A holiday milestone session at a Maryland Christmas tree farm — and a joyful sneak peek at future Christmas minis
Christmas tree family photos in Maryland are a beloved holiday tradition, especially for families documenting baby milestones during the first year. While this 7-month Motherhood Collection session was photographed specifically for Kim and Tam and their daughter Olive, it also offers a joyful sneak peek at what future Christmas tree mini sessions will look like.
This session was photographed in December, when fresh snow added an extra layer of winter magic to the landscape. While upcoming Christmas tree minis planned for November 2026 will not include snow, the overall aesthetic — natural evergreens, thoughtful styling, and family-focused pacing — will remain the same. For families considering holiday photos in Maryland, this session shows how Christmas tree settings can feel timeless, elevated, and deeply personal.
Why Christmas Tree Family Photos Are So Popular in Maryland
Every holiday season, families across Maryland search for ways to mark time in a way that feels both meaningful and manageable. Christmas tree family photos have become especially popular because they blend tradition with simplicity. The evergreens create a festive backdrop that feels classic without overwhelming the frame, allowing the focus to remain on connection rather than decoration.
Outdoor holiday sessions also offer a natural sense of ease. Open space, soft winter light, and room to move comfortably help families relax into the experience, which is especially valuable when photographing babies and young children. The result is imagery that feels joyful, grounded, and true to the season.
Choosing a Christmas Tree Farm for Family Photos in Maryland
When families search for Christmas tree family photos in Maryland, the location matters just as much as the season. Not all tree farms photograph the same, and not all are equally family-friendly.
For this session, we photographed at Gaver Farm, a Christmas tree destination known for its rolling hills, wide evergreen aisles, and beautifully maintained surroundings. One of the things I appreciate most about Gaver Farm is their deep understanding of families. They are well known in the Frederick area for their fall festival, and that family-first mindset carries seamlessly into the Christmas season.
From a photography perspective, the wide spacing between trees allows for clean sightlines and soft, even light. From a family perspective, the open layout makes it easy to move comfortably with babies and young children. It’s also meaningful to partner with a small local business that prioritizes creating positive family experiences year after year.
Timing Matters — Waiting Until Baby Can Sit Independently
Although milestone sessions are often described as six-month portraits, waiting just one additional month can make a significant difference. For Olive’s session, her parents chose to wait until she could sit independently, and the payoff was immediate.
At seven months, babies are typically more stable, more expressive, and far more interactive with their surroundings. Sitting independently allows for individual portraits where babies are fully present in the frame rather than supported or reclined. We see smiles, reaching hands, curiosity, and those fleeting expressions that highlight just how much development has happened since the newborn stage.
Waiting also allowed this session to move fully into December, giving the Motherhood Collection a beautiful sense of seasonality. Because Olive was born in early summer, this Christmas session visually marks her growth across the year — from maternity and newborn images to this winter milestone — creating meaningful contrast within her full collection.
Thoughtful Styling and Seasonal Details
One of the elements that made this session especially memorable was the attention to small, intentional details. Because there was snow on the ground, I brought a blanket to ensure everyone stayed comfortable and dry during seated portraits. For Olive, we incorporated a bassinet lined with soft fur, creating a cozy, seasonally appropriate place for her to sit independently.
Her red velvet dress stood out beautifully against the deep green evergreens, showing how formal styling can feel especially striking when paired with a natural setting. Props were kept minimal but purposeful — a small golden jingle bell for close-up detail shots and a few ornaments to decorate a tree together. These details invited natural reactions, from Olive reaching curiously to quiet moments of her parents’ hands adjusting ornaments.
It’s often these subtle, thoughtful choices that add an extra layer of magic, enhancing a session without overpowering it.
Christmas Tree Family Photos as Part of a Motherhood Collection
This session is one chapter in Olive’s Motherhood Collection, following maternity and newborn portraits earlier in her first year. Photographing families across multiple stages allows each session to build on the last, capturing not only how a child grows, but how a family evolves together.
Holiday sessions fit naturally into a collection because they anchor a child’s development within the rhythm of family traditions. They don’t just document a moment in time — they tell a larger story about connection, continuity, and the seasons that shape a family’s life.
Planning Christmas Tree Family Photos in Maryland
When it comes to Christmas tree family photos in Maryland, planning ahead makes all the difference. A little foresight allows for more flexibility, better locations, and a calmer experience overall.
A few key things to keep in mind:
- Book early. Christmas tree sessions are seasonal and limited. I’ll be offering Christmas tree mini sessions in November 2026 on specific dates, and families who want first access can join the VIP list to be notified when booking opens.
- Custom sessions require extra lead time. Families hoping to schedule a custom, hour-long portrait session — like Olive’s seven-month Motherhood Collection session featured here — should reach out as early as possible. Many Christmas tree farms have blackout dates in late November and early December during peak tree sales, which limits photography availability.
- November works best for holiday cards. If you’re planning to use images for Christmas cards, November sessions are often the safest option to meet print deadlines.
- Later December offers flexibility (and a little magic). Families with more scheduling flexibility can often photograph later into December, including the second or third week before Christmas. By that point, many farms are quieter, most trees have been sold, photography restrictions tend to ease — and occasionally, you might even get lucky with a light snowfall.
- Plan outfits sooner than you think. If you’re considering a 2026 session, the best time to purchase holiday outfits is often right after the season ends, when sales are strongest. Some boutique children’s brands don’t ship holiday collections until November, which can overlap with session dates, so having an outfit on hand early provides peace of mind and flexibility.
Thoughtful planning allows Christmas tree family photos to feel relaxed, intentional, and joyful — rather than rushed — no matter which part of the season you choose.
A Season Worth Remembering
Holiday photos can take many forms, from simple moments to thoughtfully styled scenes, and what matters most is intention. In sessions like this one, a balance of natural movement and carefully chosen details allows families to enjoy the experience while creating images that feel cohesive and elevated.
Whether it’s a baby sitting confidently on her own, evergreen branches framing a walk through the trees, or parents sharing a quiet moment nearby, these are the kinds of images that hold beauty and meaning long after the season has passed.
Join the VIP list for next year’s Christmas minis or email me directly through the contact form to plan your own full length portrait session.
Join the VIP list for next year’s Christmas minis or email me directly through the contact form to plan your own full length portrait session.
About the Author
Christine Baumgarten is a wedding photographer and the owner of Silver Orchard Creative. Based in Maryland, she specializes in weddings, engagements and families. With over a decade of experience, Christine is known for blending fine art styling with natural storytelling to create timeless images for couples across the DC and Northern Virginia area, Greater East Coast and beyond.
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