Photography to forever capture the heart of a family
I’ve come to a turning point in my career as a photographer. For a long time now I’ve been asking myself, what else could I offer instead of just taking pictures of families lined up in a row? What value was I bringing to my clients beyond recording their physical appearance at a certain time in their life? I asked myself, what can I offer? What am I truly passionate about?
I thought perhaps each session could be more like art. Maybe I can capture something meaningful and offer products to match. Maybe I can go beyond the “grip and grin” shot seen on the typical Christmas card. (“Grip and grin” was a phrase I learned while shooting for the city newspaper in Lethbridge, Alberta. I was told in no uncertain terms not to come back with a static picture of people lined up, or shaking hands, while looking directly at the camera. Anyone with a decent camera could take that I was told, I was expected to be more creative than that.)
All of my current packages will be overhauled in the next few weeks to reflect this change as I pursue telling stories and preserving memories. I want my clients to come to me because they want to go beyond the “grip and grin” and want to capture how they feel about their newborn, the way they used to stroke their daughter’s hair, or the way their child looked up in adoration at them. I want those same children to grow up and see those emotions and feel the love their families have, or had, for them. My pictures will not be lost on an outdated hard drive somewhere, or only posted to Facebook in an album to live out their days. They will be legacy pieces. More about this change in a later post. In the meantime, why not contact me to do a family session of your very own?
This session in particular represents my new direction because it was deliberately planned to capture the heart of this family. Meet Chase and Erika and their amazing littles. Erika’s parents and sister also joined us, which I loved because capturing multiple generations of families is so important. This family has hired me several times and I love seeing how these kids are growing up.
When we were planning the session I asked what was a meaningful activity for their family. We settled on meeting for a hot dog roast in Fish Creek Park, which turned into berry picking and exploring and all kinds of other fun activities. These type of relaxed sessions give me the opportunity to capture family dynamics in a way you just can’t do in a 30 minute session. Kids need time to blossom. I need time to blend in and earn everyone’s trust.
Chase and Erika, as always, it was a pleasure photographing your family. Thank you for hiring me again and inviting me along on your picnic supper. I hope you and your children treasure these for years to come.
If you book a session with me I promise you that I will look for the unexpected angle, wait for the perfect reaction, and capture the precise moment your child lovingly gazes into your eyes.
Years from now these kids will look at these photos and see the love on their parents faces. They will know how deeply they are cherished. That makes me more happy and honored than I could ever express.
Photographing your family isn’t just an item to cross off your to-do list in order to send out a Christmas card. It’s about preserving memories for future generations. Contact me today and let’s book a session. Let me capture the moments that will soon become cherished memories.
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