5 Ways to Turn Family Photos into an Effortless Feat
Thoughts to consider before your family portrait session to give you peace of mind.
There are lots of topics to cover when planning for a family photo shoot. What will I wear? Where will we take the photos at? What will the weather be like? What if the kids don’t cooperate? What if none of the photos turn out? A simple event that started as a sweet, innocent idea suddenly has been turned into a ball of anxiety. From a photographer’s standpoint, these thoughts can be fixed by covering some basics. Here are 5 ways to give yourself peace of mind before your family photo shoot:
1. Know the Use.
A simple base question to ask yourself when beginning the family portrait journey. What will these photographs’ use be? Will they have multiple uses? Think about if you want them for holiday cards, your home decor, or simply social media use.
Know the Use
2. Plan Your Colors.
Think about what these photos are being used for – the holidays, your home, or for your personal Facebook profile picture? If you are having family portraits done for the holidays and Christmas cards think about the feeling you want to evoke for your holiday greeting. What color theme will help you achieve this goal? The holidays are warm, welcoming, and friendly so start with looking at rich, warm colors. Also keep in mind the number of people in the portraits. If you want a rich purple and toned yellow color palette, make sure not everyone has the same colored shirt as it will mash everyone into one. Don’t be afraid to introduce patterns and have fun individualizing each outfit!
Plan Your Colors
3. Talk About Location.
You are having Christmas portraits done with rich, warm colors, but you are posed sitting in sleek stainless-steel chairs and a harsh studio setting. A nice color scheme is wasted when your family photos feel out of place, cold, and unfriendly. Location can make or break a photo shoot. A spot that may not look like much to someone may be the dream location for a photographer. Talk to the photographer about the feel of the shoot you are hoping for to confirm a spot that will work correctly to match your vision. One thing I like to do is to brainstorm places with clients that may have a significance or meaningful history with their family that may be an opportunity to capture as well.
Talk About Location
4. Let Kids Be Themselves.
Photo shoots are a strange and unfamiliar atmosphere for kids. Put yourself in their shoes - some stranger has shiny alien-looking equipment and is trying to make you smile. It may take a while for them to feel comfortable. Often the worry of the parents shows through in their expressions because they are embarrassed at the response of their children or disappointed in how they believe the portrait session is going along. When parents relax, the kids can sense this. I take a different approach to portraits and allow families to just be themselves. When individuals are thinking about how they look, it shows. When the individual is just showing what they feel with the group of people around them, that is not just seen but felt by the viewer. I allow plenty of time for kids to get comfortable with the setting and show their true selves. So take a deep breath, think about those you love around you during a session and it will be evident through your portraits.
Let Kids Be Themselves
5. Trust the Photographer.
When you invest in a professional photographer’s services, trust their skills while at the shoot. As a client, you should not be worried about how everyone is posed or what the background looks like. Leave these concerns to the photographer. With my clients, I review prior to the session any type of specific shots they may be looking for. But, I am always aware that “the shot” they are looking for may happen a half-second after they think the shot has been taken. When guards are taken down, a true masterpiece can be captured. Another important note to make is to be communicative with your photographer from the beginning. Let them know any reservations with the shoot you may have and they will be able to help you through the entire process.
Trust the Photographer
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Endure
A CrossFit photo shoot with the one and only Karli Stroud!
It has been challenging but rewarding being able to work with many sweet clients and on many personal projects during the same time period recently. I'm thankful for all of you, to be able to spend a short time together reflecting each other's passions and sharing them through portraits.
Endure is a short series portraying my cousin, Karli, a caring and humble physical therapist, CrossFit coach, and an inspiration. This series is shown as it would in a magazine spread, and quotes from Karli herself and 9:24 CrossFit coach, Pete Doan.
Thank you all who were a part of this shoot, whether in pre-production, production, or the post-production, everyone who gave feedback and simply supports these big ideas I have.
Behind the Scenes
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Senior Photos Don't Need To Be Cheesy
Why stick with traditional Senior portraits?
Senior photos. I remember the days when everyone passed around their wallet-sized prints and wrote a note on the back for each of their classmates.
I also remember at least half of the images were taken by a "quantity over quality" type studio, where they put the Senior in the same sitting position that they have for the last 340/340 Seniors. Each portrait is the same type of shot, the same tilt of the head, and about 20 variations of the same pose.
Now stop. If you're a photographer reading this, you're already frustrated, and if you're a Senior or the parent of a Senior, please pause and answer this question... Why in the world would you like to remember your/your child's last year of high school- this huge milestone of your/their lives- by these cheesy portraits that look like everyone else?
As an artist, I get bored of the same old work, whether I am the one creating the work or watching others create the same old work, I just get plain tired. And so I'm tired of Senior Portraits for what the majority of people find them to be, just another checkmark on their list before graduation; I'm tired of the redundancy and the traditional posing, lighting, the godforsaken same backgrounds that just are not natural in any world (please search "cheesy photo backdrops" for plenty of examples), and for the lack of better words- I'm tired of the lameness and the artificial, insincere personalities that Seniors are offered in these "quantity over quality" studios. Senior portraits are about YOU, the Senior, and should be personalized to your style and your interests.
Senior photos don't need to be cheesy. Senior photos should be a memorable experience and a fun way to show and record for your children, your children's children, and even for you to remember who you are here and now.
And for the record, I believe in the "QUALITY over quantity" argument of photography.
Behind the scenes
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YPA's Where Are They Now: Leah Schonauer
YPA News feature updating my adventures and photographic career since being a part of the YPA Mentorship Program in 2014.
