Why you really should think about having professional photos taken

Busting pre-conceptions

Have you ever had professional photos taken? Perhaps you’ve thought about it but something’s stopped you - either life got in the way and you forgot, or you started looking and became overwhelmed by the choice. Or you gave up on the idea because it looked too expensive.

Like you, I thought I could do a good enough job myself when I had a baby. I had an iPod that could take pictures, and my compact camera I thought took pretty good shots when I wanted to really get fancy. And yes, I do have some photos from when he was teeny tiny that I otherwise wouldn’t have had. But would I have any of them blown up and framed in the lounge? Hell no. Do I feel sad that that brief time as a baby went without getting a truly beautiful image now that I know the difference between a snapshot and a professional-level photo? Totally.

“I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than the things I haven’t”

If I could go back in time would I have just booked the photoshoot, regardless of how expensive it seemed to me or how low my confidence was that I would love the photos? It depends - if I found a photographer with a style I really liked then I would have tried harder to make it happen. I do have a hard time trusting that anyone could possibly achieve my vision but imagine they had! I’d love to have pictures of that time that fill my heart, up on the walls to look at now.

I don’t know about you, but for me, then, I had this assumption that a photoshoot would feel unnatural, uncomfortable, sterile and uninspiring. The only photographers I’d ever encountered were conveyer belt types - school photos, Father Christmas pics at the mall, passport photos etc. I imagined a dull white studio with a professional but detached photographer, clicking some shots - impersonal and not really capturing what I wanted, which was something with feeling, something that was ME.

I was always attracted to more arty imagery - candid shots, full of life and emotion and mess and noise. Or artistically framed shots, full of negative space, moody and meaningful.

I know I’m not like everyone else - some people love their family portraits on a clean white backdrop, ultra-studio style. It just shows that we all have our own style and taste which is great!

Why should you hire a photographer?

The truth is, doing the job ourselves simply doesn’t do our little ones justice.

We know that time flies with little ones, and that they don’t stay little for long. They change and grow so quickly, and though the days can be long and hard, the years really are short. When you become a mum your phone soon fills up with photos of your baby as you try to capture every sweet moment. But still it feels like time is slipping away…

While you have thousands of phone pics, you don’t have any frame-worthy photos that show off their gorgeous personality. It’s frustrating trying to get them to stay still, and impossible to get everyone in one shot looking good.

I know how much you want to savour this time. Maybe you’ve always imagined having beautiful photos dotted around your home of loving, happy memories. It’s been proven that children growing up with images of themselves on the walls feel a deeper sense of security, belonging and self esteem. My kids often lay and gaze at the pictures of themselves, and love talking about when they were that age and what they can remember. There is no question that it enhances their sense of worth and importance. As a mother, my primary job is to do what I can to raise my boys with a healthy sense of self-worth, giving them a solid base that is loving and accepting.

A photo shoot of your baby or your family is not frivolous. It is a luxury, sure. These pictures shouldn’t be cheap. If they are then you won’t treasure them as much. They are an investment, most definitely - their value only grows with time. Wouldn’t it be amazing to feel like this time has not escaped undocumented? These images are for your children. How will an old phone full of photos serve them in 15 or 20 years time?

One day they’ll be fully grown, finding their own way, and someone else will be their world. This time is so short and precious. Let’s not let it go uncaptured!

Sessions with me are all about embracing the nuances of this imperfectly perfect chapter of your life. It is all fleeting. Borrowed. A session is a time for playfulness and to remember our intention to savour life intensely. I try to capture love, emotion and character, and to be the photographer I would have wanted for myself.

So don’t hesitate! Get in touch and book now. Find out about payment plans. Ask if there are any special offers coming up. Make it happen.