This right here is what makes my little photographer’s heart flutter and get all full of joy. Kids being kids. Color. Fun. A great playful location with an activity to garner real emotion. This is seriously what it’s all about for me. I have to admit that when I get a client writing to me requesting a park and pictures of just them looking at me I get a little bummed. Not because I don’t like nature (though I could do without the green color casts) or I think their faces aren’t plenty dang cute or interesting on their own but because that really says nothing about them. I’ve said it a million times but I’ll say it again, those kind of images just say what your faces look like in this chapter in life. I want to create images that say what your love, connection, life, heart, home and soul looked like at this time. My favorite spot is absolutely in a family’s home (and I’ve got a great post coming about that soon) but my second choice would be to photograph everyone doing something they love together. The pictures will be more meaningful. More natural. All of the stress of looking perfect and the rest of the family being annoyed that they were forced there to do this will melt away as everyone is engaged in an activity. And I promise these images will be more meaningful over time. You’ll look back and truly FEEL what it was like to be there. And yes we will still get a picture of everyone’s faces looking at me and smiling because there is value in that too. But that takes but a second and then it’s on to the fun. Well fun with a little direction because lifestyle imagery is all about capturing your real life in a beautiful way.