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Posing Family Portraits

I'm delighted to be here to talk to you about family portrait and also why you should want to do them, especially if you're a wedding photographer. You know, I've known since I was a little kid that I wanted to be a photographer, but I was like five years old if my parents took me to visit people if they just set a photograph album on the table, I could be content for hours. I love pictures, but there's only one thing I love more than pictures and that's pictures of people I am nuts about people, and I'm not a bit afraid of you. I like you, I love people and I think that that's, really the key to my success is that I try to figure out who you are and then become who I need to become for that moment, and I think that really helps that has helped me a great deal of my career. I have to tell you, I came to the photo space with families and children very reluctantly, I would rather have had a root canal when I started photographing little kids, I was like, I don't I don't even want to see ...

him and I had one of them so it's not like I didn't know about kids. Maybe that's why I was terrified because I had one was that a tear? Cameron was wonderful but at any rate the moral of the story is is that it was terrifying for me but one of the things that taught me was the importance of embracing your fears saying yet only take ownership of that fear and then figuring a way to get around it and use it as a tool for growth if you can do that, you will be good you'll be an amazing photographer and you'll have longevity and I think that's really, really important my style is very relaxed and casual I don't have real strict rules about what you have to wear I mean I don't want it to be all matchy matchy I think that's just so seriously eighties, but you know, obviously if I have a choice I'd like to have him stay away from bold stripes and plaid but sometimes your clients choose those things tio wear and mike good my goal first and foremost is to capture a flattering photograph of my subjects and to create images that when they look at them that they say, hey, you caught my smile that's the key to success, everything else okay, so they're wearing something that's got gold stripes are, you know, across the chest and everything that's all right, I mean at the end of the day if they like it. So what? The little photography police are off on saturdays air on monday, tuesday wednesday in my studio anyway. S o let me tell you a bit about the tools I used for capture. I use the nikon d for camera system and I am nuts about nikon the glass is very, very sharp and that's important to me, I don't want to have to guess and say, oh, is it going to be in focus this time? And I used to use another brand a number of years ago. In fact, as of january, I switched over to nikon, and that was the biggest change for me was that, wow, my images were actually really tax sharp. I use a variety of lenses, as you can see, I'm very fond of shallow depth of field, so I tried to get the eyes and focus of course, if it's a group and I'm going to be at least in about four. But if it's a person if it's just a kn individual or a baby or something than my f stop is going to drop down to about two, eight, maybe three, five somewhere in that realm because I want those eyes tax sharp, but I want the background to go away, I don't want the background to become a distraction the first thing I do when I'm working with a family is I want to have them become relaxed and comfortable and so I find that the less I have to worry about lighting and all of the periphery the better and the less they feel like they're being photographed so I have a natural light studio and I'll show you some pictures of that in a moment I do you studio lights when I need them and I used pro photo studio lighting indoors and outdoors one it's something that's going to be needed you sand is sixteen gig cf cards and I will tell you I'm not a big fan of large capacity compact flash cards I prefer them to be a smaller you know to be have smaller to be like the eight gig ones but I'm finding that the sixteen gauge gets me very very good I hate putting all my eggs in one basket okay? So I used a variety of things after capture use adobe photo shops six point zero light room of course for processing and here's the way I did I I process in my raw files in light room and get them color corrected in light room and then I do any artwork and retouching and photoshopped it's just the way I'm comfortable it's not that it's the only way you obviously could do a lot of retouching in light room but it's just what I've become comfortable doing and I will tell you I retouch my pictures before a client ever sees a picture they will never, ever see an image from me unedited and I'm a really passionate photographer about that. Do you know why? Because you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and I want that client to see that I'm perfect now am I really perfect techno? I screw up and you're going to see that today when I'm tethered and I'm shooting lie that sometimes I miss, but you know what? When a client sees fifty of the most amazing images in their mind that's all you shot and in their mind those air so amazing they're phenomenal then guess what they see you as someone who's perfect, it doesn't make steaks and I really want that I want them to see that, yes, it's a little bit more work, but you know what? It's all good because it affects the bottom line when they see those amazing images and that mom sees herself looking like she thought she looked like she thought she looked when she said how well, I can't pass that up because I look great in that shot because you were all set to be maybe a little bit about ourselves at times and let's face it, you make mom happy, you have made the universe happy, right so I really believe in doing my retouching ahead of time I'll convert to black and white, I'll clean up mom space I'm a slim them down just a little bit if they need some work in that area, but most importantly, they're not going to be like over retouched, but I'm going to definitely make sure that they looked the best they've ever look for their age, and for this time in their lives, I used a variety of different kinds of products from a pro select for doing my viewings. I used triple scoop music only for that and that's important to me because I believe, how can we tell people not to copy our work and if we're out there using popular music and they have amazing music so it's really well worth the effort bay photo is my color lab of choice, and this morning you heard me talking where my other hat about printing my own work, but by and large, there are so many amazing things that can be accomplished with a great lab and sobeih photo is my lab of choice and they do amazing, amazing job I use a variety of different kinds of presets and photos show factions, my very favorite presets, our markets bills but I nuts about kevin could voters priest that says, well, he's got some that really are just fantastic you're a von dot com is fantastic for black and white in for the very best and fred of every uses your bonds um I have a variety of other kinds of periphery, as you can see a use an emoto graphic authority for some of my textures and you'll notice that I'm like textures I don't use them full bleed, but I do like them I think they really add sometimes too, to tell a story and a better way if I'm going to use textures, I try to use them for a collection of images, not just one, because if you do just one, it looks like a gimmick and a trick, and so I wanted to look like this entire body of work that this is kind of in harmony with that body of work. So where so let's talk a little bit about my studio? I did work out of my home for years, my son, we only had one child I mean my husband I home schooled him and I have to tell you so I worked out of my house for the first, you know, fifteen years or so of of my son's life, the greatest thing about that is that I got to be a mom I didn't sacrifice that, and for you ladies, I noticed we have a big audience of young women here don't sacrifice your kids you can't do that in for you, gentlemen, in the same way, I mean, you never get a second chance to be a parent, so don't screw it up and give them your first priority and it's sometimes it's hard because we are passionate beings and, well, love photography and it's so much fun, and sometimes your kids can be a little bit annoying or whatever you just being kids, so I really believe that that was one of the benefits for me working out of home and so be proud of that. Embrace it and then say, what can I do with what I've got don't feel like, oh, well, I can't do this or that because I'm restricted, I always look at what can I do with what I've got? And then it really I think it's helped me to grow with the photographer. So let me show you my studio. This is my studio, I have an eighteen hundred square foot studio space in venetia, california, it's in a historic arsenal building the building's about one hundred fifty years old, you'll notice I have these large banks of windows we used window light almost all the time, I'd say probably seventy percent of the time we have no heating and no air conditioning in our building. But we're on the water so in the summer time it stays fairly cool and it's got some that florist states fairly cool and it's because it's an old military base it's very well insulated from bomb for bombs and stuff like that on dh then in the winter time it can be a little bit cool that we if we're going to use to your lights in the winter will use hot light. It may really keep things nice and toasty all of the furnishings in my studio our props we used every single thing in the studio for props on my couch my little coffee table are rugs and in you name it everything is multi functional tell you the best place to get props go to the consignment store love consignment stores I'm nuts about them it's like I tried to go about once every two weeks because it's a great way to introduce a new prop to your studio for practically nothing and then when you're tired of it and you don't want to use it anymore, just send it back to the consignment store mri consign it how long that that's easy because I sometimes I feel like a nut and sometimes I don't and so I like the variety I like being able to change it up a little bit a white wall is nothing more than a blank canvas this