Your home makes the perfect portrait backdrop. I believe this so much that I’ve recently begun requiring portrait sessions for kiddos under 18 months to take place at home. Why? Well, I’m glad you asked :)
Comfort New babies (and their parents) often feel most comfortable at home. Babies know the sights, sounds and smells of their home better than anywhere else, and will simply feel calmer because of it. New parents find comfort in being able to control the elements and protect their new little one from upset. Additionally, you’ll have access to every blanket, toy and pacifier your baby uses when you’re at home, making it easier to keep them comfortable without having to schlep everything but the kitchen sink to another location.
Convenience If you get the little one in the car and they either a) scream the whole time or b) fall asleep during the drive and have to be woken up for the shoot, you may have a feisty baby to deal with at the start of your session. Not ideal. Scrapping the whole need for transit makes life easier for your whole family – let me do the driving and come to you :)
Reality Kids don’t function on a perfect schedule. Just because you’ve set aside an hour of your day for portraits doesn’t mean they have. Chances are good that your kiddo will need a diaper change, feeding, or nap during the time you’ve scheduled. Should this come up while on location for a shoot, you might have to cut the session short. If you’re at home when that comes up, it’s no problem – everything you need is right there. Know that I’m always happy to wait patiently while you attend to your child’s needs to be sure we get great photos.
Personalization Nothing says more about your family than your house. Whether it’s immaculately decorated or more of a hodgepodge, it’s the representation of who you are. Why not include that in your family photos? Using your house as a background gives you the opportunity to preserve far more memories than a studio backdrop ever could. Photos in the nursery preserve a part of your life that might soon be changing; pictures in the living room or back yard will give a sense of your lifestyle. Remember, the goal is to create photos that show who you are, not just what you look like. Including your home goes a long way toward achieving that goal.
Worried your house isn’t as perfect as you’d like? Don’t be. It doesn’t take a model home to create excellent portraits – the more real to your life, the better. And I can always do some creative cropping to eliminate a mess you didn’t get to or an area that’s not your favorite.
While I don’t require portraits with older kids to take place at home, it’s still a great idea. Kids feel most in their element and in control on their home turf. When they’re in their element, their personalities shine – and that makes great photos.
