For a handful of my 2020 sessions, I set up the time-lapse feature on my phone to record behind the scenes footage (just for kicks and giggles.) In each video, I can pick out the exact moments I took some of my favorite images, each one happening in 1/500th of a second. While watching all the footage, I also couldn’t help but notice the amount of movement.
At the beginning of sessions, I often have parents apologetically tell me that their young children are “a handful” and “probably won’t behave.” That’s okay; I have no expectation that wiggly toddlers will suddenly become still in the presence of my camera. Besides, we’re not aiming for stiff-looking portraits. Instead, we’re shooting for images that show your connection as a family. The sweet shot of a mother a child snuggling happens while they’re spinning in circles. The shot of a toddler giggling with glee in his father’s arms happens during a game of airplane. The siblings shot happens while they compete to make the silliest noises. And the all-important family portrait happens in between rounds of 1, 2, 3 blast off! Kids play, and to create the most opportune environment for your session, let’s play right along with them.