhere a little wilder than usual.

Exploring the mountain together

This session moved. We didn't stay in one spot and pose. We wandered.

We started lower on the pass, near a treed area where the trail was wide enough for the girls to run ahead. September had turned the underbrush amber and rust, and the girls kept stopping to pick up leaves and pinecones, treasures to carry with them up the mountain. Levi watched everything from his parents' arms, wide-eyed and quiet, taking in a world so much bigger than the one he'd known so far.

The sound of a creek ran somewhere below us, woven into the wind. The air smelled like rain and pine and wet earth. Everyone's jackets were zipped up. Noses pink. Breath visible when the clouds rolled through.

We followed the road higher and found a ridge where the light was doing something soft and silver through the clouds. The rain had paused. The seven of them gathered close, and for a few minutes, it was just this, two sisters, their families, the mountain holding them all.

Finally, we made it to the summit of Cottonwood Pass. The Continental Divide. The place where the country splits east and west, where you can see for what feels like forever, where the air is thin and the sky feels closer than it should.

Everyone stood there for a moment. Not posing. Just looking. The girls asked questions about the mountains in the distance. The adults breathed deeply. Levi slept against his father's chest. And I stayed quiet, letting the moment exist without interrupting it.

This is what I mean when I talk about family sessions that feel like an experience. Not a photoshoot in a location, but a journey through one. The summit wasn't just a backdrop. It was the destination.

Extended family sessions in the mountains

Extended family sessions take more coordination. More schedules to align. More personalities to navigate. More moving pieces than a session with just one family.

But they're worth it. Every time.

Because here's the thing: families don't gather like this very often. Siblings who live in different states. Cousins meeting for the first time. Grandparents and grandchildren. These moments are rare, and they pass quickly. A year from now, the kids will be bigger. The baby will be walking. Everyone will be in a different season.

When you have the chance to bring everyone together, really together, in a place that asks you to slow down and pay attention, it's worth documenting. Not in a stiff, formal way where everyone stands in a line and smiles on command. But in a way that actually captures how your family moves and laughs and loves. The chaos and the tenderness. The in-between moments that don't make it onto the holiday card but mean everything when you look back.

That's what I try to create in extended family sessions. Space for connection. Room to breathe. A structure loose enough that real moments can happen, but intentional enough that we don't miss them. Mountain sessions like this one fall under my Wild collection, built for families who want to go somewhere extraordinary and have the scouting, travel, and logistics handled so they can just show up and be together.

Ready to bring your family to the mountains?

If you're thinking about an extended family session, or any session that takes you somewhere beyond the usual, I'd love to talk about it. Whether it's Cottonwood Pass, Breckenridge, Buena Vista, or somewhere else entirely, we'll find the right place for your family and build a plan that accounts for weather, timing, and everything in between.

You don't have to have it all figured out. That's what the planning call is for.