Having been on the other side of the camera a few times for my own family sessions, I know how hard it can be to completely relax. For my own clients, there are a few things that I try to do to keep our whole session low key. Number one is keeping my sessions pretty short: most last around 40-45 minutes, an hour at most. Secondly, I have very low expectations of kiddo behavior. That doesn’t mean that it is perfectly fine that they do whatever they want or hit people the whole time (that has never happened, but I tried to think of the worst case scenario!); what it does mean is that I am not expecting “sit perfectly still with your hands in your lap” behavior. Frankly, I love your child’s energy! I love to watch them play and snuggle you. Lastly, I try to redefine what makes a “good” image. For too long we have put too much stock in the “everyone look at the camera and smile” shot. That is not the shot that will tug on your heartstrings when you look back on these memories. Yes, we can add some of those into the mix, but I find some people define the quality of the photograph using the wrong parameters. What makes a good photograph? Good light and emotion.
This family was so wonderful because they let their boy be himself and when they did that, I got to capture him in his happiest state. We all ended with smiles on our faces- my ultimate goal as a family photographer!
To book with Fiona, a Bainbridge Island Family Photographer, click HERE.
