Another weddinig at Bucksteep, another wonderful couple!
When I arrived at Bucksteep, I heard gunshots. I came to find out the groom and his friends were target shooting out in the woods. I was jealous!
Elyse had such a great attention to detail, and made her wedding just lovely!
For all the photos from the day, check out the online gallery here: http://bit.ly/10YdVYW
So, you’ve booked a photo session with me, now what? You’ve likely never done this before. I have, and I really want you to get some awesome photos from our shoot! Here is some advice on how to prepare for our photos:
Where should we have our photo shoot?
We need to pick a place where you create memories with your family. It could be your home, the neighborhood park or playground, your parent’s house, wherever you want. It’s most important to choose a place where everyone is comfortable, in familiar surroundings, and a place that has some significance to your family. If you want to do these outside, have a backup location in mind in case of inclement weather.
What are we supposed to do?
It would be ideal if there was an activity planned. It could be as simple as taking a walk, going to the playground, or you could plan a more elaborate activity. One time, I showed up for a family photo session, and discovered that the mother planned a treasure hunt for her oldest of two boys who was just learning to read and basic math. It started just after I got there, and it worked out great! Very quickly, the boys, lost in the treasure hunt, forgot I was there, the mom was beaming with pride in her son’s accomplishments, and I got some wonderful shots!
I’ve photographed pool parties, birthdays, family reunions, and parents playing with their kids. The best thing to do is just do what you normally do with your family. The point of these photos is to capture your personality and the times you share with your family. A relaxed, fun family doing something familiar leads to awesome photos!
What should we wear?
I would start with what your child/children want to wear, then base your outfit on that (though I have no idea what would go best with a bunny suit!). Make sure patterns and colors do not clash. If your little one(s) don’t have a preference, make sure it’s not something that’s distracting (whenever I put my 11 month old in overalls, he can’t resist putting the metal closures in his mouth!).
Try to avoid wearing all the same colors. For example, if you all wear blue shirts, you’ll kind of blend together.
Have your partner take a look. Is your shirt too sheer? Did you not see the stain that your little one got on you this morning? Do your socks match?
Are you wearing something significant? Did the onesie that your little one is wearing come from a great friend? Do they have a significant toy that you want to be sure to get a shot of? Did your partner give you a special watch or necklace or something for an anniversary or other special occasion? Let me know about it so I can be sure to feature it!
Above all else, wear comfortable clothes. If we’re planning on shooting at a family picnic, don’t wear dress pants. If we are going to shoot at your house and your little one likes to wrestle, don’t wear big earrings.
When should we do this?
The ideal time for photographing outdoors is either very early morning or later in the afternoon because of the light. To avoid the harsh shadows of noon, I recommend that you schedule pictures for within two to three hours of sunrise or sunset. The light at these specific times also fills in the shadows under eyes and adds highlights and dimension, and provides for much more natural shots (no squinting, no sunglasses, and fewer distractions).
But, it’s most important to have children who are well-rested so be sure to let me know what their ideal time is. I’d rather shoot at noon with a happy, rested child than at 6pm when they are cranky and want to get ready for bed.
I’m open to your ideas! Tell me what you hope to accomplish, let me know where you would LOVE to have your photo session, and ask any questions you’d like! The more we collaborate on these images, the better they will be!
My mother in law is an ebullient, fun, silly, compassionate lady, but she hates to have her picture taken (and not just by me—whew!).
If she could see what I see (how HUGE her smile gets when she first sees our son Reid, her adorable giggle when he does something silly—which is most of the time—and the boundless love she has for this little dude), I don’t think she would be nearly as critical.
But I understand. I don’t always like having mine taken, unless I’m doing it myself (I’ve got thousands of self-portraits!). For me, I think it’s a trust issue. Is the person photographing me going to portray me as I see myself? Am I going to like how I am portrayed? Is my hair all messed up?
Is it the same for everyone else?
So, I started avoiding taking her photo. For a while there, I didn’t really have any photos of her and her grandson, unless she was blurry in the background, or if I only got a hand or her lap or something.
This started making me sad. I started thinking of my parents (still in Cincinnati), and how I only have a couple photos of them with Reid, and about how I really don’t have that many of me with Reid either (I’m always the one taking the photo). So I talked to her about it, and talked about how these photos aren’t for her. Heck, they aren’t for me, either. They are for Reid, and for his children and grandchildren.
This is our family’s history, and I want him to know how happy he made his grandmother. I want him to see that love and happiness on her face, I want THAT to be their memory of her.
We talked about this when she was picking up Reid for some play time with Gram. It was a short conversation, and when I related my thoughts, I let it go. That evening when she dropped off Reid, she came to me, gave me a big hug and said that she really understood why I take so many pictures and now she’ll never resist again.
It was a wonderful moment. I’m glad to get to photograph Reid grabbing her face, drooling all over her, and generally just loving on his Gram again!!
About 2 months after he was born, we took our son Reid to visit my wife’s grandparents in Connecticut. I don’t have any grandparents around anymore, so it was a special treat to have Reid meet his great grandparents (both in their mid-nineties)!
They were SO EXCITED to meet and play with him! Their faces lit up and Reid worked his adorable magic on them. It was a delight all the way around.
This morning, his great grandmother passed away. That was the only time they saw each other. Memories last, certainly, but the photos here are the ones I value most right now.
It is my job to be a family’s historian. To capture those moments that may never be able to be repeated. I take this responsibility very seriously, and when the kids move out of the house, when a family splits, or when someone passes away, these moments are even more special and more cherished. I don’t just take goofy photos of your family. I capture those moments and preserve them for you.
I don’t know how else to express this more clearly. My words are failing me and I am flooded with emotion. I am passionate about what I do, and I am honored every time I get invited into people’s homes to document their family and preserve those moments.
The past few months, I’ve been working on changing my brand, improving my client’s experience, and better defining who I am as a photographer.
Part of that effort is to provide folks with a better way to give them the digital files they bought. I used to send out a CD or DVD with their name printed on it, inserted into an origami inspired CD envelope along with a thank you note. I liked that well enough, and it got the job done, but that’s not what I want to do anymore. I don’t want to get the job done, I want to be memorable. I want you to have an amazing experience from beginning to end, and at every chance I get, I want you to know how important you are to me, because without you, I wouldn’t be able to do what I love!!
Recently, I found a great vendor based in CT who custom makes some great flash drives and can engrave them. I was chomping at the bit to get one and try them out, then just a couple days later, Heather called to buy the digital files from her wedding. I was so excited to have her be my test case! I got the drive just a couple days ago and shipped it out today! I know she’s going to love it! Anyone else want to buy the digital negatives from our photo shoot?! 
