Missed out on Tips #1-#8? Read Tip #1 HERE, Tip #2 HERE, Tip #3 HERE, Tip #4 HERE, Tip #5 HERE, tip #6 HERE, tip #7 HERE, and tip #8 HERE (great, now you are all caught up!)
A rule of thumb I use is to always ask permission before I touch or move a photo subject. (That process sometimes involves me getting in everyone’s personal space.) Don’t just assume you can move people around for the perfect shot. You don’t know how people will react if you walk up to them and begin repositioning their legs, arms, or hands. Some people don’t mind, but it’s always better to be courteous. Simply ask. It’s respectful, and it’s very easy. You will be pleasantly surprised when you do this with children who are old enough to interact with you. If you ask them if they are okay with you moving them around, they feel important. As a side note, I have always used this rule in my photography business. It shows both adults and kids respect, and it shows parents that I am not there to yank their kids around.
I especially want to be as gentle as possible when posing kids. You are working with people’s most prized possessions (their children), and if you show respect to kids, parents will greatly appreciate it. If the child is too small to understand posing directions, ask either mom or dad if it’s okay if you can move their child around. Remember, just because you are there to take family photos, that does not give you a right to invade their personal space.
INTERESTED IN HAVING A RADIANT AND JOYFUL PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERIENCE THAT WOULD BEST CAPTURE AND ILLUSTRATE YOUR FAMILIES UNIQUE STORY? I WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU! PLEASE CHECK OUT MORE INFORMATION HERE
As always, thank you so much for keeping up with my family & photography adventures! I love serving you all through photography and I love sharing my stories with you! Have a wonderful week! Tune in next week for tip #10 on how to work with children for a family photography session! It’ll be the LAST week of my summer series since we are now officially in SEPTEMBER (CRAZY!) Are there any specific topics you’d like for me to cover for another series! Let me know in the comments!
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Dolly DeLong is a Nashville-based family, elopement, & branding photographer and a business educator & encourager. Dolly loves serves families, eloping couples, and business owners with her timeless, radiant photography. She loves capturing the joy and emotion in both digital and film photos.
She also has a heart for serving the larger business community. Dolly shares her knowledge of tools like Pinterest, email marketing, and time management with fellow business owners in an encouraging and supportive way through Pinterest 1:1 training, helpful blog posts, and other resources.
Dolly’s faith and love for her family motivate her to help other business owners find the joy and freedom she’s found in running a successful small business.
Whenever she has a spare moment, she enjoys watching TV (i.e. Survivor), eating way too many sweets, and listening to podcasts while running or walking. To work with Dolly DeLong Photography LLC, please email her at thedollydelong@gmail.com or fill out her contact form here.
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