truly is kind of my what I'm known for my injury I believe is very simple I like clean, simple, unobtrusive background I'm not one who likes a lot of bluff and a lot of stuff I really like to keep clean because I don't want things that are distracting from my subjects face I want to really be able to hone in on that and sometimes if you have too many props and gimmicks khun gadgets and stuff, I think it becomes a distraction cause then in your mind instead of trying to look for ah creative image you're looking for well, how can I use this prop so that part of your brain you're thinking about that? Well, how can I introduce that? Whereas just give me a floor and a wall and I'm good to go this is my favorite spot in my entire studio to shoot all my walls are kind of ah, a restoration hardware store gray and then I have one wall that's, high key and that's this wall right here. As you can see, I have spent a great deal of money on my reflector I mean, this is the very best that money can buy in insulation panels from home depot, and we went to the extra trouble of using duct tape to cover around the edges, but it's multi functional there's two recent ways we use it the first way is we use it as a reflector and yes, I have the reflectors on a stand I have all the beautiful great reflectors, but I like this one for what I'm doing voters in this area the other way that we use this though is there also there cut to the exact size of the windows, so if we need to block out the light for some reason then we can pop those up into the window and they're very light weight and so it's a really easy, easy way for us tio to be able to to block out the light in the studio wall photos, collages I really believe that if you want to sell it, you must show it now this is a wall grouping from from bay photo and I do and I'm going to talk to you a bit later on today about doing a day in the life siri's or doing images over a period of time I absolutely I'm nuts about photographing from birth, you know, to the first two years of possible because I like multiple stories and I think it's a really important thing for us to do so I like abel put groups of pictures together on a wall because it helps the client see ways that they can have not just a single picture but a story on the wall you heard jim garner talk about stories this morning well, I truly believe in the same philosophy and that you must be able to tell lots of different kinds of stories now these are beautiful canvas gallery wraps and they're very, very lovely and they have they're about twelve inches square so I order these air very, very simple the road system that they use is just you know it's very easy if I can do it anybody can and so it's a really great way to tell what kind of a nice story so this is over our mock fireplace we have a real fireplace mantle that we have set up against the wall and then we've grouped this wall collage over it that way when people see our studio when they start when they're coming for their premier li should go back to this I can show you that see that couch we flip it around so that they see that monitor that's how we her client's view their pictures when they come in for their slide shows then all they have to do is look to the left and they see our wall grouping on the wall so it makes it easier to fill a client um ah group of photographs does that make sense to you afterwards? I also have another good wall grouping and it's on the inside of the fireplace I think it's really I try to create clever ways to showcase imagery, I want to show them that there is a quirky way to show pictures, you know? You know that it's not always on the mantle above the fireplace and I believe it's important to show variety because not everybody wants this big old honkin picture of their family over the fireplace. Some people would be caught dead putting a big print on their wall, the old money people that are old wealth, they would have known a cz and degas and stuff like that on their walls are not going to put a family portrait on the wall. What they will do, however, is this they will by stories, albums full of images, this is a collection of photographs that are in one of my albums that that I created back, I brought the real book for you guys to see I'll just show you real quickly what it looks like album africa does my albums, and I want to show only the best quality products I can. I think it's really, really important to show really beautiful, beautiful products you notice as you look through this book that I'm not showing, I'm not putting tons of pictures in this book, I don't want to look like a yearbook I wanted to look like this beautiful, amazing story of a family on dh that way when they when they're when we give them a group of pictures when they show this to people it's going to be something that really showcases their family this is an amazing product and I will tell you that our close ratio on family portrait is well over ninety percent absolutely why is it that way it's because of the way that I photograph I don't just take pictures of you know the big family and then mom and dad with each kid I tried to make the experience more human and mohr interactive so that the children are having a good time I want them to really I want to get a real smile of your pumpkin what's your name again joshua okay can you just going to show you a trick? You have two guys have to stretch and this is going to be a real stretch for you okay? I'm going to show you the stupidest trick in the entire universe but I want you to watch joshua's face josh give me five okay, that was stupid, right? I do I was set myself on the head I'm going to do this with a little kid and they'll do it for five minutes but what I really wanted you to see was the look on his face right after that the suit one more time cnn you have to do it bingo there it is thank you, josh so what's the moral of the story my moral of the moral of my story is give people a reason to smile don't say smile or cheese or anything stupid like that. I just I can't even imagine do that. I think I think that if you are interested in your subject, even if it's a little kid or a baby or whatever, if you're interested in there in them, you will find a way to make it come out of here. And then you get pictures that are meaningful and that when the family looks at those photographs that they go hey, you caught a smile that's who he really is and I really want that the family that I photographed yesterday actually voted to families yesterday and it was really interesting the young man hey was like, I want to say, like, twelve years old that I photographed and when he got in front of the camera, his immediate thing was like this because he just he put on that fake smile that we all put on for people that looks kind of like, you know, a possum, you know, hissing at you or something, you know? But what I did was I just said, hey, what's your favorite tour show it to man will see it, and he brought out this this mechanical helicopter, and he started playing with it bingo! Within thirty seconds, I had that kid in the palm of my hand because I found a way to make what I wanted him to do, what he wanted to do, and I think that's the key right there is making what you're going to do, make it what they want to do, and then you're going to able to get great pictures. So I love doing stories of pictures that going books, we sell stories all day long, one of the ways that the way that we do that, the first thing we do is that we'd pre design a story before they come in. So, yes, again, this is a little bit of work, and I can design an album in probably twenty five minutes, thirty minutes. I'm very good at this, and I don't put every picture in the universe in the book to be given. I put probably twenty pictures in a book, but what I want is I want them to see themselves in that book, and if they don't see themselves in it, then guess what? What are they going to dio they're not going to want to purchase it and it's not gonna have meaning to them, so I want so we pre designed an album for every client, and this is what we say, you know, I go hey, you know what you're going to think this is crazy. I got a little crazy because I love your pictures, which is very true. I had to design an album for you if you love it, then this is the cost if you don't, we're not going to die, but I just had to design it for I wanted you to see what it would look like and what this story would look like, and I'll tell you what it sure does go a long way you pay now or you pay later, so my philosophy is given beautiful images that look perfect and then show them stories that make them feel that they see themselves in him and then you have got your client right there, and from a business standpoint, I don't think it gets any better than that. So now let's talk about those family groups and breakouts, ok, family groups, because this is sometimes is a little bit harder for people that oh my goodness, what am I going to do? Well, the first thing that we do is we will photograph the nice family group now this, by the way, we don't use that couch for all of our sessions because not every family is fluffy like this, what tells me that this couch would be appropriate for that family? What tells me, huh? They're close that's right? The girls are all wearing these fluffy little dresses mom's matching the kids this tells me that they're a little bit more genteel so I chose this particular furniture and shows a more traditional image to capture in this environment and this became a sixty inch wall portrait for their home they just moved to texas so this family that worked out really well for them but then we have to go far beyond this to show them other stories and that's really where I'm at next so my albums are going to be cozy and cuddly you'll notice that the girls are still and the little girls are on the couch, so basically what I'll do is I'll say, hey mom and dad hop off the couch I'm up on a higher camera position at this point and I use my stepladder a great deal to capture because I like that I think it looks really interesting from that angle, but the other reason is this that you minimize were backgrounds you know, something that's in the background that's not really, although pretty so with these two girls these two sisters I said, look, I want you to get all cozy and get curled a parent I want you and then on of course they couldn't they started giggling with one another and there you go so I