We love family photography. But we often hear people say, “I’m just not comfortable posing for pictures.” It may not go quite so far as to fall into the “fear” category, but it is a legitimate concern for many of our clients. Particularly in family photography sessions. Usually, they are worried about ending up with pictures that look staged at best or, at worst, like they are a top  contender for Awkward Family of the Year. Our solution to this is really quite simple: take posing out of the equation, add in a comfortable location, then see what happens. Officially we have named it our “In Home Lifestyle Session,” and it is the perfect solution to alleviate any worries surrounding family photo day.

When new mom Juliana contacted us through our site, she expressed just such a concern. And really, when you think about it, it’s a dilemma; One the one hand, you want to have pictures of your family, but on the other the very act of producing those pictures can feel unnatural or just completely out of character. But something that you might not guess about Cara and I, is that we feel this way, too, and we let Juliana know that we understand. She liked the idea of “not having a super posed feel,” so we set a date and Cara met her and her husband – as well as the star of the show, baby Felix – at their home.

Location, location, location (is even more important in family photography).

When it comes to selecting a location for a family photography session, your own home may not be the first place that jumps to mind. We live in a beautiful area of the country; literally filled with parks, lakes, gardens, museums, and any number of other locations. However, your own home has more to offer than you might realize. The first benefit – and I can not overstate it’s impact on everyone’s attitude – is air conditioning. We live in a wonderfully modern age in which it is possible to ignore the harsh realities of mother nature and control our own environment. It is an absolute miracle of technology that we generally take for granted. Unfortunately for us, the natural beauty of our surroundings is usually compromised by rather high temperatures. The usual solution for this is to “wait until it is cooler.” Have you lived here long? I mean, that’s great in theory, but this is not Game of Thrones. Winter in not coming. So, yeah, air conditioning.

Home is where the heart is.

Arguably, the most important benefit is that your home is where you tend to do most of your living. Loving, laughing, paying bills, and eating. That sort of thing. It’s where you are more comfortable than anywhere else. It is YOUR environment. You have sculpted it to fit your personality, adorned it with personal significance. It is filled with relaxing furniture – ideally. Bottom line? You don’t feel awkward at home.

This second benefit is even more important for children. Anyone that has tried to do anything with a young child knows how quickly things can start to go south. In our experience, their level of comfort with their surroundings plays a critical role. When they feel at home they are much more relaxed and much less likely to have one of those dreaded “this-has-never-happened-before-so-of-course-it-happens-today” meltdowns. We are talking Chernobyl level. Plus, toys, safety blankets, stuffed animals, etc. are all within an arms reach should a tantrum appear on the horizon. Things are simply easier for our clients to manage in their home.

Real memories.

The third benefit is admittedly more important to some of our clients than others. But it does seem that our clients who feel this way, do so strongly. And that is the idea that when the family photo session should take place somewhere relevant to your actual lives. The shoot isn’t stage dressed to give am impression that may or may not reflect real life.  Let’s be honest, we spend most of our time with loved ones in our homes. As opposed to casually standing in front of a waterfall or 100 year old garden. So many of our clients prefer to remember life as it was or is. Both styles have merit. But the in-home session is definitely for those in the “realist” camp.

 

Baby Felix – as well as his mom and dad – really took all of this heart and decided to have an in home lifestyle session. We think they made the right decision and hopefully they will enjoy their pics for years to come. Take a look below and we think you’ll agree it all turned out pretty well. If you are interested in having a family photography session like the Kemege family, just click the link to our contact page and let us know. We would love to work with you, too! And, as always, let us know what you think in the comments section below. Thanks!