I post images from my clients sessions as well as my own family every day. If there is anything I get the most emails about it would have to be how I capture everyday moments, and dont make them looks posed, or fake, or stiff?
The first answer to this would be that, Posed, fake, and stiff are just not my style anyway, which can clearly be seen in my clients sessions, however the answer to your next questions would be, yes, we had a plan to take those photos, clothing was coordinated, a beautiful location was chosen, the weather was watched, and while not all shots of my clients are posed, or set up, there is direction happening at the sessions.
What about when it comes to your own children, not every mom wants a photo of the child that you placed on a couch, wearing a screen print T-shirt with a pink kool-aid stain on it, but you do want images of your child in their own element, that you can go back to these images and remember that stage of life.
THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED, but like everything else in life, it wont come easy or without any planning. So here are some tips to capture images that will be a slice out of your life.
DON'T BE PUSHY
These things cannot be forced or rushed, so while many of you who have booked with me know I sing crazy songs to your children during their session, and sometimes wear silly things on my head, this capturing of the moment wont happen that way. The second way it wont happen is if you force it.. you have to just let these moments happen. So now you are thinking.. "Ok SMP, if I can't encourage the shoot, nor can I force it, then how on earth will I capture it"... I will tell you!!!!!!
BE PREPARED
If there is a room in your home that gets alot of natural light, try to keep that room tidy, if you want to shoot in your back yard, clean up the piles of leaves from last fall, push the trash cans out of the way, and maybe buy that bench you have had your eye on at the antique store.
The next step to always being prepared, or atleast as prepared as you can, is keeping your camera out and somewhere you can grab it easily.. I keep mine on my breakfast bar, batteries are always charged and a memory card loaded. Maybe you don't have a fancy camera.. well, while that certainly helps.. the camera is just the tool used for recording the scene, set up, or memory... its you who creates the masterpiece.
NOW WE WAIT
You read that right.. the opposite of not forcing something is letting it happen, and in order for something to just happen, you have to wait for it. Your child feels the spring breeze and begins to dance around the yard in the dreamy golden setting sun, but your car is right behind her... DO NOT MOVE HER, just wait... by moving her she will know you are watching and the innocence of the shot is gone, instead just wait.. wait for her to become distracted by a bird, or a flower and dance away from the thing you do not want in your shot, or move your body to see her from a different vantage point.
If you capture your tiny boy lining up the trains and you know he is about to get eye level with Thomas and start making a choo choo sound, don't make any sound, grab your camera, lay down on your stomach on the ground, so that you are at his level and can capture this from his vantage point, and wait... wait for him to start pulling that truck along, and his face to light up as he enters into a state of imagination, and then start clicking, (after you have your setting right where you want them, but its ok, even if you didn't have time, many things can be edited.. and if you don't have an editing program I Do, and would be happy to enhance your images)
ONCE IT'S HAPPENING
JUST LET IT HAPPEN, please, please do me a favor and don't call out their name or ask them to look at you, don't tell them not to make that face, or to fix their hair... these are what will change the feel of this captured moment in their little lives. You want it to be raw, and in the moment.
I am thinking about holding a "Momtographer 101 Class" as well as a "Capturing the light just right" class for moms, if you are interested in this course which will be held in the Anne Arundel County area, please email me at sarahmichelephotography@gmail.com with the subject " MomTog class"
Sarah is a traveling lifestyle Family and Wedding Photographer servicing the Maryland and surrounding area as well as anywhere a plane ticket can take me. She is a mama to an adventurous 3 year old, and in between portrait sessions and weddings you will find her cooking up a new recipe, or adding some miles to her running shoes.
www.sarahmichelephotography.com
