Info
IN-HOME VISIT PRIOR TO SESSION
The day before our session, I'll make a very chill in-house visit to have a cuppa and meet the family: no time restrictions or pressure. I bring my camera to show the kids how it all works. This catch-up makes a big difference on the day. When I show up on the morning of our session, everyone's pretty laxed, and within an hour or so, everyone gets tired of worrying about the camera and gets on with life.
CAN WE BOOK A MINI SESSION?
My work's more artistic and creative than mainstream portraits. These images require patience and focus, and to achieve the final shot, I stay with some scenes longer than others. I also take a lot of photographs to achieve the final album. The less time we have, the more direction is needed, and you won't get documentary style images.
CONVINCING YOUR PARTNER
Blokes hate photos, and women find it hard to convince them to engage. But, they warm to this style far quicker and easier than staged portraits on a sandy beach during golden hour dressed in button-up Hawaiian shirts and beige shorts (I used to take them). It's awkward as fuck. Tell them no one has to smile, embrace, stand still, or dress for the occasion. They can play mario cart in their jocks with a beer.
ROUTINES ON THE DAY
I encourage families to keep regular routines. An outing with young children is fine, but only for 1-2 hours and preferably close to home. Teenagers can be more challenging to capture in their natural habitat, so getting out and participating in a family event or exercise can help.
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL
Close-ups produce the best images—just something to remember when you can smell my breath.
WHAT I DO / DO NOT CAPTURE
Unless the kids need an ambo, I capture the highs and the lows. Unlike mainstream photography, no one has to conform or behave, so things flow.
Bath and shower time always brings a shit tonne of chaos to the party.
As long as the kids are comfortable and have not yet reached an age where they feel self conscious, I like to keep shooting. By this time of the day, everyone's pretty comfortable.
There's plenty of time throughout the day when not much happens. This is perfectly normal. There's plenty of time for things to evolve naturally and steadily without impacting the final collection.
Be Yō selves! Odd socks, punch-ups, food fights and pets. We want all the madness!.
MARKETING
I like to share a collection of my work from each session, but I'll always ask for permission before sharing the album.