If there were ever a season that just invites family togetherness and adventure, it’s summer! Particularly in parts of the country (like, here, in the northeast) where the air is cold and ground covered in snow for much of the year.
We get used to being bundled up and hibernating inside. But, that gets really old, really fast. So, while I absolutely love winter (I really do), summer is my kinda season. We get to move…a lot.
I’m often asked what element of a picture I focus on most. Light is the obvious answer. But, for me, the single most absolutely positively hugely important piece is movement.
And, what I love most about summer is our time for play, unencumbered by the accoutrement that comes with winter. When kids (or just people in general) are given the freedom to just be, there is so much joy and adventure in it.
Most summers, my personal photographs are off-the-cuff, but this summer I’ve made a point to be more deliberate in my shooting. That being said, I still let my kids guide my choices because I just won’t force them into situations or scenarios that they don’t want to be in. It quite literally never works out well.
I think this is a lesson for all of us who make pictures of our children, photographers or not, as we capture their growing lives. While we might have really grandiose and wonderful ideas, the point is to see them for who they are at those moments in time. So, why force it? Let them move; let them be.
This particular image of my son in his goggles, in my studio no less, was a marriage of both his ideas and mine. He wanted me to make his picture in my studio before we went swimming. I had just purchased new swim goggles for each of the kids. So, rather than a staid portrait, I used the goggles to help capture that particular moment of his excitement. And, we had fun. That’s always the end game for me…if it’s not fun, then what the heck is the point?!
So, while we do spend large parts of our summer outside, it’s okay to come indoors and see the way we move differently in all that brilliant light.
Summer is a time to explore and have adventures, not just in the great wide world…but also to explore ourselves. Happy adventuring, everyone!
Joyful & Honest Rockland County Photographer
Gina specializes in modern & emotive family imagery. By focusing on the relationships of parents and their children, she is able to go beyond the standard pose and capture the true emotion of her clients’ relationships. Visit the Session Info page for more details.
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