How One Candid Photo Inspired My Red Truck Mini Sessions

The Photo That Started It All: My Accidental First Red Truck Session

It wasn’t a session.

It wasn’t styled.

It wasn’t even planned.

It was just a hot afternoon in our neighborhood cul de sac. The kids were little, covered in popsicle juice and sidewalk chalk, and one of our neighbors had pulled their red truck—cherry red, sun-faded in all the right places, with that “I’ve seen some things” look that only trucks seem to have.

Naturally, the kids climbed right in. Shoes off, giggles flying, someone probably yelling about splinters. I grabbed my camera (as I always do) and snapped a photo—no posing, no pressure. Just a quick click before someone inevitably fell out or demanded snacks.

I forgot about it.

For years.

Then the other day, while digging through old photos, I found it. And I stopped.

There it was. The pose.

That now-signature Red Truck pose I’ve used in almost every fall session since.

All these years later, it still holds up. The joy. The mischief. The magic of a kid in a truck bed with no plans and no shoes.

It got me thinking: this was my first red truck photo. Not the first I advertised. Not the first I styled or booked. But the first that mattered. The one that sparked something.

From Cul de Sac to Calendar Staple

Now? Red Truck Minis are one of my most-requested sessions of the year.

They sell out faster than Target’s Halloween mugs. I plan them months in advance. I’ve got props, playlists, posing guides, you name it. But it all started with a spontaneous moment and a little red truck.

And because I’m me—and can’t help but turn every little experiment into a full-blown toolkit—I decided to take all my hard-earned know-how and put it into one place.

Introducing: The Red Truck Sessions Toolkit

If you’re a photographer who’s ever thought:

• “That red truck trend is adorable… but where do I even start?”
  
• “Do I rent a truck? Buy one? Build one out of cardboard??”
  
• “How do I pose families in such a small space without it looking like a game of Twister?”
  

Then I made this Toolkit for you.

It’s packed with:

• Where and how to find a truck (without selling your soul or your gear)
  
• Session planning timelines
  
• Prop lists and posing guides
  
• Marketing materials
  
• And yes… the original photo that started it all
  

Stay Tuned

I’m putting the finishing touches on it now (with snacks in hand, of course), and I’ll be sharing sneak peeks soon. 

And if you’re a photographer with a red truck story—or dreaming of starting one—I’d love to hear about it. Let’s be nostalgic (and profitable) together.

Because sometimes, the best ideas start in the cul de sac.

Sign Up Here!!

https://www.michellenicholsonphotography.com/email-list

Get first notice when the Red Truck Sessions Toolkit becomes available!