Hi friends!

Back again to share this incredibly fun and delightful family session with you and talk about HOW and WHY I incorporate play into each and every family session!

Just before the weather turned into Winter, I had the opportunity to shoot the Caldwell family – fun fact, years ago they were my first ever family session! I won’t hurt your eyeballs with those photos but just trust me when I say it’s been a major G L O W up.

This sweet family of 5 is a dream – with goofy, playful children and parents who willingly embraced me troping through the tall grass to capture their game of hide and seek! Also, can I just say how beautifully the colors and patterns of their outfits coordinated? When you book a session with me you receive a guide FULL of helpful information, including styling advice. This session was *chef’s kiss* textbook perfection. Let’s get into the details, shall we?

Why Incorporate Play?

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It’s a great question with a simple answer. It’s FUN! Sure, we all love a photo where every one is smiling at the camera. But we also absolutely adore the photos that show personality. Incorporating play into a session does exactly that. By introducing games, jokes and energy into a family session you get big smiles, belly laughs, goofy faces and best of all: M E M O R I E S !

Take the images below, for example. Putting the kiddos under the blanket for a few minutes captured the nervous giggle of the eldest – she is the rule follower, in charge big sis who thought it was funny that her hair got messed up and immediately fixed it when she was out. How precious to have a moment where the one who usually has it all together is enjoying a moment of abandon. Next, look at our middle child, the little guy who is an explorer with a fantastic sense of humor at 4 years old. Being under the blanket gave him SUCH a great hair style and he had no problem showing it off. How could you not want to remember that? Lastly, can you tell which one is the youngest? Little sis is ALL personality and you just know that she is going to give her red headed mama some greys in the near future with all that sass.

They aren’t even my little ones but I am so glad I get to remember these moments forever.

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Now let’s talk about the H O W.

How do we incorporate fun into a traditional family session?

Strategically. This is where my photography experience and background in counseling really pays for itself, ha! Most sessions start with the holiday card photo – everyone get together and SMILE at the camera. Why? Because that’s when everyone is best behaved without coercion (*usually). Once we get those out of the way, I start incorporating play because the little ones start getting restless and it helps me build trust with them. During our pre-session questionnaire and connection, we discuss your kiddos’s interests, games they like playing and how to get them out of their shy shell. I use that information to formulate my game plan. Sometimes that involves running under the blanket, other times it looks like playing with some props I bring along with me. This part of the session is pre-planned and executed on the fly based on how your little one reacts.

These kiddos? Well it’s safe to say that once we got through our bridge photos, they were ready to explore the tall grass.

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At the end of the day, my goal is to make space for your wild + free personalities. As your photographer, I want to provide you with timeless photos of your family exactly as you are. They are only young once – make sure you have the memories forever.

xx,

Jaime

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