Date Night in Park City

Listen, I love going out with my kids… but I also love going out without them. Whether you’re vacationing in town or living in the Salt Lake area and looking for a change of pace, a Park City date night is IT. We’re going to cover all the best spots to hit in Park City for a fun or romantic night out.

Take a Gondola Ride

You don’t have to ski to enjoy the gorgeous views from the Red Pine Gondola! It is open both summer and winter. Take a ride up the mountain together and then relax at the Red Pine Lodge. Find more details about the experience and hours here.

Grab road trip snacks and drive up Guardsman’s Pass

Guardsman’s Pass is one of the most scenic drives in Utah and easy access from downtown Park City! There are gorgeous 360 degree views and lots of pull out points to pull out, snap a picture, and enjoy Utah’s beauty.

Couple taking their maternity photos in Park City

Have a Spa Night together!

Being a resort town, there is no shortage of spa options for you and your partner in Park City! You can choose to experience something new like a float spa or stick with a traditional couples massage.

Bar (or appetizer) hopping down Historic Main Street

Park City’s Main Street is beautiful and so much fun to explore! There are endless food and drink options. Choose a few and compare your favorite items together!

Couple exploring Downtown Park City together for a photoshoot

Enjoy the summer wildflowers

During the late summer, the Park City mountains are blanketed in wildflowers. These are perfect for hiking or a photoshoot. You’ll see native white, purple, red, and yellow wildflowers on a quick drive up the mountains.

Wildflower photos in Park City

Take a class together at Park City Gardens

Park City Gardens is THE CUTEST little cafe and greenhouse about 5 minutes from downtown. They offer classes like watercolor, terrarium creation, bouquet building. You can learn more about their offerings here.

So for your next date night,

don’t forget Park City! It’s a short and scenic drive from Salt Lake City and has options for every single interest. Don’t forget to follow along on socials for more Utah content and let me know how your date night ends up!

Carly is a Salt Lake City family photographer that specializes in maternity, family, and motherhood photography. She focuses on capturing real, meaningful moments for your family to cherish forever.

What to do in Utah in the spring:

I moved to Salt Lake City, UT right before the longest, heaviest snow winter in 50 years. I’ve since grown to love winter here, but was so ready for spring once it finally came… and it delivered. I love exploring spring blossoms, trails, and still having access to skiing and snowboarding. Below I’ll share all of my favorite things to do to celebrate spring in Utah whether you’re local or traveling!

1. Explore the Tulips at Thanksgiving Point

Nothing says spring quite like tulips!! Thanksgiving Point in Lehi has a beautiful festival every year, typically toward the end of April and into May. It’s the perfect photo op and is so fun for families with kids of all ages. You can learn more about that here.

2. Go for a walk at the Utah State Capitol

The capitol is a great place to enjoy the spring air and blossoms. There’s a path that circles the full capitol building that is lined with gorgeous blooms and lots of grassy areas to run and play. The location also allows for easy access to some of Salt Lake City’s best restaurants!

Family photos at Salt Lake City, Utah capitol building

3. Surprisingly, skiing and snowboarding!

It’s well known that Utah has some of the best ski resorts in the nation… but did you know that many of them stay open through late April and even into May? This time of year is really ideal to visit Salt Lake because you get the best of both worlds: beautiful spring weather in the valley and continued access to the slopes in the mountains. You can check current estimated closing dates here.

4. Explore Utah trails

Wherever you stay, you’ll have easy access to trails from Weber County to Utah County. I’ve lived in Salt Lake for a year and a half and still haven’t even explored a fraction of the trails nearby. Each one is so unique and all of them have amazing offerings.

A family exploring a Utah trail in spring.

5. Get off the beaten path and explore something otherworldly

One of my favorite things about Utah is the diversity of the landscapes. Just 15 minutes from Utah you can explore The Great Saltair and if you’re up for a day trip, the Salt Flats are about an hour and 45 minutes away. Spring is perfect for a visit because they get extra water from spring run off and it adds to the beauty and the bugs aren’t out yet. There is so much space for kids to run and be free. Just remember to bring a water bottle to rinse the salt off your feet after!

