I often stack sessions in the fall due to the volume of clients who want fall sessions so please make sure to account for traffic, getting lost, kid meltdowns, bathroom runs, and adjusting outfits/prep when you arrive. Arriving late isn't great for anyone and starts the session off in a mode of stress!
2. Dress for the weather and in layers + try on outfits ahead of time
I'd recommend not forcing your kids into warmer clothes on hot days and avoiding jackets on colder days. Plan your outfit options with a warmer and colder day in mind. Also, consider layers given sessions on colder days often start with more layers and these are quickly shedded once your kids get moving! Also, make sure you have tried on any new outfits for the session ahead of time to make sure everything is comfortable, fits, and your kids will like. September and October in Boston can be very unpredictable!
3. Bring water and small snacks + small tote bag for items
Given sessions often occur around the sunset hour, your kids might get thirsty and may want a snack. Given photoshoots happen once a year, this isn't the time to worry about a snack ruining dinner or adhering to a strict meal structure! The happiest kids are the ones who aren't hungry. Avoid packing any snacks that could linger in their hands and are small and quick to eat. Also, make sure to bring a bag to put your phone, car keys, etc. Specifically for dads - avoid having your keys or cell phone in your pocket!
4. Bring bug spray!
Many locations in the greater Boston area (even urban ones) will have mosquitos or gnats this time of year! If you're like me, you're a constant target for these little suckers. I always make sure to pack bug spray for fall sessions and encourage clients to do the same. Also, in grassier areas, ticks can be present so please make sure to do a tick check before getting back into your car.
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On the less personal side, lifestyle newborn work is far more challenging! During these sessions, I often need to carefully assess light and pay more attention to my camera settings; a setting that is one notch off could determine if a picture comes out just right or too dark, blurry, or washed out. I also enjoy the added challenge of how to use various contrasting colors in the foreground or background to make artistic and creative portraits. Since the main theme in my work is "loud and vibrant colors" I notice that most clients who choose to work with me have really colorful homes and value their decor being highlighted in their images...which is a major plus for me!
Bribes!
I sometimes suggest parents pack clear or non-sticky/visible candle for the session to give to kids as a reward for any specific shots. Also, small pez or marshmellows that dissolve quickly are another great bribe option!
Matching their flow!
This not only means allowing your toddler to wander or do what they want but also matching their curiosity in a flower, desire to explore a blade of grass, or looking at an airplane flying over together! Some of the most tender and truly "lifestyle" shots are captured in these non-posed moments where you are truly in sync and connecting with your child.
Take a deep breadth (or several)!
Honestly, the relative success of a session depends on how patient, calm, and positive you remain, especially if your toddler is really not in the mood to listen to you or me! This movement of "lifestyle" photography is all about natural moments, so if your toddler wants to do their own thing, I suggest we follow them and take advantage of moments where you're in the frame with them!
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1. Keeping your arms and hands limp and by your sides. Since connection is what I hope to capture, it's imperative you use any free hands or arms to touch your family members by putting your arm around their shoulders, holding hands, using any other free hand to rest on their hands, tickle, or caress your child! As strange as the term sounds, "unused" arms and hands make pictures appear too formal and stiff. Unless you ask for a few formal shots and one person on the end needs to have their arm down, it's always best to convey some kind of movement with your spare hands!
2. Always smiling at the camera vs. your family members. Though I definitely want you to at times smile at the camera, I want you smiling and looking at your family members MORE! The best lifestyle or candid shots are those where family members are enjoying each other vs. looking at the camera. Some of my favorite pictures are ones where there is a balance between maybe one person looking at the camera and everyone else looking at that person or others.
3. Waiting for me to give you cues to play, tickle, or explore! Though I'm happy to constantly direct family members if need be, the time will fly by and I'll get an even greater set if you come to the session prepared to have as many fun moments with your kids as possible! As an example, for my own family session, I already had in mind what jokes, secrets I was going to whisper, games I wanted to play, and facial expressions I was going to make in order to keep my kids engaged and excited to connect with me!
