Bringing Out the Best in Family Pictures

We moved most of our things into our new house the Friday after Thanksgiving and took some family pictures the next morning.  Sounds like a great idea, right?  But when my friend, Justin, (whom you might remember from here) told me he was going to be in town and could squeeze us in on Saturday morning, I said “absolutely.”

That morning I scrambled to get outfits that somewhat coordinated and kids hair brushed and faces clean.  I’d just spent the week eating fast-food and sleeping very little.  I wasn’t feeling so great about having my picture taken, and I was worried how the kids would act for the whole process too. All of the craziness of the holiday and the move had left us a little less than ourselves.

None of my family had met Justin in person yet.  Milly, in particular, worried me.  While she is usually happy and outgoing, she is often terrified and kind of rude to men she’s never met.  As a little girl, we try to see it as an ok thing, but I was hoping it wouldn’t effect the shoot.

Right off the bat, Justin seemed to know how to handle her: not too much, but also giving her some attention.  Milly absolutely loved him and gave him all sides of her expressive personality.

You see, a photo shoot with Justin doesn’t really feel like a photo shoot at all.  It’s more like a long conversation with some picture-taking in between.  He has a passion for people and their stories, and that’s evident from the moment you meet him to the images he captures.

We may not have gone into pictures feeling like ourselves, but Justin brought that out of us.  He’s just a natural at it in every facet.  From his photography skills to his people skills – he makes you feel comfortable enough to just be yourself and then captures the beauty in that.

He insisted on getting a few shots of us in the house, and I’m really grateful he had the idea.  It was the perfect way to commemorate the start of this journey for us.  Speaking of the house, I’ve got a bazillion before photos ready and I plan to start sharing them later this week, so be sure to check back.

You can see Justin’s work here (this video will show you what he’s all about).  He really is a joy to work with.