I want to talk about trust and the importance of documenting your story. How are you documenting your unique story? And yes, your story is important. Choosing a photographer you trust is a big deal. In order to get those candid, natural shots everyone loves, you need to trust the one giving you direction. Often times the difference between a good photo and a breathtaking one has little to do with you as the subject and everything with how your photographer deals with light and posing/direction. So chose a photographer whose work and experience you fully trust to capture your story in a beautiful way.
That leads me to my next point. We might tell ourselves, “Why not just have a friend who’s kinda good with her nice camera take some photos of my family in a field?” Or, “I’ll probably choose the photographer who costs half as much and gives all the digitals away.” Or, “I’ll wait until I lose these five extra pounds, my children are well-behaved, and I find the perfect flattering outfit ensemble.” But I guarantee that in ten or twenty years when you reflect back on those images, you’ll wish you’d invested a few hundred dollars more to preserve that beautiful time in your life.
Hiring someone who’s professional, has experience, and really knows how to use their equipment is worth it. It’s a much better experience when you don’t have to do much except show up on time for your session and have fun. And that’s what I do for my clients. I create an experience and we build a relationship.
Photographs are preserved memories. Just like every time I smell garlic cooking, it takes me back to my step mom’s kitchen preparing her Brazilian rice that I cannot seem to recreate myself. A photo is the same. When you look at it, it immediately strikes up a memory from when it was captured. Don’t you want to have great memories behind documenting your unique story?
If you hire someone who only provides digital files, what are you going to show your kids in twenty years? I’m a firm believer in both digital AND the tangible, which is why nearly all my collections include the option for both. Make sure your photographer offers tangible products. Don’t you want to display what you’ve invested your time and money into that highlights your beautiful story?! There’s plenty of us that have tight budgets, but I promise you, it’s worth saving for. Also, don’t wait until everything is “perfect,” document your life now before it passes you by.
Hiring a photographer is a very personal choice. You’re essentially opening a private door into your life and inviting them in to document your unique story. Most people think, “Oh, we just need family photos for a Christmas card every year, and they don’t have to be the best quality. We just need one good one of everyone smiling and matching.” While this is important to most people, it’s heart warming to see tears streaming down my clients’ faces during their viewing session when they realize it was worth every penny investing in documenting the small details that make up their story.
These little details may not seem important when booking their photo session, but will hold value in a few years when the kids have drastically changed. It’s important to capture those little hands, or your seven-year-old’s snaggle tooth, or the slightly bad haircut your son had because he took scissors to his own hair (that you’ll laugh about later).
If family sessions aren’t your jam, or maybe your husband LOATHES taking family photos, then it’s worth considering a Day in the Life Storytelling Session (aka Day Session). After telling stories for over ten years, THESE are why I absolutely love my job as a photographer. These sessions truly open a window into your story; who you are as individuals and as a family. They tell your story through documentary-style images and video.
Capturing your sweet little child’s voice and the funny way they say certain words, like “shoes” with a lisp, or the expression they make when stealing a taste of cookie dough while baking together, or discovering slugs on a walk through the forest. It’ll make sense that your six-year-old was a chicken for Halloween because I’ll capture you feeding your backyard chickens together, each of which she helped name since she’s obsessed with them. These really are the days. And boy, do they speed by.
With these Day Sessions, there’s really no pressure to “perform” or “act perfect.” You simply live out your day and let me document it. It can be as simple as making your favorite meal together and visiting your favorite park. Or feeding the chickens. After seeing all your little moments tied together, you’ll realize just how unique, beautiful, and truly special your story is.
A professional photographer is an investment. If you value documenting your unique story, creating custom family art legacies to pass down, and can save for it, don’t think twice…do it.
I suggest finding a photographer you wholeheartedly trust, and if it continues to go well, keep hiring them to document your life. It’s well worth it (even if you have to eat PB&J’s for dinner a few nights to save for it). You’ll also likely get the added bonus of making a new, trusted friend who becomes like family.
Interested in booking a session? Peruse my site, www.LaurenAllenPhotography.com, or email me here.
