Now you may be surprised to learn that my initial training as a landscape photographer actually was transferable to portrait photography, and in this episode, I share 5 ideas on how you can create storytelling family memories with your own photographs.
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Podcast Transcript:
In this episode, I give you some tips on how to create storytelling family memories in photographs.
When I started my career as a photographer, I initially trained as a landscape photographer.
Back in the days when I was, young, carefree and single. I could just get up and go, stand in the fresh air, waiting for the light to be in the right place for hours on end.
I would go away for a week at a time, with a wish list of photographs to capture, but I’d always shoot a far great variety as well.
- Sometimes you’d get the photographs that you’d seen in your mind’s eye.
- Sometimes you’d get something entirely different, but better.
- Other times you came back with nothing.
Anyway, I digress because what I want to move on to was talking about how you can create your own storytelling, family memories with photographs, and how I still use this training as a portrait photographer.
Capture Variety
Part of my photography training included taking a variety of photographs
I learnt to take the detail shots, to create other photographs whilst I was there and waiting, and exactly the same applies to your family photographs.
You probably won’t be waiting quite as long.
Five Ideas
Children and families tend to move a lot faster, but let me just walk you through five ideas, to improve your storytelling in family photographs.
- Do include the small details, like their toys, their favourite toys books, things like, like that.
- Aim for variety. So go wide, go low, go high, go close. Just experiment with angles, shoot from low to high, as well as overhead. See what you like, just don’t take everything standing up in the same position.
- The background is important too. So think about the entire frame. So I make my eyes do a circuit of the view finder, looking for those annoying shadows or highlights or other photo bombing objects and people that aren’t relevant to, to what I’m trying to convey.
- Consider emotions and body language. Don’t leave them out. They will enhance your story telling too.
- The senses are still important. So if your child has, has just baked a cake, try and shoot it in such a way that you feel like you could just sniff the photograph, because that’s part of your storytelling as well.
Choose your Favourite Photos
Once you’ve got all these photographs, and probably at a later time (hours later not years ideally :-)), go through and mark your favourites so that you are ready to create your family album.
Don’t be the relative that shares 20 very similar images, go through mark your favourites and show your best work.
Now your definition of best will be different to mine, but it’s all about what makes you feel joyful.
One thing I’d encourage you not to do is not to discard the character shots the silly faces, just because you are worried your child might I be embarrassed in years to come.
If it makes you smile and feel joyful, then keep it.
I know it may not make the wall, but hopefully, it’ll be in an album where it’ll contribute to telling a story of your family.
I think keeping it real and authentic is just as important stay.
So you, as the photographer, are the storyteller.
And as the Chinese proverb goes, ‘one picture is worth a thousand words.’
Now go have some fun with it.
These photos will be your memory triggers of the future and like anything in life, we just need to create a routine or habit around it so that it gets done.
That’s all for this time
About Your Podcast Host – Sue Kennedy of Sue Kennedy Photography
Sue is a professional portrait photographer based in Harlow, Essex and she specialises in baby, child and family portraiture. Being a parent, she understands just how special your child is to you and her aim is to produce a collection of images that are natural and meaningful to your family. No two moments are ever the same and she wants to perfectly capture those early precious memories and the natural character of your child.
For more information please call 01279 433392, or visit the Sue Kennedy Photography website.
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