3 things I learned from my family photo shoot with Joy Prouty!

This past weekend, my family and I traveled to beautiful Woodstock, NY for a family photo shoot with the fabulous Joy Prouty of Wildflowers Photography.  You might have read my post last week to Joy. Well, I was so busy worrying about how my kids would behave that I never even considered the weather. Turns out, the day of our shoot began a heat wave with temperatures topping out at about 100 degrees! I had wanted a sunset shoot, but thunderstorms and heavy rain foiled that plan. Since Joy was only in the area until Sunday afternoon, we decided to try the morning. I got the kids into bed by 9:00 (which is early for the summer) and woke them up at 6:00 a.m. The drive lasted about an hour and 45 minutes and we grabbed some doughnuts on the way. We even brought the dog!

Everyone was in good spirits until about 10 minutes before we got to the location. The girls decided to turn on each other and there were tears. I took a deep breath and told them calmly that I was going to ignore their bad behavior and enjoy myself. We pulled up, got out and stretched out legs, and eventually the bad moods disappeared.

All in all, we had a great time! I learned a few things though that I would love to share with you. Maybe you can use these tips for your next family photo shoot!

Be flexible – There will be hiccups. The weather might not cooperate. Your kids may not get a good night’s sleep. They might balk at the outfits you chose. Your husband will probably complain. Be ready for anything! I had chosen an adorable cream dress for my 8 year old and was going to ask her to wear her faded, worn cowboy boots. To my surprise, she didn’t like the dress. She can be very picky about her outfits. I tried once or twice to sway her, but eventually gave up. It was more important for her to be happy, than it was for me to get my way. In the end, I wanted pictures of my family together hugging, laughing, snuggling. It doesn’t really matter what they were wearing.

Trust your photographer – The weather report was 50/50 for thunderstorms the night of our shoot. I almost told Joy that we’d chance it and drive the hour and 45 minutes, but she suggested doing it in the morning. I know that morning light can be tricky so I wasn’t sure if we’d get that same dreamy feel I love about her images. I trust her vision and her talent and was willing to do whatever she suggested.

Be in the moment – The reason I booked a session with Joy is because her images are all about connection. They are filled with light and love and movement. All of the things I try to capture for my own clients, but this time it was our turn. I’m not looking for the perfect portrait. I don’t even care if we are looking at the camera. I want to be able to look at images of my family, my clients, and FEEL something. I knew that Joy would be able to do that for us. My biggest challenge was getting over myself and being in the moment. I pushed through feelings of insecurity and tried to be present. I know how hard it is to look at a photographers page and drool over their images and think, “but I’m not that beautiful. I can’t have pictures like that.” Or, “my husband and I are so awkward in front of the camera, we’ll never get romantic shots like that!” My teeth are huge and crooked. My eyes are always puffy and when I smile, they get so small. My arms are flabby. My stomach is mushy. My thighs are thick. All of these things were going through my head and I had to remind myself to shut up and enjoy the moment. I made a few comments here and there and my hubby was so good about saying, “Stop it!” One small thing that helped was putting my hair in a ponytail. Sounds so trivial, but I never really wear my hair down. It was humid the morning of our shoot and I kept thinking that my hair was a mess. Finally, I asked if it was ok to put it up and once I did, I was able to relax a little bit.

My biggest wish for my clients is to view their family session as a chance to connect with their loved ones. Not a stuffy, stressful, awkward hour with a stranger and her camera. Families are often so busy, it’s rare to get a chance to just sit back and enjoy each other. And to have that captured forever is absolutely priceless! I am so glad that we got the opportunity to work with Joy and can’t wait to share some of the images with you. Here are a couple iPhone shots.