Getting Creative....

One thing about photography that is the most fun for me is getting creative. For me, posing and getting everyone to smile and look perfect doesn't top my list of priorities. It is hard for some families to grasp this concept. They come ready to pose and sit or stand in the traditional family portrait formations. They really don't know what to do when I tell them to just interact as a family and pretend that I am not even there. Doesn't work with all families...but I am on a mission to learn this skill so I can capture "real life" shots of families interacting, loving and just BE-ing. I usually start by just snapping photos of things that don't seem significant...

Daddy putting his arm around his only daughter to show her where to go.

Older children un-aware of me invading their space...capturing that thoughtful face mom sees everyday.

Angles that don't usually get the focus but can tell a story better than faces ever could.

And getting that one shot that a child dares you to take. This one was sure he would get away from me. Ha! Got ya D! A moment Mom will always see as "her" kid. A moment that is forever frozen and captured. To me, this is what photography is really about.

My tips for today are simple. Stop posing. Get creative with angles. Shoot from the hip, or above your head. Shoot when they don't know you are. Capture the real moments of life. Let your subjects just BE.