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Baby portraits against a white backdrop, comforter, or off white bed sheet
Crib Shots from multiple angles
Snuggles + Kisses from Mom or Dad
Overhead or Angled Shots from the Couch or Living Room Floors
Overhead or Angled Bed Shots
Various Angles on the Rocker
Against a Bookshelf or Wall Art
Standing Right Next to the Window
Newborn Portraits Against a Colorful Blanket, Carpet, Coach, or Fabric
The Nursery Floor + Wide Angle of the Space
Details of Hands, Feet, and Hair
A perfectly clean space!
Though I do recommend families clear their living room, bedroom, and nursery of excess clutter, if you aren’t able to get around to doing so, do not worry! I can help you arrange furniture, quickly vacuum, or move those everyday trinkets out of the way. I have no issues getting hands on during a session so I see this as a collaborative process. As a mom of two girls, my bathroom or common spaces are rarely ever clean or as neat as I want them to be…so do not feel you need to clean for me like I’m a guest!
Long nursing sessions or exposed body parts
Too often, a new mom apologizes to me while feeding for more than a few minutes or when she can’t quickly click that nursing bra back into place after a feed. I am quick to say “absolutely no need to apologize!” I’ve had two babies so I completely understand and want to normalize the nursing process that is still so stigmatized in front of others. If you're not nursing, do not feel the need to withhold giving your baby a bottle if they are hungry or you know getting some extra milk will help calm them down.
Stress tied to having a gassy, frequent pooper, colicky, or hard to soothe baby!
As mentioned, a baby’s main form of communication is crying so I expect them to be doing this more than gazing cutely into the camera lens when awake! I encourage new parents to take their time soothing their newborn and to not feel a pressure to get them to quiet down quickly for the sake of photos. Remember, we have two hours and all we really need is a few moments of calm in between everything else to get a great set!
Lack of fancy or pre-selected outfits and makeup!
I like to capture real people, in their real homes, in their REAL clothes! A good portion of my clients truly want non-advertisement type photos that focus on the reality of who they are. This means wearing either outfits you already have in your closet or what you'd be wearing on any normal maternity leave day. I think being comfortable and wearing what you want is very important in addition to presenting yourself authentically. For my own personal newborn session, I literally stayed in my nursing clothes, didn't put on any makeup, and just made sure my hair wasn't all over the place. I showed up as myself without any regrets and I encourage clients to do the same!
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I strongly recommend white, cream, or off white colors for tops. Other great options are neutrals, pastels, or even black or plaid for one parent! Given natural light isn’t always consistent in every room in a house, white clothing is best for bouncing and magnifying window light and can often brighten up pictures. Alternatively, black or a flowy lightly patterned clothing can hide the post-partum mid-section many moms who gave birth are often self-conscious about…but, I do shoot at angles and often do my best to avoid capturing any parts of one’s body that a new mom prefers to be less featured in photos. If you are nursing, I strongly recommend a top where you can easily nurse a few times during the session but that has a higher neckline so cleavage doesn’t get showcased in photos.
2. Shirts, sweaters, pants, or dress?
Personally, I’m a huge fan of maxi or A line knee level dresses for mom as these are not tight and do not rub up against any healing or sensitive parts of the body. A second favorite option is a comfortable casual tunic and leggings or sweater and leggings. For men, I strongly recommend going as simple as possible, so a plain t-shirt, plaid shirt, and comfortable khakis or other stretchy pants.
3. Avoid clothing with words, logos, or any loud patterns!
Clothing that doesn’t have distracting or contrasting elements in it will also keep the focus on the baby’s features and face, which is of prime importance in newborn photos! Also, our eyes are immediately drawn to words or pictures of large animals on clothes.
4. Keep shoes and socks off
Indoor sessions are meant to be informal, hence shoes not only add a layer of formality that isn’t authentic to in home sessions, they make it difficult to appear relaxed and comfortable on the couch or bed, where most newborn sessions take place. Socks, even if they are plain white or black, can be distracting and odd appearing in pictures as they sometimes aren’t identified as feet right away in pictures. Though I know many folks are not fans of their feet, trust that no one will be focusing on them and I will not be targeting them as the largest object in the picture!
