Your kids will misbehave during your family photo-shoot. That's totally fine • Modern family photographer in MD
“There is no way you got anything out of that chaos” is often a comment I get at the end of a session or what parents LOUDLY think.
But here is what I want you to know: I got you. I can handle it.
I know you put a lot of effort into having everyone on board for your yearly family photoshoot (and there still might be some resistance). You searched for the perfect photographer, paid lots of money, dressed all the members of your household while trying not to launch a nuclear war. You want everybody happy and smiling but the 6-month old is cranky because she’s teething, the 3-year-old is in a NO phase (and no means NO!), your oldest decided to never sit still or cooperate, same for your other energetic and highly spirited kid.
There is SO MUCH PRESSURE from social media featuring kids smiling, well behaved, stainless, and perfectly posed.
But let me tell you a secret: don’t be fooled by the perfectly family photos because ‘the perfect moment’ rarely happens. There is another side of the coin nobody lets you see with lots of finger-pointing, bribing, mumbling, scolding…
And you can get the one perfect image eventually but at what cost?
I truly believe that what happens before, during, and after the session is instilled into the print. The way you spend your day, what happens before I show up, the things you did or did not do when I was there photographing… everything impacts the photo and your relationship with it. I want the photos to be a great reminder of that moment in your life.
So how do we get there?
It’s boring when everyone behaves perfectly. And when your baby is cranky and drooling, that’s real life. Let’s record that. Let’s not pretend it does not exist. These might not be the best instagrammable photos but the IMAGES ARE FOR YOU. We are not looking for perfection. We want reality. You want to remember that phase in your life because soon, you will forget about that (you don’t believe me but you will).
Kids will run the show so let’s follow their lead. You might come to the session with a list of shots you want but let’s take the pressure off by limiting that to 1 or 2 photos you couldn’t live without. You will tell me what you want in your pre-session questionnaire and I’ll make it happen eventually!
Be flexible with the kids and be genuinely interested in what they want to do. Give your child space to be themselves. Let go of perfection. This will create gorgeous images that actually look like you.
What seems chaotic to you or not very photo-worthy will surprise the heck out of you when you’ll get your images. I am freaking good at capturing THE moment. I play with angles, depth of field, composition, focus, and blur... Your life through my lens is different from your perception in the moment. You see chaos, I see beauty.
I don’t expect the kids to “behave or “be good” during their session. If they go into mischief, this will get us some genuine interactions with you and lovely smiles and laughter… or crocodile tears.
As a family photographer, I am prepared for all things unexpected. I'm not getting impatient and I'm definitely not judging. You can rely on me. I have 2 little monsters at home myself.
A last tip: you can have a mini version of a “yes day” during our time together. I know it seems scary but the unexpected is also full of beautiful discoveries. It is amazing what happens when we let them BE.
Every family is different and your uniqueness should be celebrated! It means YES to bed hair, non-matching socks, re-heated coffees. Like you, I am a busy mom trying to do #allthethings while keeping a record of it. I have a system to make sessions low-stress, artful, and perfectly unposed. You just have to slow down and enjoy the simple fact of being together.
I am also an eco-friendly business that tries not to harm the earth more than necessary by limiting plastic (or disposing of it correctly), finding sustainable products, reusing packaging, and planting trees.
You are one email away from having a realistic and artful record of who you “actually” are. Contact me now.
