Trust me when I say this, my husband and I were photographed by my very talented photography friend, and we were feeling those “so what do we do now?” feelings. This had NOTHING to do with our photographer. She was seriously the best. She kept it very simple and had a flow to the session, but I could understand how some of my clients felt when they would ask me questions during a session:
“Do you want us to keep going?”
“Do you want us to sit right here, or stand?”
That’s when I had a light bulb moment.
I”m going to admit, I’m not always the best with being descriptive. It’s something I am working on. You don’t know what I mean. I shouldn’t expect you to! It’s not an everyday thing for you to stand in front of the camera with your family.
This is my flow for our session. I wanted to make sure we are on the same page, that I’m not leaving you in the dark. Kinda like never getting that one page of the study guide in school the teacher forgot to mention.
The Beginning.
With my style of work, I focus on documentary photography. Documenting is the key word! That means, I want you to be who you are. Now I know how simple that may seem for someone telling you to “just be you”, but to pivot into your perspective, that’s exactly what I want. I want you to rock that band tee if it’s your favorite shirt, or wear your go to sundress that just makes you feel pretty. If you don’t normally wear a lot of makeup, if any, then don’t! You need to feel like yourself. Keep it as close to your true self as possible.
When it comes session time, we will meet at the location of your choice, and I will probably smile real big and say, “Hey! How’s it going? It’s so nice to finally meet you!!” I will give you guys time to settle in and really absorb the sun or scenery. Music playing in the background.
Through the planning process, I will get to know you and your spouse/partner or family so I’m able to direct you in a way that is natural to you. I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed. If you are more quiet and reserved, I won’t direct you in a way that’s more outward or loud. But if you are into dad jokes, I’ve got ya covered haha.
The Middle.
This is when it gets really good. I intentionally have longer sessions, because it allows you and your family or spouse/partner to be comfortable in the setting. Whether it’s a new location you get to explore or a familiar space, like your home or the village/city you live in. It takes time warming up, but once you do, it really shows.
I am more than happy to always direct when needed so you aren’t feeling solo and the “what do I do with my hands” kinda feeling. Your session should be fun and enjoyable.
Some things that help with bringing in some more familiarity or comfort:
– if you have kids, bring their favorite stuffed animal or toy, their favorite blanket or maybe they have a favorite shirt, or are obsessed with cowboy boots or princesses.
– bring board games or cards for you and your partner to play
– food and drinks are always welcome. Pizza night? Want to bring some beer or wine? Go for it.
The End.
By the end of the session, you’ll feel like a pro. You won’t be thinking about anything but being in the moment, with your fam-bam. By this time, the session has ended and we’ve gone our separate ways! I always do my best to send sneak peeks within the first couple of days of your session, and deliver the remaining amount within 2-3 weeks.
Seriously, though, I’m here to capture your life. Not trying to be cliché, but these are memories you’ll get to look back on. To be thankful you invested the money for professional photos of that moment in life. To look back on them and say, “I remember how much you loved that teddy bear”, or “you’d take your blankie everywhere” as you show your son a photo of him at three years old holding a baby blue and green blanket as it drags on the ground. These aren’t just “updated photos”. They are more than that.
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