Finding your photography style takes a lot of practise. I always knew that I loved taking family photos and photos of children, but you have to try and see what works best for you. Posing with children can be stressful and while it's worth it sometimes, capturing a photo of a child mid-laughter just brings me more joy than any posed shot I've ever taken. So it was clear to me the candid route was my forte.
Those who know me, know that I am quite a calm person. Being a nanny there is always a child like aspect to your personality. To relate to a child who isn't your own or isn't family takes time, and there has to be a level where you can relate. Being relaxed and calm is my level, with the children I have looked after. It has made me bond with the children I have cared for so much, that even to this day I'm still in contact with most of them.
Having this relaxed trait makes photography so much more fun for me. There is no pressure in my sessions, and no fake-ness. Some photographers love the posed and over the top shots of families. While I love a posed photo and will always capture some, I prefer to capture the natural moments, of a parent looking at a child, or a child exploring the outdoor world that is still new to them.
When you are uncomfortable, you don't relax, this shows in photos which is why you will dislike them. My style of photography allows you to relax as we are not doing uncomfortable poses or struggling to get a child to sit the right way. These sessions are your time to spend some quality time with your children and have the memories captured at the same time. I want you to be as relaxed as I am so that all the photos I take show how you really are with your family.
In my sessions I will usually allow you to take control, I will give prompts and let you know if there is a certain pose I would like you to do. But if I'm quiet and not saying much its because you are doing everything I need you to do already. Being yourself. I will always have some form of prop with me on our session day. My go to are bubbles and books. Which child doesn't love trying to catch bubbles or sitting and listening to someone read to them.
Part of finding your style is editing. I've never liked an over edited photo, all my photos in my first photoshoots were given to a client straight out of camera, no editing process at all. It was only when I started making minimal adjustments to them that I realised just how much they could change, but still not be over edited and fake looking. This made me love my photos even more than before.
One edit I always favour, and will always include in a gallery is black and white. Something about a black and white photo just stands out so much to me. It can take a nice looking photo and make it truly amazing. The clients I have had have nearly always bought a black and white version I have created as it slowly becomes their favourite too!
The process of finding your style takes time and it's not always as straight forward as you'd think. I went from loving unedited photos to adoring the slightly edited ones. You can look at the style of another photographer and think that's the style you want to shoot, but once you do it, you might not like it at all. Explore and have fun, because although finding your style can be a long process, in the end you won't regret the time you took to find what makes you the perfect photographer.
Lauren :)
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