A DEElightful Family | Father’s Day Portraits
I love photographing families. I love it even more when we do something different, go somewhere off the beaten path, think outside the box.
Gina came to me with an idea for a SURPRISE Father’s Day session. Within a few days, we made her dream a reality.
I showed up early at The Landing Beer Garden in Wauwatosa. I staked out our table and then, as the surprise-(d)ees arrived, I LITERALLY hid in the bushes to catch them walking to the park. Have you ever been photographed by someone with a giant telephoto lens without knowing it*? Me neither, but it was creepy for me, too. I’ll tell you what, though, it was totally worth it.
(*I don’t make a habit of this and please understand that ultimately, I DID have permission since this was prearranged with Gina. This is my official statement in case you think I need one.)
I was there to capture their afternoon together telling stories and sharing jokes. I was there to photograph Pop with his grandchildren. These photos represent time captured in a bottle. Um, ok, bad analogy since they were drinking out of glasses, but still. These are the moments we want to remember forever.
And now they will…whenever Chris looks at his Father’s Day portraits hanging on the wall in their home or the kids flip through their book… it will all come rushing back to them.
Here’s your BONUS Photo Tip:
How to get your husband excited about family portraits when nothing else will work
Tell him what to wear and when to show up.
Tell him it will be fun. Not dentist office fun but, let’s say, road trip fun.
Tell him he can have a beer. Why not? Having a session at your local beer garden is a great way to incorporate the love for his family AND his second love… that golden nectar from the brewing gods.
All joking aside, one of the reasons some dads don’t value family photos as much as we wish they did is because they know, behind the scenes, the Picture Perfect Family in the frame is not “them”. My goal is to make your family portraits REAL. Sure, we want those beautifully posed shots so we can see everyone’s clean faces, smiling and happy. But there’s nothing wrong with a hearty laugh, a shrug or even an eyeroll. Okay, yes... even a cold frosty beer.
Family photos this summer are booking fast, especially if you want a weekend. Let’s talk about how we can make this a fun annual activity for your family.