set the scenario up that I want them to engage in and then just let him go and let him have at it and what they do naturally is beautiful and then the right after that I always always, always photograph moms and dads with their children even if they don't want to be photographed. I cannot tell you how many times I have had families where the mom and dad go you know what just photographed the children, not us, just the kids I don't let them do that anymore. I've had two occasions in the in my career in the last ten years where very shortly either before a photo shoot or very shortly after a photo shoot, one of those parents died ah very, very sad story like a month ago one of our families the mom and dad she made dad come in, he didn't want to come in with the kids and so I photographed the children and after the first experience ten years ago of losing one of our dads are young gods. I always made it a point to photograph each of the moms and dads with each of their children, so you have a picture of yourself with your mom and with your dad by itself, and so I did these photographs photographed, you know, deal different kinds of combinations the day before they were supposed to come in for their viewing mom had an aneurysm and died just like that she was third like thirty three years old. How important do you think those photographs are now how important do you think those pictures are to those children to that little girl who now has a picture of her mom hugging her and getting cozy with her? The last photographs of their mom are the ones I took so you know I'm not not trying to back up the hearse and I'm not trying to make you all emotional but I got to tell you that's the rule beauty behind what we do is photographers I think that's why we're here you know, when we we capture family stories it's not just about the monetary value it's not just about the nickels and the dimes it is absolutely about family connections and family stories and being able to capture that there is no greater gift in the entire universe than those wonderful connections that we get pretty too and they let us in I mean think about that they let us in to see that and I think that's just really special so s o all photographed each of the parents with their child and I really tried to all do pictures of them holding their children like with their face showing and then I love to come in tight on just like they're a part of their body with the kids because I feel like that feels more it has a new emotional attachment and that's the key. I wanted that emotional attachment afterwards, I'm just going to play around the kids I play lots of stupid games with the children on I love love love that I'm the whole time I'm doing this, I'm thinking in my head, okay, what can I do next? I've tripped and fallen down. I'm hitting myself in the head. I'm you know, I'm not completely shameless. It's all good. You know, I don't think the carrots like what's the worst that can happen, you make a fool of yourself. Oh, my goodness, like it's gonna be the last time that happens. Really, you know, so I just don't even get all worked up over it. So with her, I'm actually upon my ladder, and and I just said, I want you to throw yourself back on the couch, but she threw herself back on the couch. And then I captured this, and I got her really, really smile with this little gal. I threw into one. We have this really cool brown, a black chair that has this little cool cut out in it. So I took the each of the children, and we put him in that chair, and then we gave it a it's it's rotating so I gave her a ride because you've got to make it fun see that's the key you got to make the experience something that they enjoy when the kids come in and we're going to photograph a real family this afternoon when they come in there is nothing that those children can do that is wrong we want them to have a good time so we let him jump on the furniture we left the play we let them clown around and if they want to make noise go have at it because if they enjoy the experience they're going to be coming back the next time mom and dad want to do a family portrait can we go see the movie? Can we go see the auntie and uncle mike? My senior photographer michael van auken does magic tricks and I can't even tell how many times I've seen a five year old little girl holding her hand like this blowing it trying to make that magic ball appear in her hands it's a curious thing you've ever seen in your life but let's talk just for a second about the nuts and bolts lighting is really critical in making any photograph I think it making that face come alive you'll notice that I am photographing this little girl from the shadow side of her face from the shadow side look at where the catch lights are we get this nice highlight and then a shadow and then another highlight and more shadows and another highlight I like photographing from the shadow side of the face it's a great way to slim a face down in this case it doesn't matter she's a little girl and she could look she look adorable no matter what. But that's my philosophy is to I like more like a direction of light on dh. Then again, shallow depth of field. This little boy when I stuck him in it, he was too cool to smile. He was one of those kids who did not want to smile. I don't try to make little boy smile if they're not the smiley type don't make him because then they don't enjoy the experience I just said, you know what is he? Does he smile? A lot will know then why in the world do you want to make him try to smile now you see, it doesn't make sense and then this little punk and oh my god is she would do literally anything. We definitely have the kids jumping on the furniture, we jump, they jump all over the time and this I'll tell you, is a great way to break the ice see if you can tell what can you tell about this little girl? Is she a prissy little princess look at the way she's even jumping she's just very delicate and very you know, police is just very lucky dog so we always get the kids jumping on the couch mom and dad are right off camera because safety first we want them right there and their job is to do nothing but stand there and then if that kid goes to take a tumble to grab their child, we would don't want any accidents in the studio and I'm really conscious of making sure that that child is safe but we want them to have real fund smiles and not this fake ones this little monkey let me tell you she was having the time of her life and so finally we just had jump up and then I want you to fall back on the couch and lay down but aren't you started to see mme or about their family, their family story and now look at mom and dad I always photographed the moms and death together I believe that that's an important story and again there was like, oh no, we've been married for ten years we don't even touch anymore, you know and that's kind of what parents do sometimes like, oh, you know, just the kids, but I don't want that I want them to enjoy that experience and so I I usually guilt them into having a portrait done of themselves that totally back up the hearse. And I've guilt him into doing it. But it works really good. I mean, look at the expression. I mean, the first one, I think this is wonderful and loving. And doesn't he look actually sexy? He looks like that's, my man. But then the other one just completely blows me away. I love it. I love it for the expression. So I tried to give them I'll say, hey, I want you to just grab her from the back of river behind or something, you know? Nothing inappropriate, a vulgar, but, you know, just a we'll get some hell, let's, get some excitement going on here and to create something that's just real fun loving. I might take the kids in this case again because they were a bit more formal. This is in my building. We have this amazing hallway where we have all these lovely arches, and I'll take them in there. And because they were such little cuddly girls with their big brother, I felt that that might be another story. So I'm gonna shoot into two images for a story, and then afterwards we always get kids running down the hall. We want him running down the hall running down this you know, we want them to run at some point because that first of all it's a great way to get somebody to loosen up but it's also a great way parents that's but all that's the way they run so you have any questions so far you guys doing ok? Yes, you may be elaborate a bit more on families that really aren't emotional or touchy feely and how you kind of get them tow actually look a little less awkward and because the parents great question have really show the emotion when there non emotional people, right? And if they're not emotional there I have had occasions in my career when they're not that way when they're very straight and I'm not going to try to make them be I'm not gonna check and make him do pony tricks I wanted they're just going to who they are and they're going to be happy with that. I had a family recently that was like that they were very stoic very they were from russia very, very quiet and very stoic, so I chose to photograph them in a more just a dignified, elegant, understated, quiet way I didn't do a lot of the fun, you know, the crazy stuff that we do on lee because that was just not their style I mean that child would no way would have even jumped on the couch is like oh heavens no we can't do that you know so not everyone is going to do this thing but I do try tio when the parents come in I want them to interact with their children I want them to start you know, communicate with one of their toys that they start playing with one another and they you know if they dad picks that child open twirls around let me tell you you're going to be they're going to be all over on that does that answer your question gets sort of semi dysfunctional families in that they have you been functional family and and I mean the ones that are really for the first one but they're a bit more difficult to deal with yes I haven't had a number of clients that have been there more a difficulty but here's the key to success with that kind of family the first thing is is I do not relinquish control I have one particular client that I'm thinking of that was like that like to be the boss of me who whenever they would they would do a session oh no no no baby it needs to be done this way and so I looked at this was the first session I did for this person and I looked at her and I went no