I think it's a shame that for us on-location photographers in Seattle, business slows down a bit - okay, a LOT, in the wintertime. Don't get me wrong, I definitely get the appeal of our summer warmth, but I truly believe that anytime of year is a great time to shoot.
While the weather, the location, the styling can all play into the feeling of the shoot & appearance of final photos, the absolute, hands-down, most important factor is YOU - the subject, the purpose, whatever reason that this shoot is taking place. The reason you have hired, paid, and signed a contract for someone else to take these photos of you.
I love parents Todd & Becky for recognizing this split moment in their lives. As their 5 year wedding anniversary was fast approaching, they had also just celebrated the 3rd birthday of their first son, and the first birthday of their youngest. Holidays are right around the corner, and really, their plates couldn't be more full. But they stopped for photos. They made time for photos. To them, this was a moment in time that needed to be documented.
I was a bit nervous. We'd planned an early morning shoot (for reasons of sunlight & kids' best moods), and it. was. cold. Super cold. So cold, the grass was frozen white. I had no idea how the kids would react to the weather. I was most nervous about Chase, the one-year-old getting cold. But as always, I took a deep breath, filled my mind with positive thoughts, and headed in.
I chose a few of my favorites to post here, and I'm going to take a quick moment to tell what I like about each shot. Yes, photos do speak for themselves, but hey, it's a blog, and I just feel the need to say what's in my head tonight...
While the weather, the location, the styling can all play into the feeling of the shoot & appearance of final photos, the absolute, hands-down, most important factor is YOU - the subject, the purpose, whatever reason that this shoot is taking place. The reason you have hired, paid, and signed a contract for someone else to take these photos of you.
I love parents Todd & Becky for recognizing this split moment in their lives. As their 5 year wedding anniversary was fast approaching, they had also just celebrated the 3rd birthday of their first son, and the first birthday of their youngest. Holidays are right around the corner, and really, their plates couldn't be more full. But they stopped for photos. They made time for photos. To them, this was a moment in time that needed to be documented.
I was a bit nervous. We'd planned an early morning shoot (for reasons of sunlight & kids' best moods), and it. was. cold. Super cold. So cold, the grass was frozen white. I had no idea how the kids would react to the weather. I was most nervous about Chase, the one-year-old getting cold. But as always, I took a deep breath, filled my mind with positive thoughts, and headed in.
I chose a few of my favorites to post here, and I'm going to take a quick moment to tell what I like about each shot. Yes, photos do speak for themselves, but hey, it's a blog, and I just feel the need to say what's in my head tonight...
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This first one was just for me. A selfish & personal shot. I have been wanting an Autumn/Leafy shoot and just couldn't believe I would be getting it all the way in December! So happy the leaves are still falling. So pretty.
This is one of my favorite family shots ever captured. The look this little guy is giving his dad says so much. They eyes are so powerful, and my heart swells every time I look at this.
In my opinion, this is a great family shot. I know, poor Lawson's face isn't featured too well (the 3-year old in mom's arms), but the laughter and joy screams out loud from within the print, and I love that. And Lawson gets some more camera time later, so all is well :)
I laugh every time I look at this one, and then I feel bad because Chase looks so incredibly sad. But I can't help but giggle. It's just an ironic shot because most kids find falling leaves so fun and fascinating, but not Chase. He was happiest when in mom or dad's arms. I loved the vibrant color in the original shot, but thought the expression played out well in vintage too. Don't hate me for loving his sad, adorable face...
Lawson. 3 years old. Carefree and so adorable. This is a great shot for me as a photographer, because we were in a completely shaded area underneath a gigantic tree, and only one stream of sunlight was shining through, about 10 inches wide. Lawson was running around like a wild man, and I was ready when this happened. Check out the sunlight hitting those leaves. This is waiting for the shot!
Love this family shot on the left. Not planned by me at all. Just naturally happened. Same with little Chase on the right. I imagine he planted himself in that spot for a few moments because the sunlight was warming his back. Amazing that such a cool morning could look so warm.
