The Cormiers

I really love in home sessions and this one was a pretty awesome reminder as to why. Amanda and I have kids who are similar ages and we periodically cross paths around our cozy town where it seems like there are always family and kid activities happening. Last fall, I shot a mini session with Amanda and her kids on a chilly morning in the Fells but this was such a different experience and not just because Amanda and her husband were in the photos this time. At an in home session,  I get to peek in on a family’s real world. Everyone feels more at ease in their home and this is especially so for kids. It’s less of an issue that I am essentially a stranger because at an in home session, I’m a stranger on their turf. There’s an unspoken understanding among the kids that if you, the parents have welcomed me into your home, then I must be okay and life can go on as it normally does.

To be clear, that doesn’t mean that at an in home lifestyle session, there are no posed family shots.  Of course I want you to have images of all of you together because aside from using a tripod, (which let’s face it, it gets a little awkward,) it’s the one shot you simply can’t take on your own. So early on in the session,  I prioritize getting some cozy full family shots and at least a few where everyone looks at the camera. I will confess that my favorites are often the ones when it turns out that some people are looking at each other and everyone is cracking up at the momentary silly feeling that accompanies posing but I completely appreciate the desire for a family shot with everyone looking. After that though, where the session goes is anyone’s guess.  I just try my best to follow the kids’ lead as they rarely steer me wrong.

At this session, that meant that we visited the kids’ bedrooms, worked on making some banana bread (smashing the bananas is the best part, after all) and had some floor time with the Duplos. In between the actual activities, I noticed that the staircase had some really beautiful light coming in from a side window so I had each of the kids step away from playing for a moment to sit with Amanda for some portraits, followed by a few shots of just Tim and Amanda together and the results there were among my favorite shots from the day.   There are smiles and laughs throughout the many of the images and there is a visible connection between the whole family. Still, it’s the quiet tenderness that came through on all of the staircase shots that to me is the purest capture.

The weather is warming up and I know that in the next few weeks, most of my sessions will start to shift to being outside in beautiful locations as everything starts to come alive again.  I love spring and summer and I do get giddy thinking about beach sessions and the hazy, golden light that’s coming.  And yet, I’m so grateful for weather conditions that coax us all indoors once in a while.  Beach sunsets and meadows bursting with bright flowers can make lovely backdrops but coming inside reminds us that simplicity is underrated and that all that we really need is usually right in front of us. Here are a few of my many favorites: