A Guide To Capturing Your Family / With Intention
My greatest muse in life is the everyday.
My greatest muse in life is the everyday - capturing moments big and small but moments that together make up the fabric of life. All moments are ideal. All moments are worthy of capture; we often overlook the beauty in the normal, in our ever-changing daily lives that make up a colossal percentage of our time here. We can’t be going on crazy adventures all the time, right? Over the past five years, I have documented my growing and changing family, starting with myself and Matt and now with our two sons the visuals that surround us have been ever-changing, and I have taken the sweetest pleasure in exploring it all. Here I want to share with you some things to consider when capturing perfectly imperfect family imagery that appeals to the slower sentiments in life, capturing the here and now.
UNDO YOUR IDEA OF THE IDEAL
This is the first step and essentially the only step for success here.
You want to start to think differently about what makes the perfect photograph or when is the right time to take the perfect photograph. Even if we are only nipping to the store, I will always grab my camera; everyday life is so unpredictable, its unpredictability making it so magical that capturing moments that otherwise would fly right by us is so important. Don’t get me wrong, there is certainly a time for photos that have been planned, outfits perfect, and lighting optimal but some of the best images of my family that I have ever taken are ones that are candid, unplanned, and unpredicted.
The image you see below of my little tribe climbing the wall was captured spontaneously; it completely captured the boy’s sweet sentiment, Matts’s gentle eyes, the warmth of parent to child, and that moment where we walked peacefully, only the rain-catching on the moss-covered stones, talking about our dreams for our family. This photo presents a mildly cinematic feel; it evokes emotion and understanding and only exists because I decided to throw my camera in the bag before we left for the day.
MY MAIN POINTERS
Take your camera everywhere with you - The only way you’re going to be ready to capture your family unit is if you have your camera on you. These family moments are fleeting, and we want to be ready to capture whatever magic the day throws at us. Let us also bear in mind that these photos don’t need to be perfect; you don’t need to spend time setting up the shot. Simply point, shoot, and have at it. Having your camera with you at all times will allow you to capture those precious moments and ease your family into a space where they feel comfortable being in front of the lens. Marlow has been raised around cameras; he even takes a few snaps himself now, is entirely comfortable, and expects me to have my camera at most times.
Shoot away, overshoot, and happy snap - When we talk about turning away from an ideal situation, we have to address shooting style; in a studio setting, I am cautious about overshooting, yet when I am out with my family, I make sure that I overshoot. When taking images of people at an unplanned time or place, there are absolutely no guarantees; it may also be that you aren’t in the ideal state to snap images, holding bags, your other child, travelling in a shaky vehicle, perhaps; these are all reasons why you are going to want to snap as many images as you can. It is always possible for you to cull and refine the images once you come to edit them, so snap away, and hopefully, you’ll get a few delicious candid shots in the process.
Leave your expectations at home - When shooting your family this way, you need to erase any expectations that you are placing on yourself about the outcome of the images and eliminate the notions that you have of what ‘good’ and ‘bad’ photography are. Embrace the raindrops on the lens, the blur of your child’s hand, or the whisp of hair on your partner’s face. Celebrate the joy of capturing your family, and your environment in the rawest way you are able.
FIND YOUR STYLE
Family photography is a saturated genre of photography, and I imagine that if you’re reading this, you have an interest in photographing your family. Therefore, you will already have a clear image and idea of the family photography that is out there. Finding your style in this ocean of imagery is important to ensure your images' authentic and emotive feeling; for example, my photography editing style is slightly warm, with deep tones, moody and creamy. It encapsulates our family, forever cosy, enjoying the cuddles in the dark, warm baths, herbal teas, the wild murky waters of our surroundings, the dappled shade of treetops, and the barren moorland. We are earthy people, drawn by earthy tones, reflected in how I edit and present my images. Now, consider yourself and your family; consider your environment, personality, and what you enjoy. You might be more suited to editing in an upbeat, lighter style or drawn to the vibrancy of green landscapes and pink undertones. You must find your style that feels right and reflects the rhythm of your family unit. Here are a couple of things to take into consideration when you are building your editing style.
Your general colour palette as a family - do you sway towards bright colours in your clothing and home, or perhaps more muted earthy tones?
Your Location - Where you live will play a huge part. Rural? Urban? Where will the majority of your moments be captured, and how can your editing be sensitive to your surroundings?
GET UP CLOSE
When I look at my children, I often find myself lingering on the smallest details of their appearance. How small their fingernails are, the long juvenile eyelashes, the downy hairs on the top of Flynn’s ears. With Matt, I often look at his face and wonder how age will change it, how his image so close to my heart will change with the passing years. When considering these small details and admiring them, we must remember to get up close when we shoot those we love and capture the smallest details of them, sand between tiny toes, the first teeth peeping through a smile, hands holding a toy they hold dear.
THESE ARE THE IMAGES THAT WILL FILL MY HEART WHEN MY BIRDS HAVE FLOWN
After reading this short guide to capturing your family, I hope you’ll feel more confident going out there and taking images that you can hold close and cherish for years to come. This is a topic that I am confident I will be revisiting as it is something that I am deeply passionate about and believe that everyone should capture what makes them happy, what makes them able to slow down and breathe.