5. What should your newborn wear?
Pick a few outfits you want to put your baby in, preferably one or two newborn onesie that is one color or lightly pattered or a few swaddle blankets if your baby is most comfortable being wrapped. Clothing that is too big or that your baby hasn’t grown into will often not look great and distract away from their tiny features. Also, avoid the spectrum of reds, oranges, and yellows as these colors tends to magnify newborn skin tones or imperfections.
I was obsessed with my colorful, easy to pack, and adjustable Etsy ring sling! Given my first baby was born under 6 lbs, I carried her in this non-stop for the first few weeks! I also loved all the different ways I could use it as she got older, including having her on my hip or with her legs out as she got bigger.
My worst and most stressful memories as a new mom were when my baby got sick. It’s always so scary to have a congested little one who can’t blow her own nose yet. Though this one took a long time to get used to for my oldest, my youngest practically begged for the nose Frida when she was stuffed up and it was one of the only ways in which I felt I could directly ease her pain when she was sick…not to mention that it felt really satisfying getting all those stuck boogers out and washing them away through the tube!
I wish I could remember which brand onesies we were gifted that changed diapers changes, but I can’t emphasize how much less stress and agitation I felt in the middle of the night when I had to change a diaper because of magnetic onesies! I really do not understand why all onesies aren’t magnetic or without the little buttons that can take some time to do with a kicking baby. I swear, half the time, I also got the buttons wrong!
A few friends had Gaiam exercise balls they would use in order to soothe their newborns and we jumped on board! I idea of swaying or walking back and forth the house seemed less appealing and realistic to me than just bouncing on a ball! Our first child quickly adapted to this method of falling asleep for daytime naps and we had to deflate it every time we traveled long distance or find one if we forgot it!
My husband and I were utterly unfamiliar with the contemporary sounds of generation Alpha (yes, that is what we call kids born in the 2010s), so we reverted back to what we knew as early millennials and quickly purchased a raffi playlist for the car and during windown at home after we realized youtube videos are hard to stream! I remember singing baby beluga as a six year old and now any raffi song reminds me of the first few months of being a new mom! My daughter still loves these songs…they will always be timeless!
After we sleep trained our first, we realized we needed something to help her understand when it was time to “wake up” or “snooze.” For a few weeks, she woke up too early and then was overtired before her first nap. Another mom suggested we get a Mella and after we decoded the somewhat nonintuitive buttons, the changing lights helped her “check the time” so to speak before officially making sounds to come get her! This is another items we had to take with us every time we traveled as she became a part of our family
This one is obvious given who I am, but I had to admit, I didn’t take enough pictures of my kids in their first year of life! Though iphone photos keep increasing in quality, I still personally recommend new parents invest in a solid DSLR camera to begin capturing their growing families! A great start camera is the Nikon D610, it’s the camera I started on as a professional and I still use it as a back up for sessions! Though a brand new one is still close to 1K, you can find some lightly used ones for a few hundred through B&H photo, especially now that it’s considered an “out of date” model.
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I usually recommend families secure a newborn session within the first two weeks of a baby’s birth in order to take advantage of a mostly sleeping baby and preserve all those features that seems to quickly evolve. In order to prepare for a newborn session, I recommend the following easy 4 tips:
- Declutter your window lit spaces! For most sessions, I try to use any room in the house that gets decent window light, including your bedroom, the living room, and the nursery. Though I can certainly help declutter and arrange your space when I arrive, we’ll have more time to spend on capturing you and little one if you’re able to do this ahead of time.
- Avoid turning on the lights. I almost always use natural light for indoor sessions as florescent or overhead light tends to be too orange, harsh, or creates unwanted shadows!
- Choose neutral color onesies + a few favorite swaddles. Typically, indoor sessions come with a lot of diverse colors in terms of space so I encourage families to avoid putting their little ones in onesies or outfits that could distract from their features. However, vibrant and patterned swaddles often look great in pictures against off color bedding!