Extremely honored and humbled are the only ways I can describe seeing my name on the Young Photographers Alliance News page. These past two years since the YPA Mentorship Program has been a whirlwind, with lots of different directions in my photographic career and life in general. Find out my recent adventures in my self-written article on the YPA website!
Read my YPA Where Are They Now: Leah Schonauer article by clicking the link or the photo below.
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On Veterans Day
Final images from my shoot inspired by Call of Duty, with behind the scenes and before and after images.
Final image from Collin's shoot used for my print portfolio.
My inspiration for this shoot originally came from Call of Duty. My brothers used to be in love with the game, and gosh darn it, their promo photos are so good. Google Image search "Call of Duty" and you will agree completely. Plus, my friend Collin has been wanting to do a shoot for quite some time using all of his airsoft gear. We did the shoot in two sessions, one at sunrise and one at sunset, which makes for a pretty long day, but the crew had a nice long break for naps between. The team included Collin Galbraith as the model, Chelsea Black and my brother Jonathan Schonauer as assistants.
Although this was a personal project inspired by a video game, on a serious note, I'd like to dedicate these images to all the Veterans that have served our country. I take every thing I have for granted on a daily basis, forgetting the freedoms that I have, thanks to the brave American troops this country has, and our Awesome God. I debated sharing these images on Veterans Day because I didn't want them to be "offensive" in any way to make military or war look "easy" or "pretty" with all the Photoshop and setting up this shoot took. And I hope that that message doesn't get passed on through the images. I want these photos to represent the soldiers as individual people and be a reminder of the incredible sacrifice they have made. It's not much, but I just want these images to say "Thank you!".
Below is a before and after, showing the extensive work in Photoshop to make the atmosphere eerie and intriguing in this specific photo.
Behind the Scenes
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West Holmes Lady Knights Tennis Team
Promotional poster and portraits shot for the West Holmes Lady Knights Tennis Team for their Fall 2015 season.
I remember the sports team posters hanging up all over the small towns around my high school, years ago. In pizza shops, in grocery stores, around the classrooms as soon as school started up again in the fall. As small of a town that I come from, it was neat to see such intense portraits of the team members, it was almost like you were looking at a celebrity, even though chances were that you knew them and their entire family. Oddly enough, it's been a secret dream of mine to make one of these posters for a sports team. Maybe it's my love for Nike catalogs or dramatic lighting, but I'm a sucker for the emotion that goes along with it. I was lucky enough to have been approached by the West Holmes High School Lady Knights Tennis Team to put together such a poster. The only 'restrictions' were to use the title "You've Met Your Match" and that I had one day to plan the shoot. Little to no time at all to get everything together, I love the look of these portraits, both individual and team shot. The awesome (and very sweet) ladies a part of the Varsity tennis team and this shoot include Sabryn Cutlip, Maty Macaulay (senior), Erin Stitzlein, Cassidy Mohler (senior), Kate Rodhe, Samara Gallion, Elise Knebusch (senior), and Natalie Molnar (senior). Thank you all for letting me be a part of this shoot!
Below is the final poster I put together for the West Holmes Tennis Team that includes their season schedule and sponsors.
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Internship with Kaela Speicher: Week 7
Behind the scenes of a men's fashion shoot in Ohio.
As a photographer, there are always locations I keep secret and in mind for future shoots, just waiting for the perfect concept to make itself known. Kaela did the same with this location in the boonies of Ohio for a men's fashion shoot. We had a great team to work together for the day: Kaela was the photographer of course, makeup by Hannah Donovan, hair by Colton DeLong, stylist Teera Doner, model Gabriel Hopkins, and I assisted.
The look Kaela was going for was, and I quote, "new age refined lumber jack, Mumford and Sons meets runway". I love that description, and lets all agree here that everyone's work nailed it for this shoot!
The day was a long one, mostly from the heat and the bugs, and a random torrential downpour, but oh such a fun one seeing this shoot come together! Plus, it was in my favorite state and we were out in the country, so I felt right at home. And lo and behold, a rainbow was across the sky as we crossed the Pennsylvania state line. Happy endings, am I right?
While assisting and fighting off bugs, I was able to capture some moments behind the scenes again. Here are some of my favorites from the day!
See Kaela's images of Gabriel over on her website: Kaela Speicher Photography. You can click the link, or click the image below to see Gabriel's gallery.
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Laying Framework for "Boundaries"
Behind the scenes of framing the YPA "Boundaries" images in collaboration with my Dad.
A few weeks ago, I shared photos from the YPA "Boundaries" Gallery that took place at Studio 3702 in Lawrenceville, downtown Pittsburgh. What you may or may not know is that the frames that displayed my photos were a side art project for my Dad and I to complete together.
You're probably wondering why I wouldn't have just bought frames. When looking at the images of these people, I wanted the frame to resemble looking through a window into this little world of "wisdom". (To read more on my series, visit my previous blog post or gallery on my home page). Plus, I love collaborating in DIY projects, and this was right up Dad's alley. And I can't forget the deal breaker- building something yourself can save a heck of a lot of cash, just don't forget the amount of time you're exchanging.
The frames were handmade from simple barnwood found in my grandparents barn. My Dad had glass cut for each frame and rigged a system that lit my images from behind, which unexpectedly created an effect that made the characters in the photos become much more real and 3D. Something that can be simply put into words doesn't always give credit for the amount of time spent working on a given project.
Thank goodness Dad is a genius when it comes to building things. With my own doing, the frames probably would have been hanging upside down. Being grateful only begins what I am for having Dad and others that support me and my art, let alone collaborate with me! Thank you times a million!!
Dad holding the final product after a full week of work on the five frames we designed and he built from scratch.
Live by faith & share through fotos.