A quick Google search for family photography tips will return a plethora of ideas for how to manage the kids in a family photo session — how to get them to smile, how to react when they’re grumpy, and how to get them to loosen up and play. But, in my family photo sessions, my focus is not on the kids. My top priority is their maternal figure.
There is so much invisible work that goes into raising kids. Parents deserve to look and, most importantly, feel incredible during a family session. This is everyone’s time to be seen and witnessed for all the effort put into the home. Specifically, I want the mom to let go of control and trust me as a professional to not only capture what the kids look like, but to evoke what it feels like at this unrepeatable phase in the family’s life.
Most families have hundreds (okay, more like thousands) of photos of the kids. I want my photos to show a parent’s relationship to their kids as the best version of themselves. This doesn’t mean the skinniest or most Photoshopped version. When photographers only focus on kids, they are losing the chance to tell the story of a parent’s legacy.
Here are three ways to make sure you’re doing justice in family photos:
- Take time to flatter. There’s a lot to think about and manage in a family session. Don’t forget to pause and make sure the maternal figure looks amazing before clicking the shutter. Make sure their chin is dropped and hips are away from the camera (especially when holding a child). Little tweaks go a long way.
- If anyone in the family doesn’t look look emotive, toss that photo. If you find less-than-flattering images of Mom as you’re culling the session’s images, it doesn’t matter how happy the kid looks…Hit that delete button! As a parent, when I sort through images from my own family session, the only images I print, put on social media, and include in an album are ones where I am emotive.
- When things go wrong, zero in on mom. Some photographers are afraid to take pictures if a kid gets hurt or is crying, but these are the moments that can really shine. Some of my clients’ favorite photos are during a challenging time in the session when a child is upset and comforted by Dad, or gets hurt and runs to his mother’s arms for solace. Parents want documentation of what they do every day when no one else is there to witness—this especially includes documentation of kissing, comforting, and supporting the kids emotionally.
Parents are often pushed to the background in family imagery in favor of focusing on the kids. We can’t value or revere work we don’t see—both on an individual level and a societal level. When I focus on the parents in family photo sessions, I feel honored to witness the significance of their efforts in a way that can be daily encouragement to keep going, and will last for generations to come.