A family exploring The Great Saltair for family photos

I also offer a travel guide with all of my booked sessions to help you make the most of your time in the state of Utah, visiting or local. It includes my favorite restaurants and adventures with kiddos from Ogden to Provo. Learn more about my sessions below!

What Pants Should My Husband Wear?

Carly Anderson Photography | Salt Lake City Family Photographer

Practically every session I photograph I get asked, “what pants should my husband wear?” The good news is this is the EASIEST part of a session to style and I even offer options in my client closet. When helping my families pick outfits, I typically start with mom to make sure you’re in something you LOVE, move on to the kids, and finalize the styling with dad. He may be last, but he’s certainly not least. Below we will go over some of my favorite options for men’s (and boy’s!!) pants and why they work & even link my favorite Target options for each!

Light Wash Blue Jeans are possibly my very favorite option on the list!!! They maintain light tones, but add a splash of color that will look beautiful with the sky! They help diversify texture and bring lovely cool tones. Make sure your pick is a true light wash, not a medium or dark. The darker washes suck light out of images (I know it sounds dramatic, but it really DOES make a difference!) This pair is a part of my client closet, but you can find them at Target as well: Light Wash Target Jeans

Brown pants are a classic for a reason! There is truly no going wrong with these. Brown jeans are definitely my favorite, but options like chinos or khakis are great too! A lot of the times once we get to styling dad, we already have a lot of colors and patterns so we just need something to balance it all out. Brown pants are perfect, perfect for this. I do have this pair in my closet, but here is the link for something similar at Target: Brown Target Jeans

Cream or beige pants are one of the most underrated options!! If light toned images are what you’re looking for, this may be the best pick for you! They are beautifully neutral and won’t interfere with other colors in your outfits or location. Look for something with a bit of texture… denim or linen are my favorites! I have a pair in my client closet and they are used often!! Target offers a super affordable pick for these too: Beige Target Jeans

Green Pants are an amazing earth toned option that can help tie in colors from outfits or scenery! Most locations have a bit of green in them and it’s great to lean into. In this session, dad had a darker shade of green and the little boy had a lighter sage pair. They were the perfect pop of color and still worked as neutrals. If the pair I have in my client closet doesn’t work, check out this option from Target: Green Target Pants

Even if it’s last second, picking out pants for dad doesn’t have to be tough! Use these options for every color scheme and location to take the stress out of styling your family. These options can be applied to those ever changing Salt Lake seasons through shorts or pants.

Carly is a Salt Lake City family photographer that specializes in maternity, family, and motherhood photography. She focuses on capturing real, meaningful moments for your family to cherish forever.

MYTH BUSTING: Why families don’t book sessions.

Carly Anderson Photography | SLC, Utah Family Photographer

Let’s be real. You’ve been feeling like you NEED to update family photos, but the idea of it seems daunting. I’m here to talk about the very valid reasons that may be holding you back & how to combat them.

The #1 worry I run into is that the parents are worried about their children’s behavior.

My sessions are kid (& dad!!) approved. They are built to let kids be kids. There is absolutely no stiff, awkward posing. We focus on family connection. We play, have fun, & enjoy each other’s company while getting gorgeous family photos in the beautiful Utah landscape. I have NEVER had a session go wrong to the extent that I wasn’t able to deliver beautiful, heartfelt images. If this were to ever happen & I was unable to deliver a gallery consistent with my portfolio I would be happy to offer a reshoot! Take a break from parenting & enjoy your babies.

Another worry I hear is that your partner is just not on board.

This was my family’s “reason” for a very long time, but now my husband GETS IT. We were able to get to this point by looking back at photos of us & our babies (usually horrible quality). We talked about how precious & fleeting those memories were. Once the moment is gone, the photo is all you have. Emphasize the experience: this is NOT the family photo sessions we grew up with where we had to force fake smiles and everyone was yelling. The only expectation of you & your partner is to spend time your kids like you do every evening.

