Today I'm so pleased to highlight the stunning photography of Kandise Brown, who was named as one of the 30 most inspiring wedding photographers in Canada. Luckily for us, Kandise also does family photography. Prepare to be blown away.
Posing Notes:
They all look so at ease! I love how they're doing their own thing….yet were still captured together as a family. Genius, no? This idea easily translates into other scenarios. For example, a family cooking in the kitchen (someone's chopping, someone's cooking, maybe someone's doing homework?) this kind of everyday scene would be amazing to have years later.
Styling Notes:
I love how they dressed up…but not overly so. The photos look styled, yet comfortable.
Instead of worrying about matching clothing (black? navy? both!), they chose clothing tones that complemented the room. Having Dad wear black (which ties into the design of the room) was a really smart choice, giving Mom a bit more freedom to wear what she wanted.
Posing Notes:
Playing a board game is a perfect idea for a family with older kids. Such a great way to get everyone to relax, right? (Or, uh, as I think about it, "relax" may not be the right word. Growing up, my family had some pretty intense game nights….which, I guess, is part of our story. I'd now give my left arm for a picture of my Dad's smirk as he cheated at Trivial Pursuit.)
Q: Kandise, what was your favorite part about this session? Is there any one reason this session worked so well?
Well, this session was really authentic to THEM. They have a beautiful home and wanted their photo session to capture their lives within it – the games they play, reading books or playing guitar, etc. It's their regular lives, just condensed quickly into an hour.
Q: How can another family re-create this shoot (without the gorgeous house)?
Rather than doing a shoot that tries to force you into unusual situations, find the simple beauty of the life you share with each other.
Kandise, a huge thank you for sharing your thoughts and these gorgeous photos. I am so inspired!
Find more from Kandise on her website, Kandise Brown "photography for awesome people".
(Yup. She sure is.)
xoxo,
S
Want to participate? Family Photo Inspiration is a recurring series, so if you've recently had a family photo session that knocked your socks off, or you are a family photographer with an eye for something fresh or unique, I'd love to hear from you. Email me: aintnomomjeans (at) gmail (dot) com
I have to brag on my beloved friend Sarah Culver, because she is an incomparable photographer and friend (sarahculver.com). Last fall when we were expecting our third baby any day and preparing to leave Baltimore to move across the country, Sarah did a family session for us as a gift. She started with us at our house, taking pictures of us getting ready to go out (me putting on makeup and doing my daughter’s hair, the kids putting on their shoes) and then followed us to our favorite neighborhood places. She got pictures of us walking down an alley, buying wine and bread in our favorite wine store, playing the piano in an antique store, sitting in the empty sanctuary of our church, and simply strolling down the street together and staring in the shop windows. Then we went back home and she got pictures of the kids riding bikes in the street and us preparing and eating a casual dinner. I am allergic to the camera and was almost nine months pregnant, but the casual nature of the session and the variety of locations enabled me to relax. The pictures are astounding. The best part was that she put together a slide show of images to one of our favorite songs by my favorite band, Over The Rhine. I absolutely cannot watch it without crying my eyes out. I cannot recommend doing something like this highly enough. It is priceless, especially if you want memories of a place as well as a time in your family’s life. And if you are in Maryland….call Sarah!
Amazing shoot. Thank you so much for sharing it — definitely stealing some of these ideas.
Thanks for sharing! It’s one of my favourite family sessions ever, I think everyone should try something like this. 🙂
WOW. This sounds fantastic. Thank you SO much for sharing – I’ll definitely be looking Sarah up! xoxo