Working at newspapers (The Daily Texan, The Palladium-Item, and The Newport Daily News) while majoring in photojournalism in college (University of Texas at Austin, 1994-1998) satisfied three things for me:
- I got to create on a daily basis.
- Every day was different – and I loved the variety.
- Having a camera got me access to lots of events and satisfied my curiosity about what was going on around me.
I only went to UT Football games when I got to photograph them.
I’d never been to a Monster Truck rally until I got to photograph this one in Indiana.
So taking what I loved back then and applying it now with family photography…
Creativity = with family photography, I still get to take pictures often (usually weekly)
Variety = Every family is different. I like to explore different locations in and out of town as well.
Curiosity = I get to know people better when they’re in front of my camera.
I also want to take the skills I learned back in college and apply them to how I approach a session right now. A portrait session can tell a family’s story. So what are the five elements to build a good photo story?
ESTABLISHING SHOT: This is where the photo story begins. I like to show the environment the family is in (their home, out in nature or in an urban setting). I imagine this type of image as being the first page spread of a photo book.
I usually shoot these images with a wide angle lens. The establishing shot tells the audience what the setting of the photos will be.
PORTRAITS: These images tells the audience who the cast of characters are. I make sure to get multiple close-ups of each family member by themselves. These can be silly or serious – but meant to capture the personality of each individual.
DETAILS: Supporting images that help tell the story. They might be close-ups on hands or features as well as details on outfits or any props.
INTERACTIONS – Hand’s down – these are my MOST favorite type of image to shoot. Action, reaction and interaction – all to show the relationships between family members. Here’s the heart of the story.
CLOSING SHOT – The image that wraps it all up. It can also be used at the end of the photo album. I prefer something silly or an image that clearly shows the end (ex. people walking away). For the silly ones, 90% of the time, these seem to involve Dads.
Going forward, two of my three packages will include photo book options, and using these five elements will make those story easier to show. It’s all about the characters and their connections in all their combinations.