no no today you get to be the mommy and I get to be the photographer is that ok with you and I have found that and this is maybe comes with age and I can probably get away with things that maybe you can't but I got to tell you when you start letting clients dictate when you start letting them boss you around oh no I don't want this or I don't want that then I think that that's when you start losing your professional ambience and I think it's really important t two keep control of that yes we do have some that are dysfunctional but I try to find ways to see who they are underneath all of that if they are just rule you know wacky I just have to go inside myself once I have my scenario my room where I've got my light my beautiful lighting is all set up my window light and such I can really back off from trying to have too much control and I try to ask questions or try to communicate with in a way that causes a reaction versus a logical answer it's hard for me to just put it into specific words for you but I hope that help no that's great thank you so I believe that it is that each client that we're working with his different so with this young ladies is my daughter in law, by the way and my grand puppy storm. Now, what would you say when you look at a leaf? Eah, um, would you say she's? Well put together she's she does not leave the house without her jewelry. She would have a meltdown if she left the house without her jewelry. So when I did her portrait, I know that I need to make her more it's more princess like, and I don't mean that in a derogatory way, but in a way that really just showcase is who she is and her little grand my legrand puppy storm the same thing, just problem on her laugh, and he was good to go with these little boys. I've been photographing them since the day they were born, and there is nothing better than being able to do that. But notice how cash will they look? I just said, hey, pick up your puppy! The guy on the over on the right hand side is the he is the middle child and so he's always going to have that kind of a look. I'm not going to try to make him do tricks. This little gal you met a little earlier, and I think we were talking about the fact it with her, I did two sessions for her because the first one I feel like I didn't get her oh, she was so all over this photo shoot because she was going to be an actress, and this was going to make her a star, and it did actually for young women, I believe that sometimes photographers tend to get to perfection oriented. So, for instance, with these two girls, some people might go, wait a minute, we've got to fix their hair, and I'll make it too perfect and go, oh, look at their senior out of place and stuff. And so when my my editor was going through these files, I specifically told them, I said, do not re touch that hair, do not touch it. I want it to be in her face. I wanted to be more edgy because look at what they're wearing their young teenage girls through young, cool girls. When you start making that step to perfect, it takes away that that that relaxed fund edgy look. So after I photographed these two ladies in this situation again on my white wall, I photographed each of the girls by themselves. This young lady was kind of on the quiet side, and so I wanted to showcase that. And then again, this was one of those times when when I had an assistant working me and said, oh, yeah, rare I got don't touch that because it would ruin the picture because I think that was part of that story using shallow depth of field two point eight at about a sixteenth of a second um I just didn't want you to drop your chin just a little bit lean your chin forward and then drop it down you see when you do that when you lean forward slightly and then dropped the chin it pulls the chin away from the body. The other young lady was a ballerina. She was she's in the joffrey school of ballet in new york city so I had to do some ballet stuff with her. He has just been ridiculous so I stuck up in one of my windows and you know scott robert limit is talking to you about over exposing the background in such earlier today well, that's what I did I I over exposed by about a stop I exposed for the face and then when I processed in the light room I bumped up the exposure a little bit to make it ah lot about lighter in the face that I wanted that beautiful soft, almost washed out kind of look so just remember that background you want if you want it to go lighter and and whiter increase your shutter speed okay notice the way her feet are position the front knee is up higher than the back leg and that's important because it shows two different legs to different legs on dh and then, of course the wind was blowing into the studio I had just had the window open and you can't because I over exposed so much you can't see that that window is kind of like cocked like that, so you just kind of lose all the stuff you don't want to see just remember if you can't see it, it doesn't exist so it's a really great way to get rid of background noise and things that you don't like and then you met this little gal, but what I want you to notice about her is the garments that she's wearing this is absolutely why when I photographed her and her her baby portrait a month after she delivered, I made sure that I had the atonality that she was really after those pink tones because it really worked it was in harmony with her personal style one thing, by the way, about gallery wraps here's a benefit of the gallery rap, specifically the ones that bae photo has have you ever given thought that if you had an earthquake and you had one of those over the baby's crib and there was an earthquake, do you think that baby would get hurt by that? No, because gallery wraps are very lightweight and they're not they're not there's no hard sharp corners on him so and in fact this little girl's mother said when I showed her the gallery which is a old baby that's awesome because I've been really concerned about earthquakes that I want to hang a picture over her bed and went oh yeah I'm going to use that on my program I would have never thought of that but doesn't that make sense so there's other reasons for some of those amazing products and that's I think a great reason for gallery reps so now that leads me to a day in the life a day in the life kind of a segment is just amazing a day in the life you you capture more than just little pictures of your family you start with the family relaxed and neck jewel and have parents engaged with a child I spent the night of this client's home and when this little girl was getting up I was in the bedroom before she got up so that I could capture her you know because I wanted a showcase it from the from the eyes of a parent and then with this family I always start every session I've done five sessions for them now I always start the session by doing mom and dad laying on the bed with their daughter I want to show and and I want people to see them having fun and enjoying the experience and that makes that child want to be photographed afterwards, I want dad to play with his daughter. I want to get them clowning around and playing, but it's always in a spot where I have pretty light. So in other words, I'm going to look around the house and find a location, and I'm gonna say, ok, this is where I'm gonna have you be and you're going to just tilt that baby when you play with her, just go do it like this. So guess what? The lights and the perfect spot for that baby when he dumps her on her head like that. And again, the whole idea is to have this child have a good experience and have some fun. I mean, does it get any sweeter than that? And if mom doesn't if she still got a little bit of weight on her from the pregnancy, you don't see it because it doesn't exist. And again, the main light is coming from over the brought this young lady's shoulder. We have a nice shadow on this little girl's face to give her a bit of dimensionality, shallow depth of field mom plays with her, just engages with her and were able to capture great images. I don't think there's a thing in the world cuter than a fat little baby. So I I wanted I knew that the mom in this photograph was she looked to read to her daughter so I made sure that I took some pictures of mom just reading to the baby window light only just a window over here and I just said, oh case once you sit there and read to your daughter and have some fun with her and then I captured this well, you know, after that I got to put the baby in the chair and again this goes to simple props simple background the only thing I did was had there was a painting a picture on the wall behind us that could you take that down and that way I could capture pictures that were meaningful of this little girl and then dad standing right next to me playing you know you're playing games and getting her attention and of course when she tries to jump off the couch or the chair right there mom is actually just off camera over here so you can you can't see her but what a great way to capture images of children with this young little girl when I did her day in the life serious I started in the kitchen when she was having her lunch I don't think there's anything cuter I opened up a window I just could we have her her have her lunch in the dining room next to the window easy peasy and you know, when you have a bright foreground or a bright window coming through anything that's distracting in the background kind of goes away shallow depth of field notice you can't even tell what's back there and yet it was kind of like a one of those things that people use for, like a hunch that carry it has all kinds of plates and stuff. Afterwards we went and we took the baby and of course, she's all messy. Now we took her in the bathroom on ly incandescent light like overhead lights in the bathroom. And this is when you can use some amazing tools like like that low like that, jerry, I mean that jim was talking about this morning or the ice light the jury ganis ice like I love that ice light, it is really lightweight. You can a minute your subject, and it gives you a beautiful, soft, soft light pattern on that subject, and it is just amazing. But notice that where the baby is looking mama's standing just next in front of her daughter and she says, well, simply, what does she like to do when she gets in the bath? And she as well, I usually take water and just pour it down on her hands, and I'm in a very high iess on, probably at about three