Pro Photo West Fall 2019

More documents

Recommendations

Info

3 Tips for Better Family Portraits By Allison English Watkins, Master Photog., Craftsman, CPP I believe that displaying family portraits in the home is one of the best tools we have available to combat the pressure of being a teen these days. Our kids are being raised in a visual world, via online apps like Instagram and Snap Chat just to name a few, where the insatiable consumption of imagery both feeds the need for entertainment but starves the soul from true emotional connection. Both kids and adults spend way too much time scrolling thru images they only see for a moment and then forget. The goal of trying to be seen and acknowledged in today’s world of fast flying information, that disappears within hours of publication, can make us feel like we could disappear and be instantly replaced and no one would notice. This is why I feel family portraits matter now more than ever. Large printed family portraits in homes are the visual antidote to the never ending scrolling that cause teenage and adult angst. Because the world is so visual we must fight back with visuals, but permanent visuals that don’t disappear. A large family portrait displayed in a home stands like a lighthouse reminding all who live inside that they have a place where they belong and can find safe harbor. A family portrait saturates our visual subconscious with the message that we have people who love us and want us. The world needs more messages of love and belonging which is why I truly believe that family portraits change the world. Creating family portraits is a job I take very serious because I believe I am creating lifelines that tether family members together and remind them of their connections to each other. Here are 3 tips I use to create more impactful family portraits. 1. Focus on telling a story with your family portraits. Each family has a unique style and a connection that they want to turn into a visual story. When a client contracts you to create their family portrait they are trusting you to make an illustration of their life that tells a good story. Marianne Williamson says, “People crave comfort, people crave connection and people crave community.” A fabulous family portrait fulfills all three of the human needs. Are the family portraits you create full of emotion, connection and comfort? Have you ever even thought about integrating these emotional goals into your portraits? Adding emotions to a family portrait is like decorating a cupcake, it’s what makes people want it. A great way to add emotional impact to your family portraits is by literally working to connect each member of the family. Work to use the hands to connect from one subject to another. See if you can create a subtle chain through all the members of a family by each member connecting to another. Don’t let hands hang down to the sides, dangling arms are a missed opportunity to add emotional impact. Sometimes creating these connections is easy and obvious with hand holding or hugging and sometimes the connection is more subtle like and elbow on someone else or a hand on a shoulder. This little effort will add the comfort, connection and community that will make your clients’ heart sing every time they gaze at their family portrait. 18 Professional Photographers of California
3 Tips for Better Family Portraits 2. Get better expressions by using a tripod. Our clients’ faces are a reflection of our own expression and excitement as photographers. When the photographers face is behind the camera there is a big questions mark in the subjects mind as to what emotion they should be showing. When clients can see the photographers eyes and expression they can mimic better the emotion desired as well as see positive reinforcement in the photographers face. Grab a tripod and you will find your clients will engage more with you as well as evoke more emotion. I find photographing families with a tripod essential. Often times a wiggly child or an uncomfortable teen will need a head swap in the final portrait so everybody is their best self. If I create the portrait using a tripod I can watch the faces as I create and make sure that I have at least one image of each person that I can combine in the final product if necessary. In the digital age, no family member should look less then their best in the final portrait. 3. Three family poses that sell. I have 3 poses I work for on each family session. The first pose I call “The Classic”- a full-length portrait that each family is expecting. www.ppconline.com Fall 2019 19
Page 1: Family © Allison English Watkins F
Page 5 and 6: FALL 2019 15 Travel Tips 24 Meet yo
Page 7 and 8: A Huge Thank You to Our Sponsors! Y
Page 9 and 10: www.ppconline.com Fall 2019 9
Page 11 and 12: provide consistent and representati
Page 13 and 14: • And for Rainy Days… a Poncho
Page 15 and 16: Before You Travel… by Rebecca Li
Page 17: www.prophotoca.com Winter 2019 17
Page 22 and 23: The 3rd pose is “The Relationship
Page 24 and 25: A F F I L I A T E S H I G H L I G H
Page 26 and 27: SMOKIN’… by Mel Carll, S-PPC 26
Page 28 and 29: Once the ribs have been seasoned, a
Page 30 and 31: CHECKED BAGGAGE…A CAUTIONARY TALE
Page 32 and 33: 7. ALWAYS KEEP your baggage claim t
Page 35 and 36: Fall 2019 35
Page 37: www.prophotoca.com Fall 2019 37
Page 41 and 42: Fall 2019
Page 43: Fall 2019 43

Pro Photo West Fall 2019

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?