My “Inner Yes” can be defined as that moment when I am looking through the lens of my camera and I get a chill or that butterfly feeling. After being a photographer for 4+ years I have done quite a few photo sessions, and like mentioned in an earlier post, I use a lot of the same locations, same basic posing techniques, and a few of the same props for most sessions I do. So, you ask, if everything is almost the same for each session, How do you still get a chill or butterflies? Well my clients are the ones that give me the Rush. Each group or individual is completely different then the next, every person I have a session with has a different personality, move differently, and its my job to capture their individuality! I don’t take tons and tons of images and just hope for the best, every click is calculated and thought through. If I don’t feel the rush I don’t pull the trigger.
There are a few things I do before a session to prepare myself for each session. This gives me time and focus to dedicate myself to providing unique portraits of each and every individual I photograph. These basic guidelines aid me in allowing my “Inner Yes” to be heard.
- I arrive at the location early. I either do it the day before, morning of, or 30 min before the session is to begin. I look at all the areas of the location that I want to highlight during the session. Check the lighting, go over the different poses I want to use during the session, and basically give myself a pep-talk.
- When I set up a particular shot, I place the child or individual into the general position or location I want, then look through my viewfinder. I walk around, crouch down, get up high, and basically see what angle they look best in as well as watching the background. I wait until something tells me “Yes” and then from there we talk, ask questions, tell jokes, get some giggles and interaction. Sometimes I tell them “its okay not to smile sometimes” and wait for that moment that their faces relax and their eyes and minds fix on me, waiting for the next set of instructions. This is how you get those thoughtful meaningful expressions.
- I don’t miss the moment because I not only make the moment- I am anticipating that moment. I am methodical as I can be with children but still have an element of “Fun.” I have had parents tell me they were amazed how their children responded to me and followed directions, maybe its that I still think of myself as a child- I’m not a grown up, NO Way!!
- When I sort through the images on my computer at home after a session, I can have anywhere from 75-200 images and I typically narrow those images down to 50 of my favorite images. After getting into editing those images it narrows the number even further. My goal is to show the “Best of the Best” from the session. Those “best” images are again determined by those chills and butterflies I feel from a particular image. If you think about it, if I feel that rush from an image of someone I barely know, what are you going to feel from a particular image of your own children or family.
- While editing images I glance over the many presets I have, or editing color options I have in the various software programs I use until I find the Perfect one for your session. I could have two sessions in the same location days apart but not use the same color presets, because it doesn’t feel right for your session.
In my life, I haven’t done anything unless I am passionate about it. In every step from preparation to shooting to ultimately editing images, I never settle on anything until my “Inner Yes” jumps up and tells me so. I love photography inside and out and I treat every client individually and grow to love each of them all for very different reasons.
