A lesson in storytelling photography I learned from my kids.
Like many family and newborn photographers, I first fell in love with photography when my own kids were born.
From the moment my daughter arrived, I was desperate to catch all the memories so I could revisit them later, once she was grown.
This meant my kids were my first photography subjects, and as well as the technical side of how to use my gear, they helped me learn the more hard-hitting lessons that have made me the photographer I am today.
Possibly the most important thing they helped me understand was this: if the EXPERIENCE of taking photos isn’t positive for the subject, the way you (as the parent) will FEEL when you look at the resulting photo wont be positive, either.
The times I got impatient because the reality wasn’t matching my vision, or the when I failed to trust a moment to naturally unravel and tried to force it instead, or if I attempted to get my kids to do something they really didn’t want to do, all that would be reflected in the way I felt about the moment immortalised in the frame. Even if I managed to click while they were smiling or engaged, my soul couldn’t be fooled; if my kids had been coerced, in my heart of hearts, I knew.
For this reason, making the photographic experience connective, playful, and stress-free for kids is THE MOST important part of any session.
Otherwise all we’re doing is making a pretty photo that will ever remind you of an icky moment.
The BEST photo experiences are child-led, relaxed, and involve tiny humans who have full permission to be their whole selves, unapologetically.
And this will always be what I support my families to strive to do.
♡
Enjoy a few highlights from an in-home session I photographed for a family who’d just welcomed their third little baby.
Though I’m based in Geelong, I work with families all across the region, and I travelled to Melbourne to visit with this gorgeous crew.
If you’re interested in seeing their maternity story session (when they were waiting for their little ray of sunshine!), click here.
If you’re interested in having the arrival of your family’s newest addition documented, click here - let’s connect!