This is one of those shots that I keep staring at, and I can't even quite figure out why. These types of shots always end up being my favorites because they make me think.
Parents are always the best at entertaining their kids. I love this one on the right because big brother is so happy, but little brother is soooo not amused. Such is life, huh?
Father and son. Priceless.
Love this one on the left because of the sun flare & the fact that dad decided to throw them up on this gigantic tree stump about 5 feet high (don't worry - mom and dad were doing a great job spotting!). And this shot on the right is because ever kid needs a classic black and white of their parents. I love looking at photos of my parents when my sister and I were young. It's fun to see them at different times in their life. I think the parents are just as important to document as the kids.
On the left, big brother leading little brother... need I say more? And this shot on the right was one of our last shots of the day. Great winter colors & everyone's having fun. Just feels good.
The oldest brother of this family is definitely the oldest brother. (And I mean that in the nicest form of the word!)
Patrick is the one who organized the shoot, interviewed several photographers, and came to my consultation to help me learn about the family so that we could design a shoot that would be fun for everyone. And while he gave me a bit of background about himself, his parents, and his four younger brothers, one theme became crystal clear: This family is tighter than rush hour traffic, and ain't nothing getting between them.
This only became more obvious when Jake and I had the chance to meet everyone in person the night of the shoot, and we were hooked from the beginning by their smiles, their laughter, and their super positive energy.
In a nutshell, here's how it went down:
Enjoy a few shots from our shoot below :)
It is imperative that I preface these next 3 photos by stating that I NEVER ask clients to do the "jumping shot." I am sure you have seen similar shots elsewhere. I know, as well, that there are those who love the jumping shot (it creates such unique expressions!), and those who are less enthusiastic about it. I sit on neither side of the fence. If the energy and enthusiasm is there, and my clients want it, I say, why not?! But I would never ask anyone to do it without those elements. These brothers were full of boundless energy this evening, and the only place to take it was, you guessed it, UP! I think these would make some pretty sweet wall enlargements!
Patrick is the one who organized the shoot, interviewed several photographers, and came to my consultation to help me learn about the family so that we could design a shoot that would be fun for everyone. And while he gave me a bit of background about himself, his parents, and his four younger brothers, one theme became crystal clear: This family is tighter than rush hour traffic, and ain't nothing getting between them.
This only became more obvious when Jake and I had the chance to meet everyone in person the night of the shoot, and we were hooked from the beginning by their smiles, their laughter, and their super positive energy.
In a nutshell, here's how it went down:
- Kick off shoes
- Uncork the wine
- Toast to family being together, when currently living across states
- Brothers tell funny stories of each other, everyone laughs & unwinds
- I stole Mom & Dad for a little walk along the beach. Because I love my mom & dad and know how much I cherish every photo I have of them. And parents holding hands? Even sweeter.
- A few nice family shots
- A few crazy family shots
- Chill out, watch the sunset
Enjoy a few shots from our shoot below :)
It is imperative that I preface these next 3 photos by stating that I NEVER ask clients to do the "jumping shot." I am sure you have seen similar shots elsewhere. I know, as well, that there are those who love the jumping shot (it creates such unique expressions!), and those who are less enthusiastic about it. I sit on neither side of the fence. If the energy and enthusiasm is there, and my clients want it, I say, why not?! But I would never ask anyone to do it without those elements. These brothers were full of boundless energy this evening, and the only place to take it was, you guessed it, UP! I think these would make some pretty sweet wall enlargements!
Sabrina:
Amazing, once again!! Thanks for sharing! :)
(08.28.09 @ 10:30 PM)
erin:
wow.wow.wow. love the jumping shots! they need to be in a magazine! you did it again!
(08.29.09 @ 08:26 PM)
Leticia Brown:
These are wonderful. I love how happy they all are.