thousand s o shutter speed is fairly slow so the water is blurry like maybe a six thirty fifty second on dh then I'm focusing in on the little baby's face in the guinness photograph this baby the best light in the house was in the kitchen and so the dad stuck his little boy up on the the island where you do chopping stuffing you chop stuff with and I'm not kidding I was having a ball with this kid we're just playing and engaging with this child and right after this what I love first of all is do you know is the dad in the background he's a supporting role? He should not be in focus because if he is he said we pulls your eye away from the baby as it is this is all about that face you see him first and foremost and then dad's an after thought this is like a sixty inch print in their home after that this we had so much fun with this child I play games with kids so dad took the little his little boy and he threw him on the bed and then this little boy would crawl towards me and then it dad would drag him back you just grab him by his ankles and grab and drag him back to the top of the bed and it was a total game so make game's up with your small children I can't even tell you how much joy you'll be laughing so hard you'll be glad for auto focus because it really will make a difference for you. And then, of course, as you can see, when his dad threw him back on the couch for the last time, this kid literally about swallowed his song he was having such a great time and that's why it's if you lay your foundation a firm foundation on beautiful light if you get that firmly laid and a clean background you can concentrate on the expression and on the experience that makes sense. Okay, we doing ok? Yes, I was just wondering you said the girl who came in she was a ballerina and you said the mother like to read to her daughter. I was wondering if you had any interview process or if you just did talked or we do have an interview process we do, we interview them and we want to find out about this children and we want to know today you know what they like to do what are the things that are interesting to them? And yeah, that's how we knew that she was a ballerina I sometimes it's been my experience that I find an environment and then I lay out the scenario in my head so with this little girl, I saw this amazing archway in her home, and I knew that I wanted her to stand in that spot and twirl around like a princess. She was that kind of girl who would be a little princess. So I told us that want you to stand there. You got a twirl around, just twirl around for me. She did. She told, like, five times. And I got great pictures. Well, I knew that I wanted a story. So the next thing I did bring her little her brother and get him to go play with his dogs over in that area. So I said, hey, I just want you to run across this way. Of course he loved because he likes running. I shot with the seventy two, two hundred millimeter lens at two point eight. I made it for the subject. Notice where the main light is coming from now, it's obviously there's a there's, a back like from the outside. But do you see this? This rim light on this child is not an accident. See that's one of the reasons that I chose to place them in this spot because I knew when he got to this point that sunlight was going to skim across his face and separate him from the background. And then, of course, I had to get both of the kids. This is a big trip. This is an eighty two three, eighty inch prints in their home. So with a little boy, I just stuck one of his cars that said, you know, I think you left when your car is there, bam got it. And here's, how you can do this kind of scenario is I have my assistant go with me on doing this kind of a photo shoot, and so I said, hey, mike, I want you to go over there and kneel down so I can see what the light looks like on your face. I go ahead and get my exposure, my exposure already said, I figure out what's going to be, and then I'll bring my subjects over there, and now I don't have to worry about exposure anymore. Does that make sense? Ok, good. We're doing all right. So bubbles, toys, squeaky things are great for little kids. My favorite thing are cat toys and dog toys. They are awesome. I mean, I'll say if they could get a dog's attention, they get a baby or a little kid's attention when I photographed the same little girl this the first time she'd ever seen bubbles. Her mom and dad go oh my gosh, baby, I'm so glad you brought bubbles because she'd never seen him before so dad literally he was passing out from from having to pull all those bubbles they need to give a class on that and so you know, he blew the bubbles with her are to her and then I just stood there and reap the benefits and I this is my favorite picture of that serious because the expression on that child's face she is so intent on those and that's the kind of feeling that I want for her books I want a variety of views and us I want them to go oh that's so cute! Oh, that is hilarious and then I want to go oh that's the sweetest thing so the more of those welch you can get in my books, the better if you go to my website, you'll see under under family she'll see several different albums for for children that I have. So again, we gave her some of her toys to play with mama's just right off camera. One of the reasons we go back to this for one second one of the reasons that baby is in front of that couch is it show scale it shows scale, how tiny she is on, then you just can't beat a a new air conditioning duct for giving you great experiences for children I mean, look at the way her hair is blowing it's just is awesome and I also like photographing down on a child at times because it does make them it shows scale and it's the way a parent would see their child if your child were sitting on the floor makes sense okay got a couch got a chair? You betcha. So there are times when I'm photographing a variety of families of mature families families that have adult children I love working with the couch you'll notice with this family group oh, that you have pyramids to go from the dad to the sun into the daughter right here that's a pyramid from the dad to the mom and the dog is a pyramid from the sister to the brother to the mom is another pyramid. Yes, window light I walked into their home and arlene goes maybe where you want to photograph us has said just open the window and they had lots of light furniture so we didn't use any strobes or anything. So my goal again is to create a really warm family and if they have a dog that dog's going in the picture he is absolutely going in the picture afterwards I photographed the different family members by themselves and of course including the dog because I feel that those air all important elements and important people in any family portrait but what about a chair is that not the cute kid you have ever seen? I'm not giving you she is adorable I'm not joking you she's just the cutest thing well I wanted tea showcase hard and thought and she is a little fuzzy fluffy baby a little girl and that chair is a cover on the on the harder side but shallow depth of field is really important in doing this to see how that back wing on that chair is out of focus it's out of focus on purpose it's just I want to just see her little eyes and this kid was a character I got amazing pictures of her on dh that's kind of my feelings with each family is to create something different for them higher camera angles are really really fantastic with this family they had a very small living room it was a very small room probably I want to say twelve feet on lee because they have a lot of furniture in the room so I chose to shoot from a higher camera angle for two reasons number one if I shot from the from eye level these candlesticks and the things over here going to be growing out of their head so hiring camera angle minimize background noise and gave me a better looking image and then of course I had to have the dogs in the shot I think that was really, really are the dog right there in the shot? So with this one girl that was her dog so I just got her cozy with her dog we used in this case I used to nothing more than hot lights. Just one single hot light turned it up as much as I could. Hot lights tend to be a bit warm looking you can love it or hate it, but whatever happens is going to look pretty and you can always call her correct fourteen light room if you need to. In my case I knew this was going to be a black and white image and chose to shoot it that way. So don't forget the very best and that is moms and dads and grandma's and grandpa's do not overlook them the's people are so very, very imp important andi, I think it's extremely important for us to capture them while they're alive. I just did a serious for these this family on did some photographs of this of the last picture that mom that was that I took. But what I want you to notice is that she has alzheimer's or she had alzheimer's but what I want you to notice is the rial expressions on her face so it's been my experience like in this case she was just she was not, you know, doing very well that day but I found that if I had her distracted and had dad you know her husband over there she still kind of knew he waas that I could engage and talk to her and I could still capture an an image that was her and that gave her dignity and I think that's really important that we give people absolute dignity so are you with me on that so don't forget the moms and the dads and the grandparent's real quickly I just want to show you before we before we go to our live photo shoot I want to show you about how I use some of the beautiful promotional pieces this is my portrait menu one of my portrait menus and and bay photo was kind enough to send me some of them over the different portrait menus I have it has my pricing on it on the inside outside I want to showcase some of my favorite kinds of images and depending on you'll notice that this is a bit shiny why? Because the photographs are very contemporary that are in the book that air in this they're not perfectly, you know, cloth pictures what I'll do is I'll pass these around for you to look at um here's another one where I just added a bit of a texture to the background this one this brochure is on showcases portrait for small young families like mothers and babies and such notice the harmony in the background and how that your eye goes right to that that child's face and what I love is I love this