Displaying photos of people in your family tree also helps children and adults alike feel a connection to something larger then their individual selves. It helps create a feeling of belonging, having a purpose, pride in accomplishments and a sense of being a part of something bigger. It is one way of making sense of life in a chaotic world and time where one can feel helpless against all that is happening beyond our control.
I have come across many articles on this topic when I decided to write this post. Many studies have been done in the past and the results all suggest this to be true. For a child, seeing their image, specifically their image of a happy moment, being spontaneous and natural reminds them they are loved and safe. Seeing these images in a room where they tend to spend a lot of time in often gets forever planted into their subconscious and helps them feel the safe harbor of home and your love embracing them.
When I worked as a manager at a busy department store studio before deciding to run my own photography business, I witnessed a lot of stress during family portraits. Given the short amount of time allowed in that environment and the pressure to make the perfect portraits left little room for families to relax and get that perfect family portrait. I often witnessed parents bribing their kids, doing cartwheels behind me if their children didn't smile as easily and sadly, sometimes threatening their children for those perfect, more often then not forced smiles. The experience was less then perfect for the family and photographer alike.
The stress often started at home while getting the family ready and I could sense a stressed out family before even turning to see that they were coming. It was in their footsteps. The hair would raise on my arms and neck when this would happen and I would try to go forward with the session without letting the stress rub off on me so I could get the best photographs possible. I feel great empathy for parents during these moments and can relate more now that I have my own family. I now know first hand how stress can be a huge factor when doing anything out of the ordinary with children, especially if it involves hair, clothing and following instructions. It was often worse during the busy season as the studio was booked solid and the pressure was on for both the family and the photographer to get the perfect shot. The resulting images were often lovely, however they were usually stiff and forced somehow. Yes, they were wall worthy but I always wonder if the children and families look so fondly on that time if it was a stressful experience.
I vowed that in my own photography business I would approach my sessions differently, giving the time and care to ensure each experience is as stress free as possible and hopefully fun for everyone involved. I strive to capture candid moments, genuine, smiles or pensive expressions and interactions that families, couples and individuals will cherish and want to look at each day. It is definitely not a take out, fast food type of experience where the images are ready the next day and I also do not strive for those straight forward portraits that you get from picture day at school. Special attention is given to each photograph both during and after the session to bring them to the next level. Something that can't be done in a cookie cutter program at the click of a button.
These days it seems everyone wants digital images to share online. It has a pleasantness to it that can't be denied. Being able to share with friends and family at the click of a button is wonderful but it is not lasting after everyone has moved on to the next photo posting on social media or you have changed your desktop photo to a new one and the image sits in a file on the computer or on a disc.
I strongly encourage people to get prints made of your favorite photos and memories to hang on your walls and to place in an album for you and your children to cherish and be reminded of that moment in time. Technology is not lasting and the wrong button can be clicked and photos deleted forever very easily. Believe me, I know because it has happened to me. There are 6 months of my girls memories gone about three years ago when our new computer at the time was set up very differently to what I was used to. I thought I was deleting a copy of the files I had transferred over to another drive. It turned out the drives were one and the same. Backing up is so important. Sadly, I learned the hard way. I was always in the habit of taking care of my clients pictures first and neglected my own.
Have fun printing and hanging your favorite photos and memories! Enjoy the happiness and comfort it brings to you and your family. If you want to update and freshen up your family photos with a professional photography session and have a fun outing at the same time feel free to contact me and we can arrange a photo session that is stress free, creative and fun. Click here to see my summer season promo!
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