This is one of my favorite families that has ever stepped into our studio… but they might as well be your family. I guarantee you these parents have faced every bit of trepidation, and insecurity that goes along with booking newborn and family portrait sessions, all of which are feelings you may be having yourself. “Have I lost enough weight since the pregnancy? Will our kids behave? Is this an investment we are ready to make? Are we hiring the right photographer? What if we don’t like the images? What do I do with my hands?” While these worries are valid (except for maybe that last one), they are definitely not worth the time and energy they will rob you of if you let them fester.
After many years of family portrait photography I think I’ve heard just about every reason a mom or dad carries in their heart for not wanting to book a portrait session at this exact moment in time. So I know all about expectation management and I never promise the world, but it wasn’t until this particular session with this beautiful family whom I had already photographed many times over, that I began to understand just how much pressure we as parents place on ourselves. These worries don’t seem to magically disappear over time, even for the most seasoned families. The portrait above was the last image of this particular session which mom requested we try, and although everybody was pretty much at the end of their level of camera patience, they all hung in there and we got enough shots to work with. I could tell though, that mom was pretty exhausted and feeling a bit defeated as they packed up to leave. I know she was thinking there was no way we had captured anything close to usable the entire session and this had been a waste of money.
“I know she was thinking there was no way we had captured anything close to usable the entire session…”
True, sessions with three kids under five years old are a challenge, but even more so, they are chock full of moments to capture and cherish forever. Every child doesn’t have to behave perfectly for an entire 30 or 60 minute session to make the session a success. And who’s to say the “misbehaving” won’t be the set up for that perfect shot? I, for one, love it when children feel comfortable and confident in our studio. We, as parents, however, will always think our own kids are the most unruly children who have ever stepped foot anywhere. But this is simply not the case and I find myself reassuring mom after mom, and dad after dad, that “your children are behaving just as they should.” Honestly, the worst kids I’ve ever had in our studio, are really my own. Yes, I too am a parent with the same worries as you.
“Wow! Thank you so much! I’m not sure how you came out with so many great photos! They’re fantastic!!!! Are we sure these are from the same photo shoot that I was at? – Jess”
I ended up letting mom leave with a few encouraging words to let her know that her family was perfect and she will indeed love the images, but I could tell nothing would make her believe until she actually saw the gallery. It was interesting, since we had done this before, each time with an extra child or family member because mom and dad started with us for newborn pictures with their firstborn and continued to return for milestone and newborn portraits as their family grew. But this time, after chasing around three kiddos for 45 minutes, mom just did not seem convinced, which her husband confirmed after he returned the next day to pick up an item left behind. “I told her to just let Jenn work her magic,” he sad to me. His confidence in me was heart-warming, but honestly the magic was all theirs.
Your families are just magical. Your love for each other shines through and through and the purpose of our portraits are to capture those relationships, the intricacies and family dynamics as they are now before they change again, and to make time stand still around it. Families aren’t perfect, so family portraits shouldn’t be either. They should just be full of love, hard work, and magic. And yes, mom and everyone she knows, loved the portraits.
“I can’t tell you how many people reached out to say they loved your pictures! -Jess”
If you are interested in having us capture the magic of your family, send us a message to schedule your free 20 minute consultation. We would love to work with you!
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