kind of paper so think here believe you're going to create a pro movies from a piece about the color about the kind of paper rather that you're going to use putting this on a shiny card stock would be just wrong and then I have one that's on a pearl paper for wedding imagery so so these are the kinds of things that I'm going to try to produce and the great thing about working with a lab like like a photo is that they they can produce small quantities and I think that's really important well, you know what? It's about time for us to do a real photo shooter you guys ready for that? So it's going to take a second for them tio to set up our studio area here with our couch and such? So what I'd like to do is maybe can we take some some questions? Sure can when we start with our in studio audience, you guys and we've got a few over here on the air unit as well I was curious about not to get too far into the processing of any of those that I noticed a lot of them had some texture that you'd applied to them do you take the texture off of the the people in the most of the time I do take the texture off people, but there are occasions when I leave it on somebody but if I would say more than more than often more times than not all just remove it from the face are from there from this part of their bodies and such yes, good question another question we're noticing that your your work is so beautiful in black and white can you tell us the decisions that you make to do a lot of your work in black might that's so classically beautiful? Do you do majority in black and white? Or do you do a lot of color as well? Oh no, no, no, no, I do lots of it in color. The times when I'm going to use black and white is when I want a specific emotion to emerge you see there are some emotions that just would be ruined they would be ruined in black in color because you'd start getting distracted by the color of the trees or become by the color of the clothes and and that kind of thing, whereas if I photograph it and everything shot in color, I just converted after the fact I just know that for me it kind of speaks a little bit more to me and to the client if you can kind of remove all of that distraction like princess if you look at the pictures there up on the monitor of the in the portrait menu, all of those air contemporary photographs they would look ridiculous in color the little girl jumping on the couch with her brother and her sister that those are moments that just kind of feel better in in black and white versus color great question fantastic and crimson hope would like to know a cz faras your themes air concerned do you do you work on them before you meet a family or after or in that transitional time? That's a really good question generally I try to have an idea of the way that the story is going to unfold, but I have to be really flexible because sometimes what people say and what they really feel is totally different it's kind of like, you know, for, uh with photo journalism and the wedding and people used to say, oh no, I want all photojournalism and then they're like, would you like me to do? You know, it just didn't mix so it's been my experience that I listened to what people say but that I pay attention to the way they behave and the way they act and I find that that is going to be a better way for me to proceed styling the parents, huh? You do you tell your mom to go off the mother to go off to a stylist and get her hair and makeup done do you just trust them that they're not going toe youth used to much no I don't I don't tell people what to do I think that that's I have to show respect for who they are and not everybody wants to go to makeup artist and go have their hair done if they ask me if they saw a baby what should I wear? What should I have my makeup done? You know I might encourage them to have that kind of thing done but again it's not for every family and so I really tried to keep it very clean and relaxed on dh not tell them so ok so we've got an amazing family jerry, would you like to come up here with your family? We've got jerry and elise right is that didn't get your name right alisa and this is tyler and sam so oh this is going to be fun this is going to be a blast. Ok? So the first thing I want to do is is I just wanted I want to just see who they are you know, as a family we've got two kids that are going to be a blast a photograph already so I think the first thing I might do is here I need mom and dad hop up out of there for a second good let's see how this is hey can you throw that to me and I'm gonna need some help oh there you go okay here you go can you come up there and cities crisscross applesauce you are doing awesome okay hey sam turn your feet this way sam scoot your feet this right nigga you gopal go what's this come next your brother okay get what just dude dude dude dude sit up there you go perfect all right all right you don't want him touching you do you it's going to be bad okay so I need one of my trusty sidekicks but we're going to play a special game we're going to play a very special game let me first of all what I want to do is I need to get my get all of my ducks in a row here I'm at one hundred iowa sand at six forty I s o and I'm going to be my shutter speeds going to be our my s stop is three point five in my shutter speed is about one hundred ok hold on a second but now hang on I think you know what hey sam can you sit up scoot your booty back a little bit good job okay we're going to play a special game now this special game means ok what is your name again? Randall okay randall is going to come and try to tickle you don't let her the only way you can stop her is this is to say boo and she'll jump back okay but now hang on a second this is critical where you are you see I don't want them looking at randall I wantto their eyes towards me so what's really critical is when you have your assistant shoot air them them engaging your child you want to draw them toward the camera tyler turn your feet this way honey beautiful okay love it love it love okay all right let's see how this was looking I just want to get a shot here so I can get my exposure correct okay, I know I have a card in here let's see oh, I know why don't okay oh that's a beautiful shot okay love it all right ok, so what is she doing? You guys don't let her do that. I told mom I'm telling you I saw him gorgeous hey, tyler, come here for second stay right there pelle don't let her get me ok this's way this is not even hard work yeah this is what happens when you don't get a real family you have these air like actors I'm sure okay this is where I'll tell you why I'm choosing to get upon my step letter because the background kind of a distraction also I want to switch camera bodies and shoot with the seventy two, two hundred so can we untether me here and a second change lines are changed camera before you know it just give me the other lend second would you hold that a second you're let me just change lenses real fast you hold that for just a second just like that hold the body I'm going to take the lead okay I've decided to shoot with a different lens the seventy two hundred because I really want to focus in on the magic on that face and on I got to tell you this is going to be just poetry now hang on to it got it all right okay sam don't let her get me ok? I don't want this do not what I'm not okay I can go home now I'm telling you right now okay sam come here okay right hang on sam stay there for a second, okay. Cm hey, guys, that came your pal come here give me five give me five what did you d'oh mom hear me? Ok, come over your sam cover your let's get tyler, can you're pale hey, tyler, let me move this back towards the wall because I want to have you I'm going to put you in a different spot because we want safety first okay dad, come right over here, jerry you're going to stand right there coming you stand right back there let's have some fun let's see what we got now? Oh, yeah I love it dad it's real important that you stay right there off right close to camera level right there. Okay, now hey, tyler what I'm what have you do is you're going on account three want you just to jump you get to jump on the couch. Hey, you know what can I have you take your shoes and socks off and you could take your socks off too? Okay, sam, you want to jump on the couch? Not yet. Not yet. Okay, but when you jump on the couch, I want you to kind of look towards your dad because I'm going to shoot at let me re crease my eyes so a little bit less they looked at a thousand so I can have a bit of speed right here. Hang on a second. Q t ok, but when? Now and you jump, I want you to turn. Look over your dad. I I want to see some air jordan there. Ok, bell, they're ready. One, two, three and go. Uh, so let's see, how you doing there? About oh, I love it. Hey, you know what would be awesome oh, perfect, you know what, fuck, it will be great hey, come right over this way on the side right here. Right there and not for your life eat this way towards your dad going to stand up straight coming stand right here and now I want you to do a dive this way on the cash but hang on let me back up a little bit now be careful don't put no falling off the couch I'll have to spank if you do okay ready one two, three go yeah now it's fantastic. I love it okay then I want to see oh yeah you know you really got air fell okay let's do one more time like that. Okay, ready one, two, three go! That was fantastic. Okay, tyler, come over here for just a second, okay? You know sam it's your turn pelican we take his shoes and socks off hollis um that's going to be right in the booth so you know this there's a whole method to this? See if I if I own them now if they're in their mind you think I'd be hard for me to get them to do what I wanted to do? Well, they do some things for mom and dad now because, you know, they're saying that it's not and especially in this situation when you're in front of cameras and all this stuff it's like, oh my god, get my picture taken oh man he's ready to roll ok do one more time but be careful you know what can you come a little closer to your daddy right there bell right there simon says right there love it and turn your feet this way they turn towards me a little bit this way with your be good job yeah just a little bit and bowing to back him up so the bed dad it's real important be really really right you know close by okay ready look right here buddy one two three going to jump in to