They say “Never work with children or animals”, I couldn’t agree less! I like to be kept on my toes. Children and animals don’t sit still and why should they? Their job is to have fun, my job is to capture it.
Whenever a client asks me if it’s ok if they bring dogs to a family shoot they always seem to ask through a wince, anticipating a similar response from me. Nothing could be further from the truth though. I love the challenge!
Photography is all about moving parts
Photography is all about the alignment of elements – light, shadow, sharp focus, smooth bokeh, composition and subjects. The more complex the moving parts then the more satisfying the result when you capture perfect alignment. I’ve blogged in the past about standing in the middle of a stream to get the shot – whatever it takes!
Recent family shoot with Emma, Paul, Ava & Lennon
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Emma and her family (including their dog) for a photoshoot at one of my favourite locations – Golden Acre Park. Emma was gifted one of my photography gift vouchers by her husband Paul earlier in the year so it was great to finally have an opportunity to meet up.
As well as capturing images with their young daughter Ava, Emma wanted to include their bouncy 2 year old Labrador Lennon in the shoot. As you might expect he was a bundle of energy and they walked to the shoot to give him a chance to use up some of his energy.
Family photoshoots are all about capturing real life
I don’t buy into the fact that photoshoots should necessarily capture a perfect representation of family life. I believe they should capture a true representation of your own unique life. If everything is perfect then great! If your life is full of chaos then that’s fine too. In reality most people sit somewhere in the middle.
As it turned out, they really had nothing to worry about. While he certainly had plenty of energy (He nearly knocked my camera of my hands a few times!) Lennon was a really well behaved pup.
This shoot wasn’t just about the bond between parents and child but also parents and their dog. I feel like we came away with a beautiful set of images that really captured this lovely families story.
Thank you so much! Not just for the memories captured in print, but for the opportunity to focus on us as a family and spend that time together.
Emma
Would you like me to capture your family story?
Read more about my family photography sessions in and around Yorkshire. If you’d like me to help capture your family story then please feel free to contact me for a chat. I’d love to work with you!