- Feed baby beforehand. Though a newborn’s cycle is often unpredictable, I encourage moms to breastfeed or give bottled milk right before the session so we can start with a sleeping baby. I usually try to get detail portraits of a newborn first, so a happy and calm baby is best!
- Directional light greatly reduces the visibility of blemishes, scars, and other facial details
- Soft light creates a colorful bokeh or "glow" to images that give them a natural movie quality feel
- Defuse light amplifies emotions
- Despite golden hour being short compared to afternoon light, the sun moves fast during this window of time and the light changes every few minutes, giving some diversity to the sharpness or color of the sun
- Angled light gives a punch to the color of buildings, trees, and grass surrounding subjects
- Coordinate but do not match. Go with neutral colors such as greens, creams, yellows, blues, and maroon. Pick colors you gravitate towards as a family and also what colors might complement or look good on your walls at home if you plan to frame them in specific rooms. Also, start with mom’s outfit first and choose from there. A long dress, skirt/blouse top, or leggings and cardigan and sweater are perfect options for the fall.
Wear layers! Fall sessions tend to be unpredictable weather wise in Boston. We might get a particularly windy or cold day or a day that feels like spring! As such, layers are always best and plan to wear a cardigan or sweater over blouses and long sleeve shirts. Outer layers can also add more color to pictures, however, keep these on the lighter side and avoid bulky jackets as we will be moving around!
Hair. If you have long hair, I recommend you wear your hair down for some of the shots in order to get the natural flow and life through action shots with your kids! However, make sure bangs or messy hair of your kids doesn't constantly cover up the eyes or front of the face.
Patterns: stick with only one person having patterns and make these are small and not too visible. Multiple shapes or patterns tend to be overwhelming in images where the focus should be faces and the interaction. Some things to avoid: pinstripes, neon colors such as hot pink, too much makeup or jewelry, tight clothing, sweats or sports clothe
Balance. Make sure your color scheme complements between top clothing and bottom clothing so that if one person is wearing a maroon scarf or or khaki shirt the other is wearing a maroon or khaki pants. Another suggestion is for mom or another female identifying member to wear a skirt, dress, or one piece to avoid the infamous “line” in family photos that clearly cuts tops and bottoms and sometimes makes photos appear too formal or staged
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There are so many reasons why a family might opt to do an indoor session, the primary reason being a family books during the winter months and too cold to go outside! I would also encourage families who have more rambunctious, unpredictable, or fussy babies or toddlers to choose this option given kids are so much more comfortable in their home, where there’s easy access everything they might need to stay settled and it’s more contained. Home sessions also allow for more creativity and give families the option of using multiple rooms and semi-structured activities (painting please…) for a more documentary approach.
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So what do I think would make us a good fit? Here are seven key things to consider in lining up expectations:
1. You want a more candid/creative style vs. traditional portraits. I do not do school or studio type photos where everyone is sitting politely and smiling straight into the camera the entire time or where the background is more central than your relationships to one another. Sure, I try to get a few of these shots of everyone looking straight into the camera for the holiday card, but after that, the focus is then going to be on playing and having fun! One of my favorite things about lifestyle photography and one reason I continue to do it is to indulge my more artistic side. I appreciate images that reflect a more authentic "true to life" approach that centers spontaneous moments of connection.
2. You are a flexible and laidback person. Though what you want is very important to me and I do my best to capture your requested shots, I also expect you to be open minded with however your session unfolds. I want you to choose me because you trust and love my work and would be happy to get whatever authentic moments come out of the hour. If you feel you are extremely particular in your vision or tend to have a lot of requests, we may not be the best fit. Also, if you're a fall session and we get a rain date, I expect you to work with me in being as flexible as possible in finding another date (this might mean skipping a planned event, kids activity, or moving the session to sunrise, being flexible with a location change) given fall is my busiest season and Boston has gotten a lotta rain recently!
3. You aren’t afraid to get active! Family sessions come with a lot of playing and exploring. This might mean a willingness to sit in a field of tall grass, get some mud on your shoes as we walk through some unexpected terrain, or jump in a puddle if one happens to be in front of us! I of course do not expect you to get totally muddy or wet, but a few sprinkles of mud and water never hurt anyone if it's something your kids really want to do!
