I once asked a friend how her photo shoot went with a local photographer and with a sigh she responded that she needed a glass of wine or two…
I hear this a ton. Photo shoots are often stressful and I wonder if that is why parents often let them slide by each year. As a new Mom I finally get it. Its hard to get the kids all dressed, hair combed and then out the door and oh yeah, the parents have to get dressed too. Then of course you don’t want the kids to act like wild hooligans in front of someone you don’t know. Plus we don’t want the kids to get their clothes dirty, hair messy and lastly we really want those images where they are smiling… smiling… and more smiling.
The truth is on family photo shoots there is often conflicting energy. Parents want one thing, the photographer might want another and then of course the kids have their own agenda too! Really savvy little kids might even tap into knowing exactly what Mommy and Daddy want and also know that they can’t do their regular disciplining in front of a stranger in public… add it all up…photo shoots equal stress.
As the photographer Tamara Lackey states, photo shoots are not the time for higher moral behavior. I agree, its time to have fun, perhaps get a tiny bit dirty and get the hair a little messy too. The best way to do this is to ask the parents to take a short walk… its not their fault, there is just something that changes when the parents are not closely watching the photo shoot. (Obviously the kids have to be old enough for this to happen) When the parents walk away and act as if they are not overseeing the shoot (of course they still are, just from a far), the children are no longer performing for their parents, they are just being themselves. And being themselves in all forms from sweet to goofy to silly to serious is what the parents really want, they just might not know it yet! That is until they see the images! There is more to your children than a forced smiling face and there should be more than a forced smiling face recorded in a photo shoot!
On this shoot I was extra lucky. I have known Maria since we were little, she trusts me not only as a photographer but also as a friend and now a fellow parent. Maria was within viewing distance but not within ear shot. The kids took comfort in seeing her but also knowing that if they said “poopie” instead of “cheese” that they were not going to get their name said in that disciplinary tone and inflection that only a parent can do so well.
When I work with kids alone or even kids with their parents, we always start with a plan. The plan starts with boring pictures first (group pictures) followed by lots of fun pictures and little activities where I can capture their true personalities. If the children are old enough I will also include them in the plan and ask them about their own ideas. I might say something like, “Hey, do you think Mom and Dad would like this picture in a frame?” The kids always get excited about the idea that they are involved and in on the plan. Because in the long run, all kids really want to do is please their parents.
On a photo shoot I will also look to photograph aspects of your children that might not be their smiling faces, such a their adorable little feet! I LOVE feet and hands, I think in years from now when the children are grown that looking at their little hands and feet will be so touching.
The McKendry kids at this point, I think, thought I was a real fruit loop. You should have seen the looks on their faces when I asked them to kick off their shoes, and now lay in the grass? They were intrigued and were fully on board with the plan! I love this above shot, it was just what I was hoping for…
…this shot is not as great to me in composition but it really speaks to the brother’s relationship with his sisters and the difference one’s age makes. I asked the sisters if they would give Brendan a kiss on the cheek. Little Grace who is 4 did not even hesitate and went to kiss her brother. Emily, who is 9, first thought, “no way” and stuck out her tongue in disgust! Brendan was just cracking up! Awesome.
I often get the impression that the boys do not want to be in all the pictures; they are usually harder to get involved. I decided to do a sister shot and asked Brendan to be my assistant. Shockingly after he helped me he asked if he could be in the picture too-so sweet!
And when you get kids involved in working with you on the plan, you get cooperation, natural smiles and good behavior…its amazing!
At this point we saw Mom nearby and the kids starting yelling to her! It was great, look at the fun they are having! On a funny side note Maria told me that when they were leaving for the shoot Brendan was not so thrilled, Maria said, “Come on it will be fun!” Brendan’s response: “Taking photographs is never fun.” He may never admit it but I think he was having a good time!
More hands and feet, by now the kids didn’t think I was so crazy and really enjoyed following some instructions to get theses fun shots!
Running through a field on a summer evening!! These kids were just amazing!
After getting some energy out, the girls started to pick the flowers. The light was incredible, the children’s smiles were gorgeous and abundant and those purple flowers….perfect!
I’m crazy about this picture, Emily the eldest was standing there holding her bunch of flowers behind her back. LOVE!
Brendan jumped…
Grace ran….
Emily threw flowers into the blue sky…
Just when I thought I was done and I had 3 really giddy kids, I saw this tree and I wondered if I could corral them for one more group shot. I called them over and I showed them the tree and asked them if they thought it would make a cool picture… I asked them if they thought Mom would like it, they said yes and off they went under it. I think she would….
As suggested by them at the start when we first formulated the plan, we did funny face pictures….a promise is a promise!
Then it was time to join Mom again, of course it was a race to see who could get there first!
Lastly, they took a shot with our little Jax. How cool is that? A childhood friend’s children with Jax. Such an amazing circle of life.
Wonderful photos of three beautiful children, my favorites are the sister shot followed by the 2 threesomes but my absolute favorite is Emily throwing the flowers in the sky, there is a feeling of “looking into the future” and love the sunlight on her hands. I hope Eric and Maria loved them too.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! But what else is new? 🙂 I love the shot under the tree and I also love how you captured the kids’ natural personalities, smiles and giddiness. Your explanations are very clear and I’m sure will help future clients be a bit calmer. BUT…YOU are a natural with kids and you know how to interact with them. That is the big difference! P.S. You ARE crazy–no wonder kids love you!
Sarah, Susie and Greg are just BIG KIDS, I am not sure when they will be “grown up”!!!
Thank you Susie! (sorry you will always be Susie to me!) Each picture is a treasure that I will cherish forever! Every time I look at these it brings a smile to my face. Your patience with the kids amazes me and they LOVE how silly you are. I think it really shows in these pictures. It was the first time I didn’t have to bribe them to behave, smile,..etc! Thank you!!!