Creating flower portraits can be an elusive task, especially in South Dakota where meadows filled with wildflowers can be short lived and hard to find.  Below are three tips to help you catch those gorgeous pictures with a background that is to die for.

1. Know your seasons.

These purple flowers grow in abundance in South Dakota, but you have to know where to look for them.  They especially like shaded shelterbelts, and bloom from mid to late May.  They create a stunning backdrop for neutral clothing that allows the rich purple color take center stage!

2. No field?  No problem.

Wildflowers aren't the only flowers that are gorgeous.  Finding a line of bushes with little white flowers was a score in this park.  It matched perfectly with the girls' embroidered, delicate dresses and created beautiful color and tonal harmony.  And guess what?  Little girls like to hold flowers, so they were more than happy to oblige us during their session.

3.  What about the boys?

Boys can have fun with nature, too!  These two were entranced with anything to do with tractors and farming, so we told them to hold this hay in their hands so they could be farmers in their picture.  Keeping the clothing simple highlights their gorgeous blue eyes, and the fresh green colors around them.

Allison Russell is a fine art portrait photographer with a boutique studio based in Mitchell, South Dakota.  She specializes in family, children, senior, and sports photography, and has been internationally recognized for her portraits.  She lives on a farm south of Mitchell with her husband, three children, two horses, one dog, and her husband's cattle herd.  

Allison Russell is a fine art portrait photographer with a boutique studio based in Mitchell, South Dakota.  She specializes in family, children, senior, and sports photography, and has been internationally recognized for her portraits.  She lives on a farm south of Mitchell with her husband, three children, two horses, one dog, and her husband's cattle herd.