EGGciting Morning at Home in Niles, MI | A Ketchum Family Film 2022
While I am shooting family film sessions, I have a few things on my mind.
Client Requests
Things They Didn’t Know They Needed
Anything Repetitive
Client Requests
Like most (good) photographers, I send a questionnaire ahead of our session so I can get to know you and find out what makes your family unique. Then, before the session, I call you and we chat about the upcoming film session. We develop a loose plan about what will be filmed. On this call, I have pencil in hand, and I jot down as much of what you’re telling me as possible.
This mama mentioned a few things she really hoped would happen, because they are such clear markers of her right now, every-day life. First, she hoped her boys would pull up their chairs to the island to help her cook. This is an every day thing. “Sometimes I wish they wouldn’t because it takes so much longer,” she admits. Isn’t that just life? We endure the things that are slower, more difficult (hello family vacations!) with our littles, and even in that very moment, know we will miss it when it’s gone. Second, she loves the way her twins’ feet dangle from the snack table. She giggled a little when she told me this, feeling somewhat embarrassed about such a weird thing to zero in on. I assured her, I GET IT! Next, she mentioned their little voices, especially when they say “milk, please” or “more, please”. Last, she hoped I’d be able to capture them using their imaginations since they are just starting to turn that part of their development on.
This phone call gives me a game plan. If I notice this stuff happening during the session, my record button gets hit and it doesn’t turn off for a while. If I miss a “more please”, I look at mom, she cues them to say it again and I make sure I get it. These are things I would never know if I didn’t take the time to make that all important phone call.
See how many of these wish list items show up in their Family Film.
Things They Didn’t Know They Needed
This bit is the one that’s up to me. I don’t think the average mom knows JUST how much their kids are going to want to hear their voice and see their face one day. Same goes for dad, of course! The whole time I am with you, I am mining that scene for gems. Gems look like a look between mom and dad. Gems look like a toddler wrapping his hand around one of your fingers. Gems look like mom’s huge beaming smile when her silly little guy starts putting on a show for the visitor. Gems look like mom running her fingers through little man’s hair for the 100th time that day. Gems look like that emotional connection we don’t have time to notice most days. I’ll bottle a little of it up for you to reflect on.
Anything Repetitive
Who knew that eggs would be such a big part of this story? Toward the end of the shooting day, I was starting to realize just how much they were in my footage. There were other very cute things that I could have included in this film… peekaboo, reading, bikes, car rides. However, the eggs tied this story together so nicely, I went with it! Flexing the creative muscle during the editing is a fun challenge, like putting together a mysterious puzzle. So fun.
Without further ado, here is the Ketchum Family Film. The twins are almost 2!
What do you think? I love doing this beautiful and important (yes, important) work.
