How to Get Comfortable In Front of the Camera

My #1 goal with my lifestyle sessions is making sure my clients are comfortable. Lifestyle photography cannot happen otherwise.

The truth is that participating in a family photo session is not everybody's favorite way to spend their time. That's ok! Making people do things they don't want to do isn't my favorite thing either ;-) That's why ensuring my families are happy during their sessions is paramount.

Here are a few things I can recommend to help you relax a bit before your session:

1. Pretend I'm not there. I may give a direction here and there, but I'd otherwise prefer to be an onlooker. Interact with your family. Enjoy them. Enjoy the scenery.

2. Know that I'm a professional. I'm going to make sure that every photo you see of yourself is beautiful and flattering. So don't worry about awkward smiles, looking at the camera all the time, or if you need to figure out a way to look thinner.

3. Be silly. Laugh. Yes, please! Laugh! Laugh at my corny jokes at your toddlers antics. Just keep on the bright side of what's going on. If there are any complications, it's my job to worry, not yours!

Carlee and Tim are good friends of mine, and I'm sure that's why they were able to loosen up as soon as my lens cap came off, but I know it probably wasn't that simple. Either way, you can see how at ease they were during our session, enabling me to capture the real love between them all.