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Bridgeport, Connecticut Cake Smash Photography Session
MaaaaaNY years ago, I learned that a photographer ( wedding photographer for example) isn’t just a person who photographs a wedding, but incorporates techniques from product photography, family photography, landscape photography, storytelling, and event coordination, just to name a few. These people don’t just translate their vision into images but, for lack of better words, organize and run the day with constraints of transportation, weather, venue, etc. To do so, one must talk and at times lol talk A LOT. So it’s no wonder that in my professional photography life, I just don’t shut up. It’s funny at times when Angela and I are photographing together, she would turn to me and say “Please, just stop talking already” – at which point, my self and the clients have a good laugh and I continue not shutting up.
But this talking-talking-talking also allows me to get to know people sometimes. To learn who my clients are, and what they are about, we DO NOT talk politics or religion, but I’m confident that what unites all of us is LOVE for family, and we all want to preserve our memories. So this story is about Miss Sophia.
Parents reached out to us over a month ago, and it took time, planning, discussions, and about 30 different emails to finalize and get ready for the session. As I’ve pointed out in previous blogs, we don’t text but email, and a few reasons for that are: in the text, I won’t know who I’m talking with as I won’t store the person’s name especially if the retainer wasn’t paid and we are still hammering out details, however, in the email the I use that has the notes for the session, the images/ the requests and because we have few team members, any one of them can access and reply to an email and/or use the information for session details while setting up. Also, we can forward the email to the editors for them to see exactly what the client is asking for. The point is, it’s a great tool. AaaaaaaaaaaaaaNYways – see, I told you, I won’t shut up lol
Here comes Sophia. Being a wedding/family photographer, you learn to notice really cool features about people. In the case of Miss Sophia, it was her look. Most kids have the look but her look was more of curiosity and “I’m reading your body language” type of thing. Parents came in, we went through highlights of the session, as in what to expect from the session, and with many of our sessions, we send out a copy of the contract before clients pay the retainer to eliminate any misconceptions/”I thoughts”/’surprises’/etc. We don’t like any of those and therefore eliminate them from our sessions.
We started the session with Daddy and Baby and as expected, Miss Sophia is a serious baby. We then introduced Mommy into the mix, got a few family shots, and then got Mommy and her favorite baby girl :). As with most of our sessions, we finish the family set with silhouettes/high-key images. A couple of years ago, we started doing these images as a regular repertoire, and it was a huge success. First and foremost, it allowed us to create different types of images, and # 2 they are unique. What’s more, using the simple art of photography (yes, photography is an art) we go from High Key to Silhouette and back in a matter of a split second. So we like to do these setups, and clients seem to enjoy them as well.
After family, we went into the Pre-Cake Smash. Mommy was next to Sophia, a hand reaching away… The safety of the baby, our clients in general, is OUR utmost importance. I know that some people say that, but what makes us different is my current and past careers. Between EMS and Nursing, Safety for the patient is the number one priority; it’s a huge umbrella that encompasses many aspects, but it really is the priority. Therefore, when I tell the clients what I expect from them during certain sets, I mean it (actually seriously) because #1 I know what could happen if one is hurt, and I really don’t like seeing people getting hurt. (I’ve seen enough of that on EMS units and in the hospital.) I’m happy that most parents respect my direction and understand why my tone switches, we then place our model into the scene and get GREAT GREAT SHOTS
KeeWL Trend – kids tend to be serious during family shots. I think they are thinking “This is my show, your parental units, leave me alone” lol.
Little-known truth about standing babies. Not all kids can walk around one year of age, but most can stand. The trick is to have our little model hold onto something that is stationary :)
After we spend some time getting the clean shots, we introduced the cake, and Sophia, like a well-mannered young lady, was methodical at discovering what this whole beautiful, soft, textural, and contraction
And as with all of our full sessions, they end in bath time:)
From Bridgeport, CT to Staten Island, NY, Sophia and her family traveled to capture this special milestone in their lives. It is an honor to have people come to us from various corners of the country, pa rivilege and we’re honored that we’re able to fulfill their photographic wishes.