4. Your outfit style is more casual than formal. Since most of my sessions are outdoors and lifestyle in approach, clothing that allows for running, playing, and general motion is a lot better than outfits that make it hard to do these things, such as formal dresses, heels, or suits.
5. You care more about connecting with your kids/partner and want your photos to reflect these moments. This one is VERY important. If you feel you’re more focused on making sure your kids do not misbehave or follow directions than you are with playing or engaging them, we may not be the best fit. Also, keep in mind that the background is not that important for the style of photos I provide, so if you're more concerned about the trees or landmarks than you are with what is happening with you and your family in the foreground, we may not be the best fit. Most families who choose to work with me want images where they can say "this is totally us."
6. You are kind and see our relationship as a collaborative one vs. just a business transaction. Given I only take 40-45 sessions per year, I want to work with folks where there is mutual care and a desire to work collaboratively vs. one where I'm just providing a service. In essence, I hope to form a positive relationship with you and your family and prefer clients see me as a person first in addition to their photographer!
7. You communicate well. Since I do photography on the side and have another full time job, I hope to work with clients who are able to submit forms/payments on time without multiple reminders and who communicate clearly and in a timely manner.
Boston is full of amazing, talented, and incredible photographers. It’s important to take your time and find a photographer whose style, package, philosophy, and personality match your needs. I might be that person, or I may not be. I’ve found that once you find a good fit, your relationship with your photographer can last long after your kids are out of the house!
]]>In order to prepare kids under 6 for a family session, here is what I recommend:
- Delay nap times to early afternoon or before the session in order to ensure kids do not get too tired or cranky during the precious sunset hour. This often means their schedules will be off for a day or two, but trust me, pictures during sunset and golden hour make a world of a difference in image quality!
- Make sure your kids are well fed and have snacked beforehand. Many sunset sessions often occur during or shortly after dinner time so it’s important kids aren’t hungry during a shoot. I also encourage NOT packing snacks for the shoot given kids will often want to keep the snack in their hands while they continue to walk around or explore and crumbs or pieces of food can get stuck to their mouths or clothing.
- Pack a bag with extra wipes, water, or items you anticipate needing during the shoot and also to store your personal items – I will hold this bag along with my gear! Also, if you have really small ones, bring a stroller! I will bring a prop blanket for on the ground shots.
- When you have your kids, avoiding pointing to the camera, instead, tell your kids (particularly the little ones) "do you see the ladybug/froggie/butterfly on her camera" AND leave it mostly to me to direct your kids to look at me. Instead, focus on playing/tickling/snuggling/engaging them as you would if I were not there!
- If I suggest a pose and they do not cooperate (even after you try to tickle or play), let's take their lead and follow - I've found it's easier to go with their whims than trying to force them to do something specific when they really do not want to, this also leads to less resistance down the road!
- Kids are curious, they will get distracted by what they want to see, walk towards, or explore. When they do this, stand next to them and help them explore or demonstrate excitement about what they are doing.
- Bribes! I encourage using these in moments 1-2 times during the session. Clear candies that they can quickly eat and aren’t as visible in their mouth are best such as clear gummies, small m&ms, or mini starbursts.
- When I'm trying to get a portrait of one or multiple kids together and they aren't looking at me and I can't get their attention, hover right over my left/right shoulder (as close to my lens as you can) and get them to laugh or look at you!
- Have fun!
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Additionally, most days, I feel like I’m winging it as a mom and have embraced (or try to) all my imperfect moments as a parent. I want to make every family I work with feel NORMAL and seen throughout the process and view resistance, snot, flailing arms, and unwelcome distractions to be a part of the process. Many families come into a session thinking they need to get their kids to be as cooperative as possible and to make sure everyone looks their best. The last thing I want parents to feel is stressed or worried about presenting well. I encourage parents to allow their kids to wear the mismatched shoes they love so much or explore their natural surroundings and to focus on being present with their kids in whatever mindset they are in at the time. Moments of truth or imperfection are just as important as the shots families tend to put up on their walls. In fact, one reason I love to deliver all those “in between” moments is because I believe these real moments are the usually ones that parents will easily be able to pinpoint what they and their kids were feeling!
