As you have probably gathered from my two previous posts, we managed a quick family photo shoot over the weekend. I had this big idea that we could get everyone clean and dressed and well-rested at the same time, load up Daddy’s favorite chair and drive around until we found the perfect spot to shoot some pictures of the ones we love.
Not only was the idea of getting everyone simultaneously clean and dressed and happy a tall bill to fill, but I totally thought that Ryan and I could art direct the whole thing and manage the composition and shutter on our own. I called it our “tripod and a prayer” photo shoot.
We did manage to wrangle our crew (though we did accidentally forget our backpack full of snacks at home on the sofa – BIG mistake. huge.) and once we were all loaded in the car Ryan drove us around some of the prettiest parts of Franklin to find a lovely location that none of us knew existed. (Seriously, fifty points to the man who found this gorgeous location in a pinch!) I honestly thought that would be the biggest challenge of the day.
Nope.
Turns out I needed to put a little more “prayer” into my “tripod & a prayer” photo shoot.
Little people are impatient. And squirmy. Especially when you’re asking them to do something that they just don’t understand. Especially especially when you forget their snack and it’s lunch time. Ryan and I both did a LOT of setting up a shot, sprinting to join the shot (I don’t recommend using a 50mm fixed lens on a tripod for full body shots, makes for a looong run) and melting in frustration as we watched another set of five (my camera will continuously shoot 5 times on the timer setting if you ask it nicely) go down the drain.
So glad we weren’t using film.
It would have been much easier to ask someone to come along and help with clickity-clacking away at the shutter, but it was something I really wanted to try on my own. I wanted to be the photographer. Turns out it’s waaay harder than it looks.
1 hour and 300+ frames later, we were able to turn out a few that we really loved. Most of them came from one of us actually manning the camera instead of being in the shot, but we did manage a couple of the four of us that I will really treasure.
I thought it would be fun – since I’ve already shared some of my favorite shots from the day – to also share some shots of what belonged on the cutting room floor, so to speak.
We can start with one from a series of a dozen shots that were all lost because after I set up the shot, the wind blew a tall grass right in the way of Hazel’s face.
And here’s a potentially really lovely one, except that the camera thought we’d rather see the big, brown dead foliage in perfect focus and leave the two Myers ladies blurry in the background.
Here we attempted the increasingly popular jumping shot. On a timer. Even our best one wasn’t really worth framing.
Some pictures were good after a bit of good, old fashioned cropping. For example, all the lovely ones of me tossing and kissing baby Hazel initially looked like this:
But, cropping the distracted and hungry 4-year-old out of the frame makes for a really sweet shot of Mama and her baby girl.
There were also a couple of shots that weren’t really the auto-shutter’s fault, they just ended up being a bit funny.
Here’s Oliver showing Daddy a stick he found while I give Hazel a quick nursing break in the background. Handy to have a comfy chair out there in the woods! Also handy that as long as she’s near her Mama, Hazel can never forget her snack. :)
And in this one I didn’t even notice that Oliver was behind them playing in the grass.
And Ryan’s best attempts at a shot of him with the kids.
There’s not really anything wrong with this one. I’m just showing it because it’s cute.
And there you have it: our “tripod and a prayer” photo session! It was hard work – harder than I expected – but I’m really pleased to have some lovely photos of my family at this fun – albeit challenging – stage of life.
Happy Monday!
>I'm totally in love with your photo session–your designing eye is outstanding. Way to persevere and get some really fantastic shots!
ps. I found inspiration in your blog design when I redesigned mine the other day. :) three cheers for courier-new. :)
>pps. these are the redesigned blogs:
http://adorkable-me.blogspot.com/
and
http://adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com/
>i've been a lurker for a while now, but i HAD to become a follower to see more gorgeous shots! great job raechel!
p.s. being a photographer IS hard, no?
>The second jumping one is a total keeper. Not only do you and your husband look fantastic and full of personality, your son looks absolutely adorable. I love it, it screams fun happy interesting people.
>AMAZING pictures!! love them :) What a great idea with the chair.
>I have a 50 mm fixed lens too so I'll keep in mind to bring a zoom lens if I attempt this with my family haha :) But it does take gorgeous photos so it's worth the extra bit of running I would think :)
>even with all the bloopers, your photo shoot looks so great, it's really tempting to try this!!! i'm glad to know how difficult it can be, though, because i'm going to have to do something similar to get pix of myself in clothing i made. thankfully i will just have one (mostly) willing participant to deal with lol.
>I love the pictures. That is so fun that you guys took a chair with you and did a great job taking shots, they are good and would make a great scrapbook and story for years to come! We are working on getting a photo shoot set up with my extended family (only 8 of us) and I am struggling with what we should all wear. Should we all match, should couples/kids match, any ideas? I love what you all are wearing.
>I tried the same thing last weekend I was shocked at how hard it was with two kids and 2 adults and no one manning the camrea to get a good group shot. I too was using a fixed 50mm so it was a long run and focusing was a bit tricky. You guys got some really beautiful shots though:)
>Your little ones are adorable. I'm new here and really enjoying your blog. It is lovely. Love your style and how you speak from your heart.
>Love the photos! :) I need to know where your sweater is from!!
>Just a lurker, but I do love your photos! My family of four (kids are WAY older than yours though) have taken pics for the past several years, all by ourselves. Last year, my husband got the greatest gadget EVER… a remote for the camera! No more starting the camera and hoping you make it back before time runs out! You also get some interesting shots when you give your teen son the remote… = )