One thing about me: I am always game for a cozy Christmas family portrait session. Katherine reached out to me before December last year to get some photos for her family Christmas cards. Her adorable family included her husband and their four kids Eleanor, Parker, Lydia, plus the newest addition to the family, Dolly.
In the beginning, Katherine was really specific about wanting a photographer to capture her family in a way that didn’t feel too posed. She was also concerned about time. She mentioned past sessions had taken anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half. With little kids, it went downhill fast.
Plus, the temperature was in the forties the day of our shoot. Because the whole family wore New Orleans winter wear, meaning light fabrics and not a lot of warmth, we had to work quickly.
As a mom of two little kids myself, I understood her concerns. I reassured her that as long as she let go of expectations and let me direct, we’d be able to get it all — a few great posed shots along with some fun candids in a short amount of time.
Luckily, Katherine and her husband Parker did exactly that.
Since previous portrait sessions hadn’t gone as expected, I made sure to take a different approach. I was able to get the kids to approach the session like a game and redirect them when necessary. We let the kids be themselves and lead the session. I think we were able to make the most of their cozy Christmas family portrait session.
All in all, the session only lasted 30 minutes. We spent 15 minutes inside and 15 minutes outside in the cold. This was one of my favorite shoots to date. The parents trusted me and took a hands-off approach.
If you’re open to letting your kids do what they want and allow me to direct them and let the session flow, we can get a lot of great images in a short amount of time. When we approach it like play, we can get the perfectly posed photos and super special candids you’ll love looking at for years to come.
Get in touch to book your session.
