During a photoshoot, we usually feel our most vulnerable and concerned about doing something wrong or looking awkward, and often the entire experience is a task we regard with dread!
“What do I do with my hands?”
“Where do I look?”
“Does this look ok?”
These are questions we all wrestle with during portrait time and are natural to feel unsure about. When it comes to the type of photos I capture and the style that Lamoureux Images goes for, I let you ask these questions in the beginning and then do my best to steer you away from being overly concerned about them as the session moves along.
Mindset & trust: a perfect recipe!
If we really want to get to the heart of what makes a successful portrait shoot come together with Lamoureux Images, it’s going to be your mindset as a family going into the session, and the trust you place in your photographer. In this article, we are going to cover the important aspects of your mindset that will help calm your nerves and reset your expectations.
Mindset Tip #1: The adults take the lead, and the kids follow suit.
Parents, how comfortable you are will directly impact the mood of your children. Lamoureux Images families are all about smiling at their kiddos and taking a deep breath and relaxing while letting the moments unfold naturally with indirect guidance from me.
All that said, if you are super stressed as parents with high expectations for perfection, it’s going to impact your children’s moods in a negative way and as a photographer I have zero control over this. For my particular style, I try to emphasize continually that the session focus needs to be about having a good time and enjoying and interacting with your family while letting your photographer be there to capture those interactions.
Loving your family will always be photogenic, you just can’t ever go wrong there! So, if that is your focus during portrait time, then we will already be starting off on the right foot!
(As an unspoken rule, if your portrait vision involves rigid, structured poses and angelically portrayed children, Lamoureux Images probably isn't right for you, but don't fret, there are plenty of photographers out there who thrive in this genre of portraiture!)
Mindset Tip #2: Pretend you are celebrities
Have you ever watched when the Royal Family allows the press to photograph them on an outing? They aren’t looking for direction, they are being themselves and they have no doubt in their mind that the photographers are taking cues from THEM, not the other way around.
They know exactly who they are, what makes them special, and they exhibit a strong lack of self-consciousness (whoa!). They know the photographers are indeed lucky to get to photograph them!
You can adopt this mentality also, because Lamoureux Images is SO LUCKY to get to photograph the amazing individuals who book with us! I think it’s important for all my clients to remember that they are the ones gracing the camera like no one else can.
When you are being yourself like no one else can and loving like no one else can, it’s a beautiful thing that translates perfectly in camera.
Mindset Tip #3: Destroy your natural tendency to be hard on yourself
We photograph real people here. No supermodels, no Instagram influencers that need to nail the perfect and most flattering angle every time.
Lamoureux Images captures life at all angles and wants to give our clients a glimpse into the beauty of movement and laughter and reality (something social media finds us more and more out of touch with). We make your portrait experience a celebration of life in all its many facets!
The bar right now is so very high when it comes to client expectations regarding how they will look in their photos, and social media has literally torn apart the smallest ounce of the self-confidence we might have had because we are constantly comparing ourselves to what others are doing and how they look.
Perfectly curated Instagram feeds are in no way a true reflection of what really takes place or is feasible during a portrait session, and photographers everywhere are running in droves to private forums crying:
“Help! I took these beautiful photographs, and my client is in tears because she hates herself and the way her kids acted and look in these! What on earth do I do?!”
We need to do better all-around when it comes to how we regard ourselves, and the pressure we place on the shoulders of photographers, even!
We have to remind ourselves that others are not inclined to pick apart our photos like we are, and that these images are also about memory making and giving our families a gift and a glimpse into seeing how wonderful and loving and perfect, the unique dynamic they all have together truly is!
Let’s try our best not to allow our insecurities to overshadow the perfect beauty that children and spouses will see in these precious moments.
Being willing to be seen and celebrated as we are, is the only way forward in a world that emphasizes unrealistic perfection, and breaking this cycle is the best gift we can give the future generations.
Summary...
Repeatedly, the best sessions I walk away from are sessions with people who have a deep value of who they are and understand the unique and authentic love they have for their family members. These are the kind of people that are most satisfied with the work we do here at LI.
So…channel that inner celebrity, tell yourself you are your own royal family, cherish your unique beauty, and make a statement with the way you love and interact with those around you and let’s take some amazing photographs together, shall we?!
Stay tuned next week for part two, where we will dive in to the second part of the recipe, that involves trusting your photographer!