Learning new things



I'm going to be honest: family photography sounds pretty simple when you think about it: Take a camera. Find a nice location. Take some pictures. Easy, right? Apparently not. 😂


There is, in fact, a whole lot more to it. I'm currently learning how to direct people without sounding like a person who has never spoken to another human being before, figuring out how to pose people without making them feel posed, building a website, learning SEO, writing blog posts (hello, here I am), figuring out contracts and business stuff, and attempting to remember approximately 47 other things that apparently come with owning a photography business.


I've been taking pictures as a hobby for years but turning it into an actual business is a whole different adventure. So when I say I'm still figuring some of this out, I mean it.


Luckily, I get to practice with some pretty great families. And this particular Mom and her daughters are friends of ours and have let me photograph them several times, so I was excited to have the chance to capture the three of them again

A Summer Evening at Austin Point



We headed to Austin Point in Woodland, WA, also known by locals as the Woodland Bottoms, for a summer evening family session along the Columbia River. The plan was basically: beautiful location, pretty evening light, happy family, great pictures.


The weather had other plans. It was windier and cooler than we expected, and there were approximately one million bugs who apparently also wanted to participate in the session. And the girls? Well... They had energy. Lots of it. 😂


Which, honestly, is fine. Kids aren't models. They're kids. They aren't always going to stand exactly where I put them, smile at exactly the right time, or look lovingly at their sister on command. (And let's be honest, I'm not sure I could do that either.)


So instead of trying to make everyone stand perfectly still for an entire hour, we let them move around, play, laugh, and be themselves. Then we talk about farts, who in the family has the stinkiest feet or whatever ridiculous thing will make them smile and laugh for real. And I think the pictures are better because of it.

The Best Pictures Usually Happen in Between



One of the things I'm learning as I get more comfortable directing family sessions is that I don't necessarily need to have everyone perfectly posed every second. Sometimes the best photos happen when I give everyone something to do. Hug your sister... Walk over here... Whisper something in her ear... Give Mom a hug... Now make each other laugh.


And sometimes I give a direction that sounds great in my head and comes out approximately as:


"Okay... so... just... um... stand... kind of... there...yeah, sure... like that.."


I'm working on that part. 😂


The girls definitely kept me on my toes, but we eventually got some great opportunities to let them just play. They spent some time running around in the sand and eventually got to play in the water a little bit, too. Those moments are some of my favorites because they aren't really about getting the "perfect" pose. They're about capturing what these girls are actually like together. The laughing. The ridiculousness. The hugs. The personalities.


All the little things that Mom will hopefully look back on years from now and immediately remember.

A Relaxed Family Session at Austin Point



Austin Point is a really pretty location for family photography in Woodland, WA. You've got the Columbia River, sandy areas, driftwood, open space, and beautiful evening light. You also have wind and bugs. So, you know... nature. But that's part of the fun of an outdoor session.


You don't have to have a perfectly behaved family, perfect weather, or perfectly coordinated children to get photographs you'll love. You just have to show up. I'll worry about the rest (and I do a really good job with the worrying part, pretty much a professional).


I'm still learning, too. I'm learning how to make people feel comfortable in front of my camera, how to give better direction, how to run a business, and apparently how to write blog posts. I'm figuring it out as I go. But I've loved photography for a long time, and I'm having a lot of fun finally turning that hobby into something more, at least once I get past the little pre-session freakout I apparently like to give myself. Totally kidding... kind of 😜