Why Hire a Professional?

My kids are now 1 and 3.5, and WOW is it hard to get a decent photo of our crew! My son likes to turn around so his back is to the camera. If he decides to be helpful, he’ll try to get my 1 year old to smile…which backfires, in that he’s never looking at the camera! Despite my best efforts, every time I hand my camera to a friend or family member to *try* to take a photo of everyone looking and smiling…it turns out pretty terribly. And let’s all keep in mind, that I am a professional family photographer with the newest and best camera.

So what have I learned? That my family has leveled up into desperately NEEDING a professional behind the camera. And not just any professional…we need someone who understands how kids work. We need someone who can manage camera settings, get the attention of TWO children, and entertain them in a way that achieves natural smiles. It’s no easy job!

One of my favorite compliments I get from parents is when they refer to me as a “magician.” It holds all new meaning to me now! When I stand behind the camera, I jump around, fake sneeze, run back and forth, and do all sorts of silly things with my little stuffed monkey friend. If you’re a client of mine with small children, I’m sure you’re familiar with all of these tactics! I look like an absolute lunatic, I’m sure! But boy is it worth the smiles…

I love lifestyle imagery full of laughter and hugs and play, but I’m absolutely guilty of wanting to have just 1 shot of everyone smiling and looking. So if you value this type of photo (even if just occasionally), do yourself a favor and hire a professional!

Now please enjoy a few recent shots of my family that were…less than ideal…

This may sound shocking, but these were the photos that I didn’t delete. Meaning that they were the halfway decent ones (or at least worth a laugh). And no…my son was definitely not asleep in that last one. He was just feeling very 3.

But here’s proof that he genuinely smiles for photos sometimes:

Listen, it’s not easy. Photographing kids is HARD sometimes. And I have no expectation that my friends and family will do the sorts of crazy things I do behind the camera! And that is precisely why I will have a professional take photos of my family next time. I hope you’ll do the same!