What happens when a photographer looks at the camera, rather than through it's lens?
I am a huge believer in 'practice what you preach'. Having my own family photos taken by another local photographer is a no brainier for me. How can I tell clients how important my services are, if I don't participate in family sessions of my own? I can take all the pictures of my daughter and husband that I want (well maybe not as many as I want, 'photographer kid and husband syndrome' is real haha!) but at the end of the day, I am not in those images. I want my daughter to be able to look back and see her mom actually in pictures while she was growing up.
"I want my daughter to be able to look back and see her mom actually in pictures while she was growing up."
—Nicole
A Fall and A Spring Session
I am incredibly lucky that my own family photographer is my mentor and friend, Danielle of Danielle Rosalie Photography. She made me feel comfortable from the moment I stepped in front of the camera. Her style differs slightly from mine. She focuses much more on natural candid moments, with her subjects very rarely actually looking into her lens. That can be a huge adjustment for a lot of people who have been trained to 'look, smile and say cheese' for most of their lives. But her results are absolutely beautiful. Her images show real connection between family members. While I try to do a mix of candid and traditional posed images for my own clients, just watching Danielle work has opened my eyes to whole other side of family photography. After having both a fall and spring session with her, I am completely hooked on the experience she provides!
My top 3 biggest take-aways from having my own family photos taken:
Directions are important
Sometimes while I am photographing families, I feel like a broken record. I've wondered if the constant stream of directions was too much. "Smile at the baby", "hand in your pockets with your thumb out", "Look at each other", "walk this way then pause mid-step", etc. But while we were having our own pictures done, I craved these types of directions. It eliminated the "Am I doing this right?" insecurity and allowed me to focus on actually interacting with Dan and Brinley. Even the simple "you guys look great", can be a total confidence booster. Danielle does a great job at this and I have followed her lead.
A confident client who is following clear directions will always feel better and look better on camera.
It's OK to pause and assess the lighting and scenery
When I first starting photographing families, I was GO GO GO! I thought that pauses in the session were a bad thing. Now I know that is 100% untrue. Pausing for a few moments has two benefits.
First, it lets the family recharge. Smiles and posture can become stiff overtime. I've even told families to literally shake-it-out (which of course makes them naturally laugh). Taking quick breaks occasionally can let everyone continue the session more relaxed and overall happier.
Second, pausing is essential for evaluating lighting and scenery. Moving a few feet in one direction or another can make a huge difference in how sunlight is seen by your camera. It is better to have a client wait a few moments and set your shot up right, than to fix problems in editing. Good lighting plays a huge role in the quality of your final gallery.
I would have never learned these things without getting in front of the camera myself and watching Danielle's work flow.
Printing your images are important
One of the things Danielle provides is the option of ordering prints through your online gallery. I ordered 4 large prints from her to display over our kitchen table. At the time, I wasn't super committed to investing in printing my pictures. I was happy posting them on social media. But I had the space on the kitchen wall and thought, why not? My daughter's reaction to seeing those photographs completely changed my mind on the importance of printing physical copies of your images. It also sent my own business down a different path.
Seeing the joy on my toddler's face at seeing those printed images and how much she interacts with them (to this day, months later!), was incredible. She points at them, says Dada, Mama, apples (haha) and smiles HUGE. She loooooves those photographs. And if the images had only sat on my computer after being posted to Facebook, I would have never known how excited she would be to see them.
"My daughter's reaction to seeing those photographs completely changed my mind on the importance of printing physical copies of your images. It also sent my own business down a different path."
—Nicole
Making the switch to a printed product based business
This is one of the things Danielle and I do differ on with our photography businesses; although she did lead me down this route in an indirect way. I offer in-person Reveals of my client's photographs. This allows my clients to look at sample printed products and design wall art galleries and albums with me. I felt like I needed to give my clients more guidance when it came to printing their images and to allow them to see/touch the different products in person. Does this mean my way is better? NO, it is just a different model! It might work for some people and not others. But for client who are confused or unsure about what to do with their images after a session, I am here for them.
Memories to last a lifetime
Getting in front of the camera myself is one of the best things I have done. It has made me a stronger photographer for my own clients and has captured some amazing memories of my family. I can't wait to get in front of the camera again!
*All images featured in this blog were taken by Danielle Rosalie Photography and feature Nicole with her husband, Dan, and daughter, Brinley.