Since deciding to focus almost exclusively on newborns and families for 2022 and beyond, I got a lot of insights into what this relatively new genre of “lifestyle photography” is all about. In a nutshell, lifestyle photography focuses on everyday people, mainly families, and is a hybrid between documentary style photos that are not posed or guided at all and nudged candid shots (I like the phrase plandid) taken in order to document key milestones in a family’s life. One of the things I absolutely love about capturing families is allowing people to not only interact in authentic ways but also dress in outfits they feel most at home in or would actually wear on a special day. Clothing (and not overthinking outfits) is as central to telling the truth about a moment as is the actual moment between the people involved.
Lifestyle photography is also moving away from “everyone smile and look into the camera” and focusing on families playing together, doing an activity, and where a majority of moments have smiles or tender touch without kids having to look straight into the camera. This genre is perfect for families who are ready to engage their kids vs. trying to get their kids to “cooperate” and act in specific ways. Adding one’s artistic touch, finding the best light/angles, and amplifying natural emotions is heavy part of a lifestyle photographer’s job and I LOVE this creative challenge when kids aren't cooperating (my own kids give me plenty of practice on a day to day basis)! Plandid lifestyle sessions often come with significantly less stress for everyone involved and are perfect for folks who want to be captured just as they are - laughs, mismatched shoes, tantrums - all of it!
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First off, outfits do not need to be from expensive stores! Stores like Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Target, Old Navy, and H&M all have great choices. However, if you are in the mood to splurge, I’d recommend Carter’s or Hannah Andersson for kids (especially for patterned dresses) and Anthropologie or Mint Julep (for moms).
Second, I strongly encourage you to wear what you are comfortable in and what fits your personality and to coordinator outfits. Though you can certainly choose to have your kids wear matching dresses, vests, and shirts/pants, I’d recommend getting some variety in and having members complement one another.
Third, start with mom. Think about what dress, skirt, or pant/blouse options you love the most. I personally love midi or casual dresses that are all one color or lightly patterned and ankle length. If you choose patterns, I suggest everyone else wear solid colors. For kids, I recommend avoiding stripes/dots and patterns and logos that will distract from facial expressions or the scenery. If you want someone to wear patterns, select a pattern that isn’t going to distract from the smiles and backdrop and one that isn’t so visible, such as small flowers/animals, etc. If your kids are small, one pieces are a great choice, such as rompers, overalls, or dresses (though make sure to have under covers or tight shorts for dresses to avoid underwear creeping into shots). For dads, keep it simple! A plain shirt with khakis or jeans are ideal! Lastly, in terms of clothing choice, avoid everyone being in tops and pants to avoid the infamous “cut” or line in standing photos.
Fourth, keep color schemes in mind. Spring/summer sessions usually come with flowers in full bloom that are usually pink, white, and if we are lucky, some yellows, and the brightest landscape colors (lots and lots of lush and bright greens). As such, consider lighter colors – especially light/faded green (avoid the deeper greens that are similar to the color of grass), light blues, yellows, and pinks to complement most outdoor backgrounds. Here are some other popular colors schemes for the spring/summer:
- Denim and tan
- Glitter and white
- Blush and teal
- Blush and white
- Light blue, tan and white
- Light blue, yellow and white
- Tan and white
- Orange and teal
- Light blue, tan and white
- Blue, green and yellow
- Pink, light blue, blush
- Pink, orange, and white
Fifth, plan for a colder and warmer day by layering and choosing sweaters that continue to complement outfits. I often encourage clients to avoid any heavy jackets or even petticoats and choose mauve, beige, or white sweaters when the weather is slightly colder. If it's really cold, rest assured that you can put your jacket and warmer clothing right back on between a burst of shots! Lastly, do not stress alone! Once you book a session, I can help you choose outfits and offer specific suggestions as we move through the process together!
