I love doing family sessions, I think it's so important that we capture memories for future generations. I know a lot of people say we get too wrapped up in our need to capture the moment in these technological days, where almost everyone has access to a camera at their fingertips. We hear how "way back when, we didn't worry about taking selfies or pictures of our dinner", but my guess would be, if they had the technological advances we have today, they may have thought differently. I am all about capturing the moments I have with my family, but I also have learned to experience these moments differently when I'm with them. Instead of focusing all of my energy on taking pictures, I give myself a few minutes here and there to take the camera out and snap some cute shots, all other times the camera is away and I'm just with my family. I try to really enjoy these moments behind the camera and love being able to watch from the sidelines and see my husband interact with my son, the two halves of my heart <3
I had a recent family session that I absolutely loved. It was an in home session, which always stress me out a little - I'm always worried about lighting in these situations, because I love using only natural light in my photos whenever possible. The client was a good friend, so I'd luckily been to her house before and thought I'd be able to work it without a flash.
We decided to start in the bedroom, where little H loved to play. His expressions were amazing. I think at this time he was just about 16 months, so he was a little unsteady on his feet, but that didn't stop him from jumping on the bed :-) The window helped bring in some great natural light and it ended up working out perfectly!
My family sessions are meant to be interactive. I want my clients to basically do what they would do if I wasn't there. Getting people to be themselves on camera can be very difficult, but this family did not disappoint. They just love to have fun together and it really shows in the pictures.
From there, we headed outside to their gorgeous backyard where, after a little persuading, we convinced Dad to sit on the tire swing. This picture makes my heart melt <3 Just a dad and his little buddy swinging together.
One thing I like about doing home sessions is that the family is completely comfortable in their own home (as much as they can be with a crazy lady following them around with a camera). We explored their yard while they played as a family and I caught little moments like this.
Not only do family photo sessions help you create memories that can last forever, they give your family a chance to connect with each other. I love looking back at sessions and remembering what was happening just before I took the picture. I like to think my clients do the same thing!
Thanks for reading :-)
~so~