Richmond-based Tyler Darden is a father and photographer. He raised his children in the state where he lived and worked his entire life. Through his photography, this Virginia native has explored every corner of the state. He samples farm-fresh food and gets to know the rural communities that make up most of this region.
In a recent assignment for Virginia Living Magazine, Tyler traveled to a family-owned farm. He captured the fall attractions that draw 1,000 people to this rustic ranch each weekend.
Tyler has worked with the magazine’s art director, Ann Harvey, several times over the past three years. She joined him for the 1.5-hour drive southwest to the Parrish family farm. When the two arrived at the location, Jeff and Liz immediately greeted them. Jeff and Liz are high school sweethearts who opened the 58-acre farm to the public in 2009.
Once Ann and I saw the location we worked together to decide and create the images needed to visually tell the story of the Parrish family.
While the land has been in the Parrish family for four generations, the pumpkin patch and corn maze are new additions to this family’s ancestral home. Also, the Parrish family has found a way to reuse their harvested land. They encourage everyone to come and create traditions to remember for years to come.
It’s a very rural and beautiful area, with lots of winding roads and open fields. And some of the farms, like the Parrishes, have added a tourism component to draw people to the experience.
After speaking with Ann before the shoot, Tyler decided to arrive just after dawn to capture the brilliant blue sky and bright morning light that stretched across the farm. This made for beautiful shots of light streaming through the trees. However, it lacked the entertainment and energy that the attraction is accustomed to. The Parrishes asked neighbors and friends to come early to help stage some of the lifestyle images that will be featured in the magazine.
I made some Fall portraits of the family and friends who modeled for us and gave these families a few images each for coming out so early to help us.
Sometime later in the day, a couple of school groups arrived at the farm, giving Tyler a typical pumpkin patch day. The kids were chaotic at first, having too much fun running around a giant corn maze with their friends. Eventually, they slowed down just enough for Tyler to capture that special moment when a child found his or her perfect pumpkin.
Tyler was happy to connect with these fellow Virginians. He appreciated their generosity. Tyler was happy to help showcase their farm so that others could know their story. He hoped people would visit the attractions for many years to come.
The Parrish family was amazing. They were very friendly and accommodated all my requests while providing so much information and access to all the attractions.
As a father, Tyler has witnessed the little moments in life that we cherish with our children. In his day spent on the Parrish family farm, Tyler sought to capture the essence of that joy. He also hopes his images inspire others to venture to this special place.
There are some wonderful serendipitous moments that we had throughout the day, like the family dog posing perfectly with that family in the portrait.
See more of Tyler’s work on his website.
Further Reading
Read more articles about Tyler Darden.
Read more Photographer Spotlight articles about our other photographers.
Let us help you Find Photographers, source Stock Photography,
Produce Your Shoot — or just reach out to hear more!