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What most people who go through trending candid family shots on social media do not know is that even the most spontaneous moments are due to clear and concise directions from the photographer! Here are just a snapshot of a few of my favorites from recent fall sessions:
Sneak Up
I tell a parent(s) to sneak up and surprise their kids with tickles or a tight hug or tell kids to sneak up on their parents! This one never gets old
The Hammock
With my prop crocket blanket, kids sit in the middle and get a light swing!
Sky Gaze
Everyone lies down on my prop blanket for some snuggles!
Toss up
A basic one – dad or mom throws a child up in the air while others watch!
Parachute
This one has several names, but kids LOVE it when parents hold the prop blanket and try to catch them with it as they run under
Super Hero
One or both parents try to swing their kiddo towards the camera, either with locked hands (for a larger child) or holding them (best for toddlers/babies)
Tickle time
I will ask for this every few minutes (unless a kid clearly expresses no tickles)
“Group hug:” everyone wraps their arms around each other; cheek to cheek!
When my baby was about 6 months and my oldest was 3, we booked our first session. I remember being racked with anxiety thinking about how I was going to get my girls into their dresses, what to do if one of them had tantrums during the shoot…fear…oh no…what if…etc. etc. Once we started, I had one too many moments where I got caught in trying to get my 3 year old to actually look at the camera and stay within 10 feet of me (she’s a runner in any non-contained space). My efforts to get my girls to “cooperate” didn't exactly ruin the experience, but made it less enjoyable. Even when we got our gallery (which had many great shots), it was layered with memories of stress from that day.
For my second session a year later, I went into it with a completely different attitude and one I know to be vital in making sessions a success when I’m behind the camera. I simply LET GO. I didn’t stress about what they were going to wear, even giving in when my toddler wanted to wear dirty pink crocs…a picture of her screaming when we tried to take them off continues to be a favorite! I focused on playing, following my kids leads, and just tickling my 4 year old (she loves touch and to be tickled), all of which led to not only a stunning gallery of smiles and laughs, but fonder memories when I see the pics on my fridge. The overall set of images also felt more like "us" as we were never in positions we wouldn't normally be in when playing inside our house. This experience fueled my own desire to set my families up for success (mentally and logistically), which you can read about in an upcoming post!
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Given my trip to India in 2010 was the catalyst for my desire to pick up my camera more, it’s no surprise that I LOVE capturing Indian fusion ceremonies as it brings together multiple dimensions of my own identity and so many aspects of the day are deeply familiar and personal to me. A “fusion” Indian wedding often involves the blending of two cultures, between the couple and within an individual who feels they want to honor multiple parts of their identity as a second or third generation immigrant and South Asian American. What I really love about these weddings is observing what elements of a Hindu/traditional Indian ceremony will be “fused” or brought together with more western traditions, such as the choice to have the wedding on a farm or vineyard (NOT a hotel...where many more traditional Indian ceremonies take place), or modifying outfits (such a lengha/dress blend), having a first look, and hiring a DJ that alternates between bhangra and billboard dance songs.
One difficult dimension to being a wedding photographer is often feeling separate from the event and in a clear outsider role. I do not feel this way when I am hired to shoot Indian weddings as I’m often immediately and frequently mistaken by guests as a good friend or family member doing a favor for the couple – an erroneous assumption that I welcome as it symbolizes a sense of belonging I’m already feeling when I’m there. Plus, there are sooo may details and cultural nuances I'm usually already familiar with, which often relieves the couple from having to explain or prepare me for the many expected and unexpected parts of the day, such as…time delays…assertive aunties who want family pictures…where to stand during a baraat or how to weave my way into an unmovable crowd…time delays…making sure I am front and center when the garlands are exchanged (equivalent to rings being exchanged)…and so so much more!
One of my favorite fusion weddings was Garrett and Krishanti’s wedding at Unionville Vineyard in Ringoes, NJ. The bride is a total bad ass – plays in a femme-punk rock band in Brooklyn! This wedding was small and honored Krishanti's Tamil and Hindu roots while also reflecting many parts of their shared alternative NYC lives.
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