What happens when I show up at your home?

A little behind the scenes look at in-home sessions with me

A client sent me these two photos that her mom had taken during our session (thank you again for these!). I had no idea that she was taking photos but I’m so grateful that she did because having photos that show me in my element, doing what I love, is really so special. Coming across these photos again recently got me to thinking that maybe some would be interested in learning a bit about how I work for in-home photo sessions. 

So what happens when I show up to your home? To answer that, maybe it’s better to back up a bit. Before a session, I have clients fill out a questionnaire about their family - a few simple questions that help me get to know them a bit and to highlight what’s important to them. Reading about clients beforehand is one of my favourite parts because I start to get a sense of what their story is and how I can capture it. I re-read the answers several times before the session and I’m not gonna lie, I have cried more than once when reading some answers. It’s very touching that some will share personal stories with me and I start to put myself in their shoes and imagine what their life may be like.

Getting back now to the earlier question about what happens when I show up at the door - after a quick introduction to put faces to names, I take out my camera and start shooting and following everyone around. It plays out differently every time with some falling into it naturally and others needing a bit of time to warm up or for the novelty of the camera to wear off. Sometimes I think clients may feel like they aren’t doing anything ‘photo worthy’ but it’s never true - the little things matter and that’s what I’m there to show. I always have the client’s answers to the questionnaire in the back of my mind and I wait to see some of those interactions or pieces of their story to show up in one form or another. It can be a glance, a smile, an object, a small detail that tells a bigger story. I ask questions, talk a little to the family and I wait for the moment I can see in my mind. I look for things like lines, light and shadows and think about how to compose the image to use those to shape the photo. I take a lot of photos, many won’t work - I try different angles, exposures. I don’t give much direction for the most part - you won’t often hear me ask “do that again” and instead I wait for moments to happen naturally. I may suggest that we switch activities or move towards a different part of the room for variety or light but most often, I let things unfold. Because of this approach, the majority of the photos that I will send clients will be candid, natural and real. I do include some more posed shots if the family wants those but I try to keep the feel more natural - for example, maybe not every shot shows everyone looking at the camera and smiling. Maybe the parents are looking at their child instead of smiling at the camera, maybe the kids are making silly faces. People hire me because I capture people in an honest way and so my posed work with families will be in keeping with that. 

Once I finish a session, my work has really just started as I start the culling and editing of photos.

So there it is, it may seem like I just show up and take a bunch of photos but there is more to it than that. I work hard to see those answers from clients come to life to tell their story in a way that makes you feel something. 

I Finally Got a Professional Headshot Done!

I recently met up with Myriam of Farah Photography with the plan to take photos of each other. As photographers, we aren't often in front of the camera and realized we hardly had any recent photos of ourselves. We both wanted something natural so we settled on meeting at a coffee shop. We found a corner that had great light and shot each other as we talked. Very simple. Myriam is amazing. She makes you feel comfortable and uses her warm personality to get you to relax, laugh and have fun.

As much as I was a bit worried about a public setting for the photos, it didn’t take long to forget about everyone else. Something as simple as having a cup of tea to hold helps to get past that “what do I do with my hands” feeling. 

Before the session, I think: I hate having my photo taken, I’m more comfortable behind the camera, I’m not photogenic, this is going to be so awkward, maybe I should have worn the other shirt? Sound familiar? Looking at photos of myself is kind of like hearing a recording of your voice for the first time – it can feel a bit strange and you ask yourself, is that really how I sound? However, as a mom, I’m realizing I need to get over it. I need to accept how I look on camera if I want to pass that positive self-image on to my kids and to be more accepting of the things I may not completely love about myself. As a photographer, I need to practice what I preach. Hiring a professional photographer to take your photo is a great step to get passed this. Photographers are trained to capture good angles, to try different poses and compositions to help you see yourself in a different light. 

Typically with photos of myself, I pour over them and find all the things I don’t like instead of focusing on what is good about them - what is good about me. With the photos that Myriam took, I can honestly say that there is nothing I would change. Even my “over smiling” (see this photo right above...this is my "oversmile") which typically makes me cringe when I see myself like that…but this shot actually turned out to be one of my favourites. Her talent for composition and light makes it work. 

What comes to mind when you think of the word “headshot” ? I like to think about redefining the headshot to be less formal. I think people are looking for something that feels real and shows a bit of personality. Choosing a casual setting really helps to create that. Letting some of your character shine through is a good thing. 

It was fun to do something just for me and to come away with photos of just me, being me.  

I highly recommend hiring someone you trust to take photos of just you!

Top 3 Reasons To Book a Documentary/Lifestyle Newborn Session

You may be asking yourself, what is a documentary /lifestyle newborn session? 
A photo session that documents real moments between you and your baby where you spend most of your time – in your home. You go about your routine while a photographer captures those moments in an artistic way to tell YOUR story. The goal is to create perfectly imperfect, honest photos with real emotion. 

Here are 3 reasons to consider this type of session. If you make it through these reasons, you can see for yourself what this type of session is all about in the photos below.

1)      Sessions take place in the comfort of your own home. 

When I think back to my first few weeks at home after having my babies, personally, the last thing I wanted to do was leave the house. I felt like it took me so much time to finish the simplest tasks that trying to plan for a photo session seemed out of the question. For such a little person, they bring lots of changes, emotions and new routines. In-home photo sessions mean that you don’t have to think about what to bring in that diaper bag, packing up everyone in the car, scheduling your appointment around feeding times or hoping that everyone is in a great mood the entire time. You can stay in the comfort of your own home and just do what you do. There is such a raw beauty in that because it is personal and represents your life as it is now. 

2)      You and your family can focus on just being you.

If you have other children, they can easily participate without having to worry that they will get distracted, bored, or throw a tantrum. True emotion is welcome and in fact, that is the whole point of a documentary/lifestyle session. You may be amazed at how children so easily forget that the camera is there, enjoying the attention and proud to show their world to someone new. Also, let’s face it, some Dads aren’t as pumped about a photo session as Moms. As much as they will love and treasure the photos, they are often along for the ride at first. Documentary/lifestyle sessions take the pressure off - no expectations to pose – they can be themselves and just enjoy time with their family.

3)      Capturing the details

Documentary session are all about being authentic and honest. Having a baby is a time filled with joy but it is also challenging, exhausting, [insert every other emotion here]. Why not be true to this fact and capture the fuller range of what it means to be a mom of a newborn. Think dishes, laundry, diaper changes but also all of the good stuff like little baby hands and toes, those little pouts and how they feel cradled in your arms. Remember that nursery that you spent so much time planning? This is the perfect backdrop for your baby’s first photo shoot – a space filled with personal items picked just for them. And, speaking from experience, once they get older they will "decorate" themselves and so it will never look quite the same. So, document it now!

Kids love hearing about their story and what better way to tell it than through photos that capture all of these details of real family life.  As many moms will attest to, lack of sleep and hormones play tricks on your memory. Having photos will fill in those gaps for you.

To find out more about a newborn in-home photo session, please contact me!  

www.mathieu-photo.com