p.1 #1 · Question about being a family photographer
Hey all - I’ve recently started photographing families professionally. Mostly young families with kids in the 0-5 range and mostly outdoors. These are simple shoots that last anywhere from 30m - 1hr and there’s nothing elaborate about them on purpose.
One of the things I’m finding most challenging is balancing my desire to be creative at the shoot with my overwhelming feeling that I need to just get the shots done as quickly as possible before the kids lose their minds. As such, I find myself kind of rushing through the shoot and not changing poses, positions, backgrounds, etc. when I think it might result in a better photo.
Does anyone have any advice or experience with this? I know something like this is probably personal to each photographer, but I’m looking for a little guidance here if possible. For what it’s worth, I would have no problem taking my time and getting the right shot with adults, it’s mostly the kids presence that makes me nervous.
p.1 #2 · Question about being a family photographer
Just adjust your approach. You got the client, let them know how the process works and what they can expect. Make sure they understand they need to make "X" amount of time available.
p.1 #3 · Question about being a family photographer
weezintrumpete wrote:
Hey all - I’ve recently started photographing families professionally. Mostly young families with kids in the 0-5 range and mostly outdoors. These are simple shoots that last anywhere from 30m - 1hr and there’s nothing elaborate about them on purpose.
One of the things I’m finding most challenging is balancing my desire to be creative at the shoot with my overwhelming feeling that I need to just get the shots done as quickly as possible before the kids lose their minds. As such, I find myself kind of rushing through the shoot and not changing poses, positions, backgrounds, etc. when I think it might result in a better photo.
Does anyone have any advice or experience with this? I know something like this is probably personal to each photographer, but I’m looking for a little guidance here if possible. For what it’s worth, I would have no problem taking my time and getting the right shot with adults, it’s mostly the kids presence that makes me nervous....Show more →
Hey Pete,
Kinda funny ... I was always more at ease working with the kids (been a while ... 80's and 90's), than the adults.
Imo, the thing with kids isn't to try to control them. Rather, it is to try to "unleash" them. The sheer creativity that exists within kids is grander than some fabricated "creativity" contrived by the dude behind the lens. Also, the creativity of a photographer lends itself to "what the photographer did" vs. "that's what my kid, did".
Which do you think will resonate the most / longest with your client? Familial emotive is well regarded to understand its worth ... contrast / compare to photographic recording or photographer creativity. They can all be in play, but finding which one is gold is key, here (imo).
Sure, get the "safety shots", but genuinely engaging / game the kids to get them liberated was the most fun. Once you give them license / liberty to ... well, "be a kid", their own creative personalities have a chance to reveal themselves. You just have to hang on for the ride. In some regard, you're "panning for gold" ... it's in there, it's up to you to pull it out.
P.S. Working with kids ... gives YOU license and liberty to be total goofball, too.
Me, I was pretty good with kids and models ... I mostly sucked with "regular" adults. I never could find the gold with adults the way I could with kids. Good models, were always able to bring their own gold to the table. It's always fun / easy when working with someone who brings it themselves. For others, your job is to get it to reveal. Imo, the latter is the differentiator that "levels up" your work.
p.1 #4 · Question about being a family photographer
gregfountain wrote:
Just adjust your approach. You got the client, let them know how the process works and what they can expect. Make sure they understand they need to make "X" amount of time available.
Hope this is somehow helpful,
Greg
Thanks. I don't think that's so much the problem. The problem comes from within - basically a struggle between wanting to be creative and take my time, vs making sure I get the shots that the clients want quickly before things go awry. Since the clients have booked me for photos, I want to make sure that we get the shots they want. But your point is taken - I should decide how I want to approach these shoots (possibly with the guideline of more time and creativity) and let the clients know how I intend for the session to unfold (but then go with the flow based on how the kids are doing).
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RustyBug wrote:
Hey Pete,
Kinda funny ... I was always more at ease working with the kids (been a while ... 80's and 90's), than the adults.
Imo, the thing with kids isn't to try to control them. Rather, it is to try to "unleash" them. The sheer creativity that exists within kids is grander than some fabricated "creativity" contrived by the dude behind the lens. Also, the creativity of a photographer lends itself to "what the photographer did" vs. "that's what my kid, did".
Which do you think will resonate the most / longest with your client? Familial emotive is well regarded to understand its worth ... contrast / compare to photographic recording or photographer creativity. They can all be in play, but finding which one is gold is key, here (imo).
Sure, get the "safety shots", but genuinely engaging / game the kids to get them liberated was the most fun. Once you give them license / liberty to ... well, "be a kid", their own creative personalities have a chance to reveal themselves. You just have to hang on for the ride. In some regard, you're "panning for gold" ... it's in there, it's up to you to pull it out.
P.S. Working with kids ... gives YOU license and liberty to be total goofball, too.
Me, I was pretty good with kids and models ... I mostly sucked with "regular" adults. I never could find the gold with adults the way I could with kids. Good models, were always able to bring their own gold to the table. It's always fun / easy when working with someone who brings it themselves. For others, your job is to get it to reveal. Imo, the latter is the differentiator that "levels up" your work.
You know, I do really like working with these kids and definitely enjoy it. But the creative part of me is wanting a little bit more "freedom". But your point about perhaps getting the required shots and then allowing the kid(s) to explore and follow them around is well taken.
It's funny - my main experience working with people was years ago working with models, which I really enjoyed. Kids feel like a bit more of a tossup though, although it's still fun.
So perhaps I work on just getting the main family shots up front and then telling the parents to let the kids free a bit and allowing the creativity to flow from there.
I also realize that this is my first season doing this, so some of this will come with experience as I pay attention to how each session went.
