Photographer Heel: family photoshoot at home: I'm two and I say no!
Years ago, when I was photographing at daycare centers, a caregiver once said to me: you should never ask 2-year-olds anything they can answer with no. At that time, I spent whole days photographing children in daycare centers in a studio setting. Incredibly fun, but after a day of shooting, I was always exhausted. Because you're not only dealing with technique and composition, but also with figuring out ways to get a child to cooperate so you can photograph them nicely, preferably laughing and naturally spontaneous.
A photoshoot of their young family in and around the house
A while ago, I had the privilege of photographing the wedding of this lovely couple, and now they emailed me again, this time asking for a photoshoot of their young family, at home and in the garden. The house, a beautiful 1960s bungalow, is currently being renovated. So we searched for a place with beautiful light and a quiet background. It turned out to be the bed.
I decided to just photograph the two-year-old as it happened, without forcing him
The bedroom wall was light green and matched nicely with the family's outfits. Two adorable children were taken out of bed. The photoshoot seemed like a breeze. But it took a different turn when their 2-year-old son wasn't in the mood. I decided not to bother trying to force him and took photos as things unfolded. Of course, we also took some nice portraits together, but also really as he was. Because I think it's incredibly fun to look back later on what you did as a child and how you really were.
The result is a series of photos that capture the family as they were at that moment
So when he was lying next to his brother, turned his butt towards me, and crawled away, I clicked the shutter. Or when the whole family was posing nicely and he lay down on his stomach with his teddy bear, I just took that photo. They themselves also found that incredibly fun, and in the end, I found the result very typical and enjoyable. It shows the family as they really were at that moment. After a 40-minute session in the bedroom, we decided to take some more photos in the backyard. They have a large lawn there, and the weather was wonderfully mild, albeit cloudy, but that was no problem at all. Playing with his toy airplane and then he even wanted to take a photo with his brother on a stack of wood.
