Check any Facebook Mom Group and you are bound to see questions such as “Help! Needing ideas for where we should do family pictures!” There are so many great locations for photography sessions in Nebraska, it can be overwhelming!  Here is something to consider for your next family session… Can you think of a place that holds sentimental value?  Recently, I got to experience the magic of a super special place for my in laws, their farm, and you know what?  It turned out better than I could have imagined!

As a girl that grew up in Omaha and married a guy who grew up on a farm, lets just say I have learned a lot about farm life!  One of the most important lessons I have learned is how meaningful the land is to the family.  For a lot of farm families, their land has been in the family for several generations.  This is the case for the Katt Family.  Jordan’s (my husband) father, Jon currently farms the land.  Jon’s father, Elmer, was  born on the farm and lived in the house he was born in for his entire life (minus the time he marched across Europe to defeat the Nazi’s in WWII- a story for another day!).  Elmer’s father traveled from Germany with his brother and purchased this land.  That makes five generations of Katts who have walked this special ground.

As a history buff myself, I love learning about the Katt Family and the history of the land.  That has made me appreciate the farm so much more.  When I realized we were on the 5th generation of Katts here, I wanted to find a special way to document that with photographs.  Therefore, a gathering on the Farm on Memorial Day turned into an impromptu photo session for my in laws and their grandkids.   

As a photographer, it is important for me to capture the essence of the family and tell their story in an authentic way.  When you chose a location that is meaningful to you, it ends up making the images even more special.  It is my sincere hope that these images live on through future Katt generations.  This is my ultimate goal for all of my clients.  I picture comments like, “Oh wow look at dad making that face!” “Look at Great Grandpa and Grandma, I can tell they love mom so much!” and “Oh wow, look at the red barn, its so cool we still have that!” Your images should have life through physical products that will stand the test of time. 

Below you can see some images from the session.  The images in front of the red barn are extra special because they are standing at the location of the original Katt House, which was where Elmer was born over 100 years ago.

Next time you hire a photographer make sure they have great ideas for your next session. You should not be stressed about location. They should help you! Keep in mind some of the places that are special to you and your family and I promise you, you will love your images more.

Images taken by Sarah Katt. Sarah is a photographer from Nebraska who serves the Eastern part of the state including Omaha, Lincoln & the surrounding areas. She specializes in family photography.