Families everyday life is filled with different feelings, emotions, expectations and desires. Those feelings should be seen in your images when you come to a portrait sessions with me. Together your images will form your story, which I believe only an album can convey properly. "I'm beautiful", "I'm loved", "I don't ever want to forget this moment".
I try to shoot through the eyes of my clients who will behold the photos. In the case of children, I draw out their unique quirks and individuality of their personality. There is nothing more satisfying than hearing a parent say, “You captured my child’s true essence”. I want to shoot images that matter to YOU, images that are important family archives, images that evoke emotion. Images that will still matter in future generations.
The playful expressions, unplanned shots tell many aspects of the family dynamic, and are unique to you and your family. "Tell my story", "This is important to me", "I don't ever want to forget this moment".
I like to use some dynamic in my sessions so that there is a sense of movement or breathability in the image. I use posing to correct awkward looking or unflattering body positioning or lighting. I do not use it to try to make everything perfect because more often than not, perfect looks lifeless…and boring.
In the case of newborn photography I will also include those little details we never want to forget and are a part of the day’s story.
When you hire me as a highly skilled professional photographer for a portrait session, it’s inherently an emotional purchase. I am chosen because you want something special, planned, expertly staged and lit, captured and preserved in a way you cannot do yourself.
Booking a portrait session is a personal decision based on the desire for quality and preservation … not just to document a moment.
In today’s world, documentation is for social media, but preservation is for intimate, heirloom enjoyment.
When designing an album or piece of wall art for my clients, too often I hear “why didn’t I think of that?”. It is because as a portrait photographer who specialises in photography for families and women (newborn, maternity, family portraiture and boudoir), I am uniquely equipped to tell my clients’ stories – sometimes a story they may not even see within themselves.
Clients may be enamoured with the look or the feel of the paper used in the album, the bursts of colour those pages provide, but no matter how gorgeous, high quality or well designed, an album in itself cannot create emotional desire. That comes from the story I design within it.
Digital images are by far the most popular purchase. If that is your initial choice too, I would love you to challenge me to "Tell your story" and design an album for you. Album design is free of charge and you may just receive something very special.
