Here’s a secret: as a lifestyle newborn and family photographer, some of my favorite images from an in-home session aren’t often the “picture-perfect” moments we typically think of when we envision family photos.
Instead, the photos I’m drawn to as a photographer are the moments where real expressions take center stage – even if those emotions feature a crying baby, a grumpy or shy toddler, or a Mama’s attempts to soothe her out-of-sorts child.
Yes, of course, I also love capturing moments of joy and love, from a toddler hugging Dad’s legs to an exchange of genuine smiles. But to me, there’s no greater responsibility as a lifestyle photographer than to beautifully capture the range of emotions that you see and experience as parents.
Capturing YOUR Authentic Connections
That’s why I often prompt my clients to position themselves a certain way and then allow the moment to unfold – or fall apart – naturally! So when I ask you to keep looking at your partner, or to lean in close, or to smile even (especially) when things feel like they’re going off the rails, I am doing it for a reason. Trust that I know what I’m doing, and I promise your final images will reinforce why you had no reason to doubt.
Capturing authentic connections – both in terms of your connection to each other as a family and in terms of the raw tenderness that’s conveyed through the images themselves – is one of my favorite parts of my work as a photographer.
Getting In Close
Another strategy I use as a photographer who prioritizes capturing real emotion involves getting close in proximity to my clients when I’m shooting and when cropping my images. The images that speak the most to me as a photographer – and likely to you as a parent! – are the ones that capture, in detail, your newborn’s facial expression as a cry builds up in her body or the way she looks as her emotions settle once she’s in Mama’s arms. These images are only possible when my camera and I are close enough to witness them firsthand.
Trust Me
For every single family I photograph, my advice is the same: show up as your best self, and trust me and my process! From wrangling your kids and letting moments unfold to finding the best light and guiding you through posing prompts, I’m ready to use my ability and my experience to capture it all – both the snuggles and the “not-so-perfect” moments, too.
Interested in an in-home lifestyle session with authentic connection?
