Have I mentioned how much I LOVE when my clients return as their children grow? No? Well, I do! I’m so lucky that the last majority of my clients work with me several times over their baby’s first year to document all the special milestones and then return yearly after that for annual family portraits.
When Whitney contacted us to schedule a family session, I was so thrilled to be seeing them again! I first worked with them for their daughter’s newborn session, and couldn’t wait to see how much the kids had all grown in the three years since then! Whitney and Matt are also some of the coolest parents, and so laid back and go with the flow. Their kids are wonderful also, and I couldn’t wait for our time together!
Whitney travels a ton for work, and with three kids life can get a little crazy. She was a little frazzled at the thought of planning outfits, but I sent over our style guide and inspiration board in advance of her session and once she looked over it she understood exactly how to put everything together. We hear that a lot from our clients: the style guide simplifies dressing your family and breaks it down in a way that’s easy to understand. If you’re still not sure about your choices or need additional guidance, we’re here to help! We can communicate via email if you have a busy schedule, or if you want to make an appointment to stop by the studio with an armful of clothes for me to pull together, we can do that too. We’ll do whatever works for your schedule and assist as much as you want us to. Family sessions should be FUN - and we’re here to help reduce (and hopefully eliminate!) as much stress as possible in the planning process.
The morning of their session day, Whitney texted me that one of her kids wasn’t feeling so great. I told her that I was happy to play it by ear. As the day went on, she let me know she wasn’t sure that it was going to happen, but at the last minute he rallied, and she said “Let’s do it!” We met at the park location and everyone looked perfect in what Whitney had chosen for them to wear.
Another note that I want to share about this session: it was incredibly dark and overcast outside. Can you tell? Didn’t think so! :) As a professional photographer, my equipment is pro level and can handle lower light situations with ease. As a last resort, I carry off camera flash with me if it’s needed, but it was not in this situation. Overcast days may seem a bit scary at first glance, but there are plenty of positives to them too! The biggest positive is soft, even, and diffused light. The runner up is flexibility in where we photograph. On a bright sunny evening, I can’t face my subjects towards the sun or they’ll be blinded and squinty eyed. On an overcast day, we can pretty much face any direction at any time and don’t have to take the sun placement into consideration. Rest assured that your images will be beautiful regardless of whether it’s sunny outside or not.
Back to the session: it was lots of fun and we spent our time playing and wrestling, and having a good time. I always start with the whole family together and then break up into different groupings as we go through. This allows people to have a break from being in front of the camera, and I’ll focus on whoever is interested at that time. Sometimes toddlers will check out midway through, but by the end they’ll be interested again. We keep things low pressure around here, which is KEY for toddler cooperation. Ever noticed how if you try to force a toddler to do something that your chances are about as high as snow in Atlanta in July? Yep, it’s like that. Keeping a laid back and go with the flow attitude will get us a lot further, and it’s a whole lot more fun for everyone involved!
Enjoy a few of my favorite photos from this awesome family’s session!