Another common worry is expenses!

This one is so tricky! I would never suggest someone put themselves in a tough place to get their photos done. But if you have the option to budget or do one of my payment plans I would really encourage you to make it happen. What it comes down to for me is what if… Our loved ones won’t always be around & it is so important to have meaningful images to remember them by.

Lastly, I want to talk about not loving how you look.

I often hear “I just want to lose 10 pounds first”… & it breaks my heart. I’ve been there. I get it. I cried before both of my kid’s newborn sessions because I still looked 7 months pregnant. But now, I just look back at those images with love. Our kids DO NO SEE OUR FLAWS THE WAY WE DO. They see their mama... The lips that kiss them goodnight, the hand they hold to cross the street, & the arms that comfort them when they’re dealing with big feelings. That’s what my camera sees too & that’s what they’ll want to remember someday. If you wait until you love everything you love about the way you look, you could be missing out on capturing the beauty of you life now.

It’s easy to worry about everything that could go wrong… but put yourself in good hands & start envisioning everything that could go right!!!

Carly is a Salt Lake City family photographer that specializes in maternity, family, and motherhood photography. She focuses on capturing real, meaningful moments for your family to cherish forever.

Style a Spring Family Photo Session with me!

Here in Utah, it’s finally warming up!!! The sunshine, spring flowers, and fresh, green foliage are the perfect environment to update family photos… But what do you wear?

Styling Utah spring photoshoots is my favorite because it means using floral patterns! They work PERFECTLY with the season’s vibes & as an added bonus, patterns make the perfect starting point for styling! I’ll walk you through the process below.

The first thing you’ll do is pick out mom’s dress! For the perfect spring dress, look for something lightweight with a soft floral pattern. For this session, mom chose this beautiful VICI gown that my client’s have access to (for free!!!) through my client closet.

Second, we will look for the colors within mom’s dress pattern. For this session we used soft orange & green, then filled the holes with neutrals! We pulled in the light orange with baby’s jumper & it was the perfect pop of color!

Because boys are typically easier to style, we saved them for last! We tied in the light green with big brother’s pants, then finished his outfit with a tan, thick knit sweater. Finally, we put dad in a lightweight linen shirt and dark green pants to add contrast.

Our styling created weather appropriate outfits that tied in perfectly with the Utah spring scenery. Using this method takes away the pain of picking out what to wear & ensures you will look your best for session day!!!

Carly is a Salt Lake City family photographer that specializes in maternity, family, and motherhood photography. She focuses on capturing real, meaningful moments for your family to cherish forever.

3 Tips for Styling Winter Sessions

CARLY ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY | UTAH FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER

This was my first family photography session in a Salt Lake City winter and honestly as we were planning it I thought we might be crazy… BUT with the right preparation it was not only possible, but magical.

Trying to balance beautiful outfits while simultaneously making sure you’re fighting that Utah winter chill can be tough. Save these tips to make you next winter session easier:

1. Choose heavy, textured fabrics! My favorites include corduroy, chunky knits, velvet, leather, tweed, and neutral flannels & denims. The heavy fabrics keep you warm, while the textured fabrics add detail and style to your images. When picking these fabrics be sure to look for muted colors and neutrals.

2. LAYER!!! Layering has two purposes in your winter session. It adds more texture to your styles & keeps you warmer. Think knit tights under dresses, chunky sweaters, stylish overcoats.

Bonus layering tip: choose outfits that can easily have warm pjs or thermals layered under them for kiddos… try to pick white or neutral so if they stick out it won’t look funky

3. Incorporate a warm blanket into your styling. I have a variety that I’m happy to bring for my clients that work well with every color scheme.

Utilizing these methods in our session helped everyone stay comfortable & HAPPY! Despite the cold weather we made magic at the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve, one of my absolute favorite locations. This spot is also a wonderful spot for a winter family hike in Utah.

Carly is a Salt Lake City family photographer that specializes in maternity, family, and motherhood photography. She focuses on capturing real, meaningful moments for your family to cherish forever.