this might be the most important family session i ever post. which obviously means it must have some remotely awesome backstory. about two years ago, give or take, i offered free family portrait sessions to build up my portfolio. to think of looking back to those pictures sort of makes me want to throw up. but that's another story. this lovely little family of four, with a new 8 week old baby, asked me over. i can remember the day clearly. driving to the familiar neighborhood where my sister had just moved away from. i was nervous and sweaty and talking to her (sister) on the phone. their house is a little tucked away, but i found it. i remember parking behind the row of bushes in front of their house. not to hide the car from the pictures, but so that i could hyperventilate without anyone seeing me. when i walked in, most of it melted away. my specialty has long been getting "in" with kids. 3 year old Lissa was beyond excited to have a visitor and her confidence in me and comfort melted away a lot of the fear. now, if i had to go back and look at those pictures, would i be happy? i'd probably cringe, might look away. probably a lot of saturation, little care for skin tones and a very basic understanding of how i should be using light. i will never forget though when i sent them to her, when she told me one of the images i had taken of 8 week old Luke had made her cry. that was a new feeling for me. to have someone feel the emotion i had been trying to capture. 100% success.
over the last two years i've stayed in touch with their mom and i'd go as far as to say we became friends (right Jaimie?!?!). and recently, when the planets aligned with time off and a new job change, she asked if i had any availability. and i promise you, i'm not as cheap as i was 2 years ago. i sat and stared at the email. wanting to simultaneously scream "YES!!!! I'M EMBARRASSINGLY AVAILABLE!" and also run away and hide, sure that my new price would scare her away. but here's the thing, and it's the most important part, it wasn't too much. and this is what i want to stress to you. if you find a photographer you like, that you respect, a photographer whose eye makes you feel something, a photographer who you truly want to invite in, to see your family through their eyes, it's not too much. and most photographers would rather offer a payment plan than turn you away. because picking a skilled, talented, and devoted photographer is the most important part of hiring someone for this most intimate job.
this might be the first family session i've ever shot where i feel like the client and i worked in perfect harmony. we wanted the same things. to see the truth in who her children are now and to document their family as they live together and happy, in their house with the purple door. and baking brownies never hurts either.
thank you so much K family for inviting me back. it means so much, words fail me.
ready to book your session? i.furiephoto@gmail.com i'm so excited to see your family!
-Isabel