(08.30.09 @ 04:06 PM)
Shelley:
i love this family and don't even know them! such amazing pics Joe! love you!
(08.31.09 @ 09:15 AM)
Joey Nicole:
Thanks everyone for your lovely comments! This family was so much fun to work with, and they truly are as fun and happy as they look in these images. It was a great shoot. Glad it shows :)
(08.31.09 @ 10:29 AM)
Meghan:
Joey! Wow - these are incredible! You did such an amazing job. . . . I am really glad that I reccommended you for the Mathern family - you totally captured them perfectly.
(08.31.09 @ 10:47 AM)
Some families move around a lot, for military, job promotions, or whatever various reasons. Not us. I lived in the same home from the time I was born until I was 17. And then we moved. Across the street.
I consider myself really lucky. To live in the same town and grow up with the same neighbors and friends is comforting... is safe... is familiar. I have a certain bond and connection to these people that has never been matched by anyone I have met later in life. Whenever I see anyone from the neighborhood I feel instantly warm... happy... like no time has passed at all. These friends and neighbors truly are like family.
The Millers are part of my neighborhood family. For 17 years, I grew up right next door to them, and at age 17, we moved right across the street from them. Their two sons, Trevor and Todd are close to the same ages as my sister and I, so our parents are close as well. My sister, Shelley, even still has a mark on her face from a snowball fight with them when we were kids :) Ah, the memories! Though all of us have since married and moved out, my parents and Judy & Leroy (the joyful grandparents shown here) still live in those homes.
I was so honored when Judy said that the whole family would be together, and asked if I would take some family photos. Joined by 3 grandchildren now, I knew this would be an adventurous shoot. We only had a day to get this done, and after days and days of sun, a storm decided to roll right on in and threaten our sunset shoot. Luckily, we were able to move the shoot to earlier in the day, and everything worked out perfectly. I just love myself a little bit of stormy textured sky too :)
I consider myself really lucky. To live in the same town and grow up with the same neighbors and friends is comforting... is safe... is familiar. I have a certain bond and connection to these people that has never been matched by anyone I have met later in life. Whenever I see anyone from the neighborhood I feel instantly warm... happy... like no time has passed at all. These friends and neighbors truly are like family.
The Millers are part of my neighborhood family. For 17 years, I grew up right next door to them, and at age 17, we moved right across the street from them. Their two sons, Trevor and Todd are close to the same ages as my sister and I, so our parents are close as well. My sister, Shelley, even still has a mark on her face from a snowball fight with them when we were kids :) Ah, the memories! Though all of us have since married and moved out, my parents and Judy & Leroy (the joyful grandparents shown here) still live in those homes.
I was so honored when Judy said that the whole family would be together, and asked if I would take some family photos. Joined by 3 grandchildren now, I knew this would be an adventurous shoot. We only had a day to get this done, and after days and days of sun, a storm decided to roll right on in and threaten our sunset shoot. Luckily, we were able to move the shoot to earlier in the day, and everything worked out perfectly. I just love myself a little bit of stormy textured sky too :)
............
When working with families with young children, I never guarantee a family shot with everyone facing the camera. I just refuse to force it. What fun is that? This first image is an example of a shot that *almost* didn't happen, but help from all the right people, we got it. Grandparents and grandkids. And it's imperfect-yet-perfect. And I love it.
Little Miss Ashley said, "Are we DONE taking photos yet?" and then posed like this. So, ummm.... no Miss Ashley, if you're going to keep looking so cute, I am nowhere near done taking photos...
Little Reagan, age 2, and curious about me which worked out great
Grandparents holding hands. Does it get any sweeter than this??
I guess it does... happy grandparents holding hands!
How old are you, Ashley? That's right, 4!
Nothing is more fun that letting dad carry you around the park on his leg :)
Just precious.
Again, I never guarantee a shot like this, but soooooo love when it does work out!
