614.595.4707
vicki@vickisands.com
Message Me
MENU

An 18-Month Milestone Session at Hayden Falls in Dublin

By: Vicki Sands

Laughing toddler girl in a cream floral dress with pigtails holding a book at Hayden Falls Dublin Ohio milestone photographer

Somewhere between baby and little girl.

That's where Ellie is at eighteen months, and it's the version of her I wanted to hold onto at her milestone session at Hayden Falls in Dublin. She ran the boardwalk, threw her arms up for her Pooh bear, and pressed a pink flower to her mom's cheek. Most of my job was keeping up.

Toddler girl in a cream floral dress holding a book on a wooden footbridge in the woods at Hayden Falls Dublin Ohio milestone photographer

Milestone photos at Hayden Falls

Hayden Falls is a place Ellie's parents love to visit, and her session was her first time seeing it. The park is small, but it gives a toddler session everything it needs: wooden boardwalks under the trees, footbridges with railings that frame a little girl beautifully, the falls themselves, and a fence hung with love locks. Down at the water's edge, Hayden Lake adds a soft, open backdrop.

For 18-month photos, a place like this works well. There is room to run, and there is always something new around the next bend.

Toddler girl in a floral dress running along the wooden boardwalk at Hayden Falls Dublin Ohio milestone photographer
Family of three together in front of the waterfall at Hayden Falls Dublin Ohio milestone photographer

Pooh came too

Pooh was the theme of Ellie's nursery when she was a newborn, and he's still her favorite, so of course he came along.

She sat beside him on the boardwalk, hugged him on the bridge, and later carried him across the boardwalk herself while her mom and dad followed a few steps behind.

Toddler girl in a floral dress sitting beside her Winnie the Pooh bear on a wooden boardwalk at Hayden Falls Dublin Ohio milestone photographer
Toddler girl in a floral dress hugging her Winnie the Pooh bear on a wooden footbridge at Hayden Falls Dublin Ohio milestone photographer
Toddler girl throwing her arms up as her Winnie the Pooh bear leaps toward her beside a fence of love locks at Hayden Falls Dublin Ohio milestone photographer
Toddler girl carrying her Winnie the Pooh bear across the boardwalk as her parents follow at Hayden Falls Dublin Ohio milestone photographer

The in-between

Eighteen months is the in-between. The walk turns into a run, the words start coming, and the baby you remember starts to feel far away. It happens month to month, so quietly that you mostly notice it looking back.

By the love locks, Ellie stood on her tiptoes to reach a railing full of other people's promises, in a place her parents love. That's this age in a single frame: reaching for everything, still a little too small to get there.

Toddler girl in a floral dress standing on tiptoe reaching for the love locks on a wooden railing at Hayden Falls Dublin Ohio milestone photographer

Then there was the flower. A couple walking their dog stopped and handed Ellie a pink flower to make her smile. It worked, and it made her mom laugh too. 

A moment later, she pressed it to her mom's cheek, a small, unplanned gesture no one could have posed.
Toddler girl pressing a pink flower to her mother's cheek as she nuzzles her on the boardwalk at Hayden Falls Dublin Ohio milestone photographer

Down by Hayden Lake, her mom knelt beside her in the dress that matched Ellie's, arms wrapped around her, the two of them all smiles.

These are the moments that slip away first. Not the milestones you mark on a calendar, but the reach, the flower, the way she fit in her mom's arms. In a year she'll be taller and steadier, with words for everything. This version of her will live in these photographs, and that is why I do this work.

Her parents, in the story too

A milestone session is about the child, but I always make room for the people holding her. Her dad held her by the water while her mom laughed nearby. Later, Ellie followed him down the path. These are the frames that show where she belongs.

Dad holding his toddler daughter beside Hayden Lake as mom laughs nearby in Dublin Ohio milestone photographer
Toddler girl following her dad along the path at Hayden Falls Dublin Ohio milestone photographer

Tips for 18-month milestone photos

  • Bring the favorite. A lovey or stuffed animal gives a busy toddler something to hold, and it tells part of the story. For Ellie, that was Pooh.
  • Bring a playlist. Pick the songs your little one loves, and we'll stream them during the session so they feel right at home.
  • Pack water and a small snack. A few graham crackers or little marshmallows can reset a tired toddler and buy a few more happy minutes.
  • Choose a place with room to run. Boardwalks, paths, and open grass let a toddler move, and the most natural photos come from that movement. Tell me the kind of setting you love, whether woods, water, gardens, or open fields, and I'll share location ideas around Columbus that fit.
  • Coordinate with Mom. Matching or complementary outfits tie the mother and daughter frames together without feeling posed.

Planning milestone photos in Dublin or Columbus?

Ellie's session was part of her family's Grow With Me series, which has since grown into The Collective. If your little one is somewhere in their own in-between, I'd love to hear about them. Let's have a conversation.

Milestone and family sessions in Dublin, Columbus, New Albany, Upper Arlington, Powell, Westerville, Gahanna, Granville, and surrounding Ohio communities.

Leave a comment

Leave this field empty
This form is protected by reCAPTCHA to prevent spam and abuse. Information collected may be processed for security purposes.
Submit

0 Comments

Previous Post

Related Posts

Autumn Adventures: Capturing the Heartwarming Moments of Tony and Erin's Family

October 23, 2019

Robert & Jennifer's Enchanting Engagement Session in Canal Winchester

November 4, 2019

Wyatt's Journey: A 6-Month Milestone in Expressions

March 19, 2019

FROM WEDDING DAY TO BABY'S FIRST PHOTOS - A LOVE STORY CONTINUES

March 29, 2020

Archive

Go

Blog Type

branding family grow with me headshots maternity milestone motherhood newborn photography tips seniors studio portraits
CLOSE
614.595.4707
vicki@vickisands.com
Message Me