sit down on the cash once you three jumping go okay ready awesome off suite ready one two three go yeah fantastic you are on the man okay sam one last time turned toward your daddy okay, ready oh oh boy one two, three go that was awesome, man that was great man okay, pal, give me five. You did great. Oh, you got me again. Ok, now let's get the whole family if you're going to do this for a second all right? And I might try to shoot this with this lens but I'm not sure we have to switch cameras. All right, dad, come right over here. Um I'm gonna have you said jerry just like this and what I try to do with the guys is I wanna have that me I want to tiffany down first because then that shifts the weight to that back area and I want him to just get cozy like this, okay? I wanted comfortable and really relaxed and you could flip your shoes off if you want to. You don't have to, but you know how many of us, you know, sit on the couch with our shoes on. It just seems wrong. Ok? You don't have to your shoes. You're fine. Okay, kim, you're cute. E and I love what you have on you. Look absolute beautiful. Beautiful. Okay, punk and let's. See where we're gonna put you? Okay. At least you're going to fit on this guy right here. Okay. Park your put your knee right there. Excellent. And I want you to come in. Really cozy. You're gonna appreciate this. Come in. Really cozy with your chest. I want you to put your arm behind your shoulders right there and bring this arm across his lap right there. Love it, but not not like it. Not like a whole bunch just right there. And you know what? Actually, I don't like your arm out there. It's. A little bit too awkward. It's. I just don't have it yet. Just actually go like this and bring you handling. Yeah. Okay. Come here, sambo, come if your pal up on the couch but hey, guess what no you're going to stand you get to stand up right there. Good cool dude here you and I went you don't lean back right there. Can you put your thumbs in your pocket? Cool. What a guy love hey, sam, can you do this like you dislike and bambi look at you good. I actually I'm not gonna crush your like that. That doesn't feel right to me. Okay, come here, tyler and then tyler, I want to just spread you out a little bit. Love it here. Come a lot closer to your brother and then you're gonna turn your feet this way. Okay? Go and sit down. Oh, actually, you know what? I think I'm gonna change this up a little bit. Actually, I love that. Yeah, that scooted this way about a little bit good job and I'm gonna have you stretch out this leg. Awesome. Perfect. A moon dough. Yeah, baby, we are cooking with gas now. I love it. Okay, we got this thing here. Hold on a second. Um, let me move this out of the way. Let me see how you look at least nice until you know I want that ladder please, if you don't mind love the kids, you guys are awesome you know I'm telling you right now at least this is great hey you know what I just thought of something to give me a second I just have an idea let me see how this looks right here yeah you are just loving it awesome sam whatever you do don't you smile don't you know I caught you either I love that that's amazing okay now hey sam you have the hard job oh this is going to be good I love it already um okay sam this is what I want you to do pal you're perfect you're doing awesome here standing a little bit right here and I want you lean against mom right here yeah dude awesome you know just for fun let me see how this looks to just bring your arm across this one kind of connect oh I like that that's nice let's try that that last picture show it's not ok cool alright nice okay at least I love that sam what are you doing go I just love it as a right here hey sam don't look at me I told you stop that I'd love it gorgeous ok now I want to switch him up a little bit um you go can you hold it thanks okay let me switch you guys up a little bit and then we're going to grab your toys so hey sam can you sit on daddy's lap right here sit right there and oh that's nice. And you know what? I actually I love that I want you to lean into your mom. Can you curl? Put your arm around her mom right there around your arm. Like underneath. Yeah, bring this knee up, shoot dead. Oh, I like that. Let me just pull down this sweater shirt. Now you'll notice that the boys are wearing striped shirts. I made the decision not to put them in their oxford's. Why? Because it looks ridiculous for them to be on the couch. And how will this perfect stuff on? I thought, you know, it's got to be really? I really wanted to be. Israel is I can. Ok, let's see how you do in your kids? Uh, that looks great. Now, the higher camera angle, by the way, is an awesome oh, this looks great. This really looks good. I'm gonna get a little higher. Beautiful. Lovett haley's with your shoulder lean into tyler a little bit beautiful. I love it. Can you put your arm the arm down that's, ron jury and just tuck it right up underneath his arm right there. Good job on at least now just tilt your head towards tyler. Gorgeous. Awesome love it beautiful always says beautiful sam up did you do what did you do? Gorgeous right? Your kids like right here, guys awesome or just excellent and now a mom and dad on account of three uh lisa put your arm around tyler this time tyler, can you sit like lovett tyler good and dad right there is beautiful now on the count of three guys I want mom and dad to have single time with the kids one, two, three go got it yeah, baby, that was awesome. Okay, okay, now let me have mom and dad hop off that couch and let's move that couch. I want to create a scenario of a room. Um that would be like where they might play because I really love love love having children interact in planes on playing hey, tyler, can you get your leg goes out? Just get some legos and you're going to sit right here on the floor, but oh, my goodness ok? And what I want you to do is on its perfect good just and you're gonna just take some of them out just like that. Excellent. Hey, sam, you're gonna come sit next to your brother. Oh, this is going to be great. I'm loving it already has and my camera position is going to change over there for I really love that that's going to be nice because now I want to just capture the rial the rial nous of these two little boys so I think for the first photograph I might want to take us I think I might even want to photograph from the side so that I can get that light to kind of room like them let's see how that works and I'm going to be I might even decrease my shutter speed alarm I apertura bit let's see what we got here wow that looks awesome so you just looks way too cute right? Hey tyler nice guys you know I'm telling if you've got any cuter holy cow is in q t or what and you know what else I want to for sam I want sam's a helicopter ah beautiful hey sam can you tell me about that helicopter oh yeah it's working nice I love it is that right can you can you can you like a play with your your plane and just put it go up in the air is that how he would go hey you know what tyler can you empty out just a few of your legos right here and then lay on your tummy right there and let's move your legos can I have my trusty sidekick let's move them like goes out of the way and he's going to lay on his belly like kind of where sam is that and put your legos in front and I want to try to build me a a ship love it awesome nice hey sam can you come over here for a second would help me take a picture of your brother what a guy sam that night so have you been playing with legos a long time nice of that beautiful right? They're awesome. Beautiful absolutely phenomenal actually stay right there that's way too cute look at the look now what I like is I'm playing off this this video light right here hey, sam just look at me I mean a tyler look at me well I'll tell you right now these kids just don't get any cuter now I will tell you the black line in the background is bugging me a little bit but but I like so much where I have them positioned that I'm ok with that I'll just retouch it out if I have to okay is it a tyler? Can you move over here with your legos and hey sam, can you stand up with your airplane oh actually know what sam can you lay down right there, lay down on your belly and then play with your plane right there. Yeah. Oh, yeah oh yeah towards me this way, buddy yeah, yeah hey, grab his legs and move his legs that way yeah, nice so tell me, what is the name of your plane dusty? Why doesn't he sweet oh my goodness, I would tell you right now these guys are just not even realize they're not real children they've got to be like actors. They're just way too good awesome love it and I might have been even get really low so you get really super low second, minimize that background even more. Hey, you know what, sam, can you stand up and play with your plane in the air? Awesome. Got it. Got it. Got it. Got it. Okay, now hey, sam, sit on the couch for me a second. And tyler, we're gonna be we're going to do something with you in just a year about he's moving targets. How do I keep up with how do you think I keep my girlish figure? Yeah, I have no clue that believe me, there's okay, you know, what can I get you? Teo let's see you have. Did you bring other choice besides the legos? Oh, actually, wait a minute. Hold on your pal. Come here, buddy. Okay, have a seat. Okay. I need my trusty sidekick crisscross applesauce, the name of the game. When you know let's, move that cheer forward about a foot because I want to try to make that background a little less destructive kind or your chair for second I just want to get down, but I don't want to get down to low, okay? Hang on a second. Qd you're going to make your going to do some twirl and going on nice. Awesome that's. So cool. Okay, on the count of three, I need you to give him a nice twirl, but not too hard. So he doesn't. Yeah, just not too hard. Like I don't want pulling him out of the chair. Actually, you know what? Actually just gave me an idea? I like better turn the chair this way. Other way right there. Good job. Hey, can you kneel in that chair and then turn towards me this way? Nice blossom right there. Look. Ok, come on. Working for me about oh, yeah, yeah, the poor little thing has no personality whatsoever, ok? And you know what now I want to turn the chair towards me and I want you to put your feet over the back of the chair and put your head down this way. Yes, that is what I was looking for right there. Okay, but I need