My First REAL Portrait Session... the Z Family

Repeat after me: I will NEVER complain again that a professional photographer charges too much money.

Now that I've:
...scouted locations
...taken sample pictures for free for others
...learned just how many hours it takes to edit 90 photographs and sort through over 300
...seen how much of a holiday weekend might get eaten up on a 'job'
...printed pictures and run errands and purchased props
...etc

I won't be complaining again the next time I pay someone to take our family portraits. Seriously.

The wonderful thing about BEING the photographer, though - is that if you LOVE what you do - even working for peanuts is worth it. I ADORE capturing people. Even when the photos aren't perfect. People are so amazing and beautiful - even the ones who don't think that they are (especially those people).



Funny... but the pictures you think you will throw out later - those are often the ones that grow on you and make you smile the most. The photo above is one of those for me. They wore white shirts, but they brought red ones for a 'Christmas' shot that we thought would work better with the letters I brought along. I mistakenly handed the letters to the kids before they changed in to their red shirts... but the kids were so excited to do this shot, I went ahead and photographed them. Even if they don't buy prints of this shot, I just adore it. I'm happy to have it in my portfolio.

What I learned:
1. Plan to spend more than 2 hours if there are more than 2 kids.
2. Plan to get to the site earlier on an evening shot if you will be spending more than 2 hours! HEY - newsflash to me: The sun GOES DOWN.
3. Make sure to check the ISO on every picture to make sure you don't ruin a lot of good ones.
4. RELAX
5. Mom knows her kids best. I loved it that this mom was very involved and outspoken to request things and stop the process to fix things she thought might be 'out of place'.

My husband jokes that he shoots guns and I shoot people. [Thankfully, he doesn't use his guns to shoot people.]



I love shooting people [with my camera]. It is a love affair that is just beginning... one that birthed my fledgling photography business and one that is certain to stick around with me as long as I can carry a camera around and 'see' the world through it.

As soon as I get my website up for the photography business, I'll be sure to post about it. Until then, I'll pop a few client proofs in here to see what you think - whenever I can get clients, that is... Or I'll just make you look at endless pictures of the Viking baby and his older siblings. Whatever keeps me clicking!