Why custom portraiture?
Forgive me if you’ve heard me say this before, but custom photography is not for everyone.
For some people, leaning up against a carpet covered stand at a bargain photo chain and saying “Cheese” is great. The price is right. Everyone is managing to show their best forced grimace smile. Done.
For other people, average just isn’t good enough. They want more. They want something special. Something that spotlights the individuality of their family. They know that hiring the best photographer to capture the images of their family is tantamount to getting timeless, one-of-a-kind portraits that will be passed down and treasured from generation to generation. These are the people that choose to go with a custom portrait photographer.
A custom photographer that will take the time to help show different sides of your family’s personalities in your favorite surroundings. A custom photographer isn’t rushed. That means they are 100% invested in giving the clients what they really want to remember. They want to capture memories that show who their clients are.
As for the parents, they want to show Sally’s first tooth and how shy she was when she was that age. Or how adorable Baby Lucas’ tiny foot was when he was just 5 days old. Or they want their teenaged daughter to see the beautiful woman that she has become. Or they want to see how in love Mom and Dad looked during their vacation in Virginia Beach. There are as many possibilites and/or reasons for doing custom photography sessions as there are people that want them.
A while back a friend of mine passed along an article that was published in Real Simple magazine about professional custom photography. [Click on that green text to visit the link.] This article asks you to think of what is really important to you. I think most of my clients will agree with several (if not all) of the points made in it as they have already made capturing their families and their personalities a priority in their lives. They are my only session for the day. They get my full attention. They can take as many breaks as they need to rest, change clothes or diapers, snack, nurse, etc. Your child can hold their treasured “lovey” or you can sit on your quilt that Grandma lovingly made for you. Whatever you want. That is why they call it custom. …And it will be unlike any photo session that you’ve had before!
Hiring a custom portrait photographer means never having to hear:
“Sit here.”
“Chin up.”
“Say cheese.”
[Flash, flash]
“Okay, we’re all done here. …Next!”
Never!
Leslie
June 29th, 20087:52 pm at
Thanks for posting this. I see people getting portraits made in Wal Mart. I know the price is a great for the sitting fee but I have heard that the prices for the prints can get pretty hefty in the end. I just don’t want to have portraits made with people standing in line buying grills, food, camp equipment, etc watching the entire process. I know it can be watched because I have watched people during their portrait session. Not personal. Your post above is great – I like the article “Get Professional Photos of Your Children” too.