I am about to tell you something that will probably make you scratch your head. Something that might sound weird. And maybe, just maybe, something that might make you question where in the world I am headed with this post. But do one thing for me – just hear me out!
Okay, are you ready for it…
My goal is not to send you a gallery of pretty photos.
^you right now, probably.
At this point you are either really confused because you thought you were on a photographer’s page and as far as you can tell the photos are pretty. Or, maybe you kind of have an idea where I am going with this and you’re thinking yes, okay, this is where I am supposed to be – she gets me. Whichever ship you are sailing in, hang with me because I want to explain.
Okay, if my goal isn’t to send you a gallery of pretty photos- what is it?
It’s to send you a gallery of images that documents the essence of YOUR family. When you open your gallery, I want you to think, that’s US. I want your photos to feel like YOUR family. If you look at your gallery and think man, I feel like we just pulled a Freaky Friday with the mannequins at Zara, I didn’t do my job right. And we do this by focusing on relaxed family photos. That means no telling your kid to stay still or to stop running. That means you and your family focusing on each other and pretty much ignoring my existence.
Growing up, my family didn’t have professional photos taken very often, in fact I can recall *maybe* two times that happened. And let’s be honest, calling them “professional” photos is also being very generous. The first time was for our church directory… yes, you read that right. The photographer was set up in a teeny tiny Sunday school room in the back of our little Missionary Baptist church. I was currently going through my very awkward “am I a kid, preteen, or some kind of creature in-between? years” My parents were on stools and I was proudly *awkwardly* standing behind them with my slicked back bun, cardigan sweater and a mouth full of metal. Talk about the opposite of relaxed family photos. The end result is something memorable, but not really the pleasant kind.
Don’t get me wrong though, I have plenty of other photos from my childhood thanks to my mom’s obsession with scrapbooking. There were few occasions that she did not have her camera with her. I have photos of me with friends on field trips, photos of Christmas morning, and everything in between.
I will let you guess which photos I prefer looking at. If the house was burning down in a fire, I would be quick to reach for the scrapbooks full of photos that tells the story of my childhood. As for the church directory photo – burn baby burn. Although, there is one big problem with all the scrapbook photos that my mom took.
She wasn’t in them.
Can you relate to that? Do you have hundreds and hundreds of photos of your kids or your kids and your spouse, but then when you go to find a photo that you love of everyone… well, your searching comes up empty. Or maybe you find some but it’s a random selfie of you all just half smiling at the camera because you or your spouse made everyone do it. Or maybe it’s the stiff family photo that a family member snapped while you all were out to dinner one night at the beach. Not saying that those photos are bad, but they don’t really fit the bill of relaxed family photos. Anything with sand and toddlers cannot be called *relaxed*.
Guess what? I think I know why this is the case. The photos you have had taken just don’t really show the personality and uniqueness of your family.
While professional photography has come a long way over the years (RIP church directory photo), the stigma is still “stand right there, look this way, and smile”.
But ya know what I say to that?
I will also venture to say that might be why your husband rolls his eyes at you when you mention that you want to book a family photography session.
It coulllldddddd also be why you haven’t actually taken the time to print and display any of the photos that you have had taken.
Why would you spend hundreds of dollars printing and framing that directory-esque photo with the stiff smiles and Sunday School room smiles? Ehhhhh you wouldn’t (cough cough, shouldn’t).
So, what’s the solution?
Instead of viewing a family photo session as a chore to check of your list or the thing to do before you order your Christmas card.
I want you to view a family photo session as an experience.
Did you know it should actually be fun – not stressful.
Practically speaking here are some ways to do that.
- Book an in-home session. Your home is where you are most comfortable after all.
- Plan your session around an activity
- Going to the park that you love going to as a family,
- During a camping trip
- If you love to travel maybe book a session when you are on a trip
- Does your family love playing games? Let me come photograph your family while you all crush each other playing Clue
I could go on and on about this topic, clearly. But the point I am trying to make is that family photos don’t have to be stuffy, boring, and entirely personality-less. In fact, they shouldn’t be.
Reach out today so we can chat about things your family loves to do together and let me document it!
Is your in-home session already booked? This post has tips on how to prepare for a relaxed in-home session.