Kat:
Ahh! I can't decide who's cuter... the kids, or the grandparents. :) I also love how kids get so used to telling people their ages that sometimes, when you meet them, they tell you their name and then just go right into their age. "Hewwo, my name is Ashwey and I'm fouw yeaws owd." It always makes me want to say my name/age back, but it just isn't the same when you're in the double-digits.
(08.14.09 @ 12:22 PM)Wow. It has been one crazy month. In the last 2.5 weeks, we have photographed one destination wedding, one local wedding, one unique wedding ceremony, one engagement shoot, one family shoot, and even a commercial shoot. And we even decided to change our company name in the middle of it all. I am dizzy to say the least!
The greatest part of it all is being able to be surrounded by the love these couples and families share, and to experience these fantastic celebrations of that love. At times I feel like an intruder... like these moments are so private and so intimate, that I shouldn't be there... that they should be able to sink away and take it all in privately. But, somehow, I manage to disappear into the background and capture it. I am truly one lucky lady to be included in these moments.
I don't have time right now to give everyone a full blog post yet (but I will when I catch my breath a bit!), so enjoy a single image from each event our last few weeks.
The greatest part of it all is being able to be surrounded by the love these couples and families share, and to experience these fantastic celebrations of that love. At times I feel like an intruder... like these moments are so private and so intimate, that I shouldn't be there... that they should be able to sink away and take it all in privately. But, somehow, I manage to disappear into the background and capture it. I am truly one lucky lady to be included in these moments.
I don't have time right now to give everyone a full blog post yet (but I will when I catch my breath a bit!), so enjoy a single image from each event our last few weeks.
A beautiful mountainside shot from Zandy and Jason's destination wedding in Bozeman, Montana:
A glimpse of Andrea & Brian's engagement shoot... yep... this is on a yacht!
Liz and Jeff were married on the 4th of July and are now celebrating in St. Lucia...
Annie and Jyun had a very intimate wedding ceremony at a Japanese Shinto Shrine...
Sisters being oh-so-cute for me at their family shoot this past weekend!
Davis Dawn:
I loved your summer update! Wow... you just keep getting better and better! Everyone here is blessed to have you as their photographer. Way to go Joey! ~ Dawn
(07.15.09 @ 11:13 PM)
Zandy:
You have such a beautiful way of really catching a moment Joey!
(07.18.09 @ 05:30 PM)
Imagine a warm Spring afternoon...
You're at a park downtown on the Seattle waterfront.
You hear birds chirping...
Children giggling...
And everywhere around you, people are smiling.
It almost seems too good to be true.
But it's not.
It's just another day in the life of a beautiful family. A family where the daughters dance the fine line between loving and teasing each other, and where the proud parents still flirt, show affection, and make time to train a young puppy.
Jake and I recently had the pleasure of spending a late afternoon with parents Masha and Jason, and their three delightful young ladies, Claire, Emma, and Isabel. 16-week old Jack made a guest appearance as well.
Enjoy a few images from our day at the park. A sunny bunch of bright balloons became a fun diversion for the girls :)
You're at a park downtown on the Seattle waterfront.
You hear birds chirping...
Children giggling...
And everywhere around you, people are smiling.
It almost seems too good to be true.
But it's not.
It's just another day in the life of a beautiful family. A family where the daughters dance the fine line between loving and teasing each other, and where the proud parents still flirt, show affection, and make time to train a young puppy.
Jake and I recently had the pleasure of spending a late afternoon with parents Masha and Jason, and their three delightful young ladies, Claire, Emma, and Isabel. 16-week old Jack made a guest appearance as well.
Enjoy a few images from our day at the park. A sunny bunch of bright balloons became a fun diversion for the girls :)
ZinchukStudios:
Love the balloons (everything is better with balloons ;) ) and love the location--it's one of our favorite places to shoot. The colors are warm and happy :) Great job!
(07.01.09 @ 11:27 AM)
Very nice the family shots!
(01.04.10 @ 04:25 PM)