stony creek family pictures . hueter family . kari dawson photography

Stony Creek Family Pictures in Washington Michigan provided by Kari Dawson top-rated Metro Detroit Family Photographer.

Britt’s one request for her Stony Creek family pictures… yummy light. And I knew exactly the spot. Listen, I really do love it when my people choose locations that resonate with them on a personal level. But if you are stuck or you want to honor your vision more than the location then trust your photographer. Then ask them about their favorite places to shoot. Britt and I navigated a few other ideas when the weather was warmer but when it came to the final shoot it became a blah idea. Her request for light sparked a location and then she trusted me.

How to prep for your family photos…

The other thing I share with every family before they bring their kids is this: kids like to be warned about everything so the day of, let them know that you are going to have family photos taken. Describe the location, and even share a little about what to expect from the photographer you have chosen. Then leave it alone. Don’t you dare stress for a single second about how your children behave at a family session. Don’t have ANY expectations and let them be themselves. Some kids are chatty and want to lead the way and some kids are so shy they are scared straight of me. I honor their little personalities and let them guide a session. The experience is a good one for them which then means it’s not only memorable for you as parents but you get great photos, too.

Little Sam was a little quieter but he was pleased to show me his sword and balance on the parking blocks. Jo is a leader so I let her choose a spot. Britt as a photographer knew and asked ‘is this a good spot?’ Nope, it sucked but it was more important to me to let Jo have a say. Marty with very little words showed me exactly the kind of hands-on father he is. And Britt is the unicorn and light and all things good.

A different approach…

During a wedding day, my approach is calculated and my brain full of ideas gets verbalized and the big people pay close attention and do exactly as I ask. With a family, my big brain of ideas often sets off a sequence of events or a game or playfulness. Then I just let the family be. And this is the result. This is the result of a mom that thanked her husband ahead of time for doing something that means a lot to her. The result of a mom that let her kids pick their own clothes and do their own thing. A family who showed up to just be. And be we did and we did it well.

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