this like well, have some fun. Hell, yeah that's not a really that's, not a real boy doing that love it awesome, you are just love it twenty three and got it cool okay buddy here let me have you out of that chair and let's put mr sam in there and then we're going to go back and do some family stuff here I think this is gonna work out great like that chair um okay all right sam you're gonna get a ride hey sam do not look at me don't look this what I told you not to look at me am I gonna have to get you nice hey you know what I can ceo I don't like that ok don't do that don't do that hey sam yeah, I need to see this perfect beautiful kids oh yeah the old ladies got it you know what sam now can I get you to put your feet back on the back of the chair let's see if you could do it better than your all love it and stretch out a sam stretch out you you put this way one put this way I just want what I want to spread this like that okay sam okay one two three well, you know look at me this way ok sam there you go that you're gonna fly out of that chair power awesome what do you doing? E hey, sam don't look at me I told you once don't do it got it yeah that's what I was looking for okay, now dad have a seat in that chair gerry and jerry I want you to sit like a guy you know just slouch in that chair you go across this leg over the other one the guy's style beautiful love it very, very nice can you just bring your arm this I love very nice and then elisa let me have you go stand behind the chair next to jerry hey let's see tyler go stand by your dad and lets you run but I'll let you put on this side by your mom oh yeah here in the hunting hold this a second come towards me buddy oh, you know it would be kind of fun park your feet there in your butt right there let's see how that works can you do that without falling off and we'll bring you this way beautiful come here, sam sam I'm your pal let's see how this works oh, you know what I need to switch him have you stand your stand right here come here saying you're going to sit right there yeah that works better. Let me see how that works. Let me see how that I like that my goal is to kind of create some pyramid shapes beautiful very very nice I love that and at least with your chin you're going to lean towards me just a little bit love it dial and live it gimme five gimme five e I don't think you can get can you get can you get I don't think he told you you're too slow about you slow okay after this we're gonna remove the chair I love actually sam I like that unlike him standing like that that actually looks better. Okay gang love it right here is beautiful I'm going increase my shutter speed are my f stop to f four okay, ready I sam where'd you go sam don't look at me hey, mom count three I want you tickle sam and and tyler went to three take off got it beautiful. Okay, now hang on a second. We're going to try something different let's move that chair out of the way. We're just gonna move that over here and then jerry let me have you say you're gonna stand just like about right here for me and I just want you to have tyler let me have you have tyler right here in front of you come right here for me beautiful love it can you just wrap your arms around him love it? Can you grab your innit? Dad's hands his arms if we're going to do a couple of pictures with you in each of your children what I want you to do though jerry is you're going to take this near this spot right here and I want to stretch it out a little bit the reason I'm stretching out his leg is I need to drop him down slightly said that he's a little bit closer there head heights okay, so you that's perfect right there when they grabbed my camera awesome right there. Oh, jury that's fantastic love it gorgeous love it love it love it. Okay, you know what? Jerry wants you lean down towards your son like you're going to tell him a story and on a cat three I want you to tickle the turkey out of this for one two three go awesome! That was beautiful. That was amazing. Okay, jerry let's get you and sam actually, you know what they say, sam stay right there by daddy's feet can you do crisscross applesauce by your dad's feet and I love where you're actually you know what? Let's try this for a second. There you go actually hang on. You know a jury do this they actually hang on. I got to get this. This looks great and just put your hands, jerry, this is I'm not showing all of your body your your legs or kind of framing your son just put your films to your pocket. Love it, sam, that is awesome. Okay, I think it's time for us to play the boo game no, no bring, come right over here, you gonna go? You can't let her get close to because when she does, you know the only way to make her stop it to go boo. But you had to sit down right there. The magic only works if you said go right by your dad because he's going to be protecting love it, love it. Love it. Ready? One, two, three. Good. She's going to get you? Dad grabbed his shoulders right there. Just grab his shoulders, love it and love it. And now hang on a second. Hey, you know what? I think your dad's got a booger in his nose. What do you think? Works every time. It was beautiful. Okay, now, ok. So now, let's. See, let me have let's have at least let me have you with your children right here. So that when sam stand up and actually what I want to do let's, bring that green chair back over. We'll bring it towards me about a foot prove he's going for a ride. Beautiful love it. And then elisa, you're going to sit in the chair. Oh, that was really lovely. Love it here, sam. Yeah, that you're for a second. Okay, boo. There you go. And then at least that you're going to turn that share this way. Because I wanted and now you're going to just I want you to wrap your arms behind your son can you all love it? And with your chest I want you to come and really plus with your chin to your boy right there. Ah, look at beautiful lisa relax your mouth right there. Lovely, lovely, lovely. Shut up a little bit, darling. Gorgeous and I get my hug with your cheek right there. Ah uh you can't have mommy on that's gorgeous right there. Beautiful. Actually, I kind of like it here. Did get cozy with him one more time right there. Beautiful. Really nice. Ok. And now let's get you and tyler and there you go, tyler that's, another good mom getting nice and cozy. That's exactly what I want you to do love it. And at least I look right here me now and just got to give him hope cougs with your cheeks right there. Gorgeous. Absolutely beautiful. Okay, I want to do one more family shot that this time I want you to hold the kids so I'm gonna have jerry hold tyler and mom hold sam. Yeah, we don't it won't show up in the picture they get a nice and cozy mom and dad and what I'm gonna have you teo put put tyler on this side right here yeah, excellent cannon nice and close oh, I love this is gonna be great this is going to be close but this is kind of like for your holiday card nice but the only thing that's missing right here gorgeous right here at least a real tall with your shoulders right there and then turn your face this way a little bit and turn your feet that way just a little bit a tyler can you put your arm behind your brother right there just behind good nice and tall for me, tyler good job, lovett a sam hey, mom and dad you know what I think you need to do it love it that's what I'm talking about right there. Good job. Ok, one more time this way but this time we don't want you to do is you guys are going to like I want you to dip the kids towards me go well like that. Okay, ready one, two two and a half o love it awesome! Awesome, beautiful got it very cute. Now these air totally on cropped I'll go and obviously I do my cleanup work afterwards but you know let's do want I want to do one more just a normal family grouping and I'm this time I was just going to use the walls let me move that chair out of the way oh actually you know instead of that at least let me have you sit in the chair I changed my mind about twenty five million times if you haven't figured out by now onda least let's move that share closer to the wall on this I mean closer to the windows right there good job and then turn it this way darling you know at least you're gonna have a seat in that chair but then on the very edge I want you to sit just on the very edge right there good excellent right and you know stretch out this what a beautiful very nice excellent I love that and now tyler dad come right over here for me come this way jury love it love it love it and then talk to you to stand in front of your dad right there good and I just want you to cross your ankles for me pale and I love what I want you to hold your dad's hand just like you just did hold this finger right here with this hand yeah love it love it love it love it and they would put sam right here this is gonna be sweet I like this excuse me, darling excellent and then say I meant a jury just stretch out you're like a little bit awesome and then you know what I want to have is this is good at least I love the way your seating beautiful honey uh gorgeous, I think we need to boo game boot america come closer, santiago and the magic only works when you're next to mommy. Beautiful ready? Ah, here, leo. Excellent and then last one right here curious much with your chest to lean towards me a little bit beautiful love it, love it love it extra and then you know what? Hagel lisa grab his hand right there and I want you to turn your feet this way you're going to kind of lean in your husband coming jury closer to her more with your feet beautiful and elisa come towards me with your feet a little bit more and I we should put him sam over on this arm right here like way over here and then turn your feet that way more because I want to have this shoulder come towards me this shoulder more more keep going. No, I want your butt your feet that way, not the chair you to leave this year you're gonna be one cheek in it, ok? And now I want you to kind of lean towards tyler a little bit. Good job. Oh that's awesome right here, guys. Awesome of that's gorgeous don't smile, sam, don't do it and got it hey, dad, lean over their shoulders and coming really close they want to get just rule. I want you to stay, lean onto your family right there. Love it. Awesome, right? Your kids, that's, beautiful, love it and got it great. Thank you all very, very much, and we have a hand for our model way. What, you guys are awesome. They were just remarkable.