If you’d asked me a couple of years ago if I would ever have a professional family photoshoot done, I would have laughed at you. Now, four years after our first family photoshoot, we’ve had four more and I’m completely sold on them. Why? Because they’re good in so many different ways. Read on to find out the five reasons we believe you need a family photoshoot… I promise they’re not half as awkward as I imagined them to be!
You’ll Get Priceless Memories Of Your Kids
We all know that a photo can take you right back to that exact moment, so imagine what an entire photoshoot can do. We prefer a more candid style of family photoshoot and from that we get memories of a day with the children. Just a quick flick through the album can take me right back to everything about that day – how little they were, how they used to drink from a certain cup, wear their hair a certain way, how their hand used to be oh so tiny in mine. Whilst you could argue that you could take all of those images yourself, a professional photographer will be far more adept at capturing the little details that make life so special whilst allowing you all to just be yourselves. And if they’re good, they’ll get all the bits that happen when you’re not looking; like the sneaky little looks and giggles between siblings.
The Photos Make Perfect Gifts
Not going to lie, aside from wanting the photos for ourselves, one of the main things we love about a family photoshoot is that you get such easy gift ideas from them! We make sure to purchase the digital image rights so that we can make as many prints as we like. We print photos, calendars, photo albums… you name it, we’ve probably got a family member getting it. Our experience is that grandparents and parents love getting an updated family photo each year and you can either gift it in a frame or simply swap over the print from last years if you do them more regularly. It makes those awkward to buy for older people a breeze at Christmas time.
You’re ALL In The Picture
If your family is anything like mine, the majority of photos are taken by me of the children. Occasionally with my husband in as well. In return, I’d say he takes a very small amount of photos of me and 99% of them are awful – I’m not sure quite how he manages it! Between us we have a handful of full family shots which consist of either selfies (complete with half an arm and one person being far closer than the rest) or photos taken on timers that are posed and often get rather stressful! At a family photoshoot, your professional photographer can take a mixture of group shots and individual shots, candid and more posed ones, depending on their style and your preferences. They’re also pros at getting kids to look in the right direction or capturing the magic of you all interacting together as a group. Frankly, they’re magicians.
It’s A Better Investment Than School Photos
How many times do you get a school or nursery photo home, look at it and think ‘who on earth is that kid?’. I always felt pressured into purchasing professional photos of my children from their time at school or nursery and yet now I feel guilt free about sending them back without buying any! Our last school photos were £25 per image, which with three children is £75 just to have individual photos of them all looking grumpy, terrified or entirely not themselves. Instead, I’d rather put that money toward a family photoshoot which can provide you with hundreds of photos if you want them. Sure, it’s going to be more expensive in total but in terms of what you get from it, it’s a huge saving!
They’re Great For Self-Confidence
If you hate photos of yourself then you might think this a crazy point but hear me out; professional family photoshoots are great for self confidence. Why? Because professional photographers know all about the best way to use light and angles to capture you looking your best. They’ll achieve a greater depth of field than a standard photo camera would and will be able to talk with you about what you want from the photoshoot in order to ensure that you’re happy. They’ll spend time with you to put you and your children at ease, and even if you feel self-aware at the beginning, by the end you’ll have almost forgotten they’re there! Some of my absolute favourite photos are those where I’m interacting with the children, and I know that if I’d stopped to ‘say cheese’ for my husband to take the shot I’d have ended up looking awkward or badly lit or from an unflattering angle. Instead, these images are taken by people who truly want to create beautiful images of moments that you’ll treasure and that help build their portfolio of great work so you end up with photos that make you look great and feel special. You can take it from someone who is dealing with the postpartum weight gain, sleep loss and the general confidence issues of having a small baby again; I hate having my photo taken normally but give me a trained photographer and photos like these any day of the week!
All images are taken by the wonderful Helen Lisk at Helen Lisk Photography on our third, and most recent photoshoot, with her – proof that we truly do love a family photoshoot, especially with someone so talented.
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