It’s that time of year for the influx of family portraits again.
Where, truly, did the year go!
Let’s talk real family portraits. Not the starched white top, blue jeans, lined up, back-to-back look that you see in so many. More often times than not, we’ve got Susie who’s very proud of her newfound streaking skills, Johnny “I refuse to sit down”, and Jerry with his “I can’t for the camera” Chandler smile. Sound familiar? Now let’s get into what makes these portraits real.
“Just tell me what to do” Reid Hoffman
I deal with all ranges and types of people from the big CEO of Fortune 500 companies to actors needing head shots, but I can say that no one controls a photo session better than a 3 year old! Actors listen and change emotions in a nanosecond and hard-core punk musicians let me do as I please, but a toddler? We are all under their control and total mercy. This is what makes it fun.
Dirt Don’t Hurt
Wearing my most durable, “don’t care if they get a hole in them” and darkest pants, I get down as low as I can and get as dirty as I must. You just can’t make a good image of a kid standing on your own two feet. Do I act a fool? Yep. I need to build trust with everyone I’m photographing, especially children. If I have to hold the cricket then I hold the cricket. Spiders are whole other story!
Let a Kid Be a Kid
Letting a kid be a kid is the best image I can get. Personally, I enjoy the outbursts, fits, and tantrums. These are great images! They are full of the life a child has and all the emotions they are feeling. It is my job to capture those emotions. Looking at a camera and telling them to say cheese is something you can do with your mobile phone. Don’t worry; I don’t hold the tantrum against you and no need to be embarrassed. I’m loving every minute of it.
What I hope is that instead of thinking “that is a nice family portrait”, you start talking about the photographer crawling in the dirt, Susie’s commando phase, or the time Johnny ran off and gave us all the “yea, screw that!” face. Those types of portraits are what make every family and every member of that family as unique as they really are.
These are the real family portraits I look forward to.
To book a family portrait session, you can contact me here on my website or call (415) 225-1128.
