Who said family photos have to be boring?

I remember when I got started with photography. It was a hobby and I was eager to practice, practice, practice so one day I could turn this hobby into a living. And I would shoot just about anything to get that practice in. You start to learn your camera, you learn some hard lessons about lighting…but there was something else I couldn’t seem to get down: how to do extended family shoots that weren’t mind-numbingly boring, awkward, and stressful.

Eventually I realized I was approaching them all wrong. I was doing what I “thought I was supposed to be doing”. Let me tell you something that kills creativity in an instant: doing what you think you’re supposed to be doing. I would look photos from other extended family sessions before I would do one so I could get an idea of how to pose people, where to shoot, etc. Unknowingly, doing that would cloud my judgment, kill my creativity, and make me a nervous wreck during the shoots.

I don’t know when that changed. I guess I had a lightbulb moment…or some kind of breakthrough where I finally said TO HECK WITH TRADITIONAL FAMILY SHOOTS. I LIKE FUN!!!!

And that’s what I do now. Fun. Not lining up perfectly posed mannequins with wide eyed, awkward grins that show nobody’s personality. No thanks. That’s not what I’m all about. You probably aren’t either. I’m much more interested in seeing a family for what they really are – A FAMILY. Laughing together. Playing. Being silly. That’s family….so that’s how I do family shoots. Sure – we get a few “safe” shots, but then I quickly get to the fun part, and we linger there for as long as we can! 🙂

Wanna come hang out with me on this awesome bridge in Fort Worth? I promise we’ll have a blast! Email jodie@reveriephotoco.com to book your next session!