So many of my clients with multiple children come to me with the request that I get "just one, decent photograph of them together" and it always make me laugh. The mom of this lovely family came to me with that exact request. I do know the difficulties inherent in trying to coordinate the moods and attention spans of various children. But, if you have hired me, it is your opportunity to relax and enjoy some time with your family and let me do all of the work. At the start of this session at the Chicago Botanic Garden, the kids and I took off without mom and dad for a while, which gave the kids some time to get comfortable in front of the camera. We had a great time exploring the gardens and collaborating on their portraits. By the time mom and dad rejoined us for some family shots, everyone was completely at ease and having a good time. I was so happy to get the following e-mail from the mom after our session:
Thank you for such a fun session last Thursday! It felt more like a family outing than a family photo [session]. The kids told me over and over again how much fun they had and how "Sea is so fun"! The experience exceeded our expectations.
I approach every session as if I am joining in on a family outing or play date, and that is an excellent way to get your kids excited about the session too. There are so many wonderful images from this session, and indeed, we did get plenty of sibling shots!
