Studio Ostendo operates in multiple creative fields including photography, design, and education.
As a photographer, I love creating photographs that bring strong images, memories, or feelings to mind. Often these photographs are the ones that mean the most to clients, and they’re definitely the ones that mean the most to me. Candid family photographs draw you in, and I’d love to help capture them for your family.
Candid family photographs are honest at their core. They show the beauty of being human, the beauty of being in relationship, the significance of belonging. They’re not about everyone being on their best behavior or smiling just right. They’re the photographs that allow you to see into the depths of someone’s soul, the photographs that tell the story of your family and how you spend your days, the story of how you love each other.
To me, the best candid photographs capture the moments you wish could last forever. They have the power to make you feel something.
If you’re longing for those honest, candid photographs of your family, here are some tips for how to approach your photography session:
During your family photos, focus on the things you can control. I love to tell families to wear something they love and show up with the expectation that they’ll be spending time together. Family photo sessions never go perfectly, and when parents expect their kids to behave perfectly, those expectations often lead to frustration. Instead, try focusing on the things you can control during your session and let go of the expectation that things will go perfectly or according to plans.
Let your kids be kids during your family photo session. Getting candid photos requires real moments and interactions, so let your kids explore, play, get dirty, and have fun. Let them cry and comfort them. The beautiful thing about capturing candid family moments is that we need kids to be themselves, so during your session let them!
For your family photos, incorporate an activity you love doing as a family. One of the best ways to get candid photos is to plan to connect with your loved ones in a way that’s meaningful to you. Choose something you already love doing together, and the natural interactions will be authentic and meaningful to your family.
Some examples of activities you may choose to incorporate into your family photo session are: taking a bike ride or a family walk, having a picnic, tending your garden, swimming at a local beach, baking cookies, making art, etc.
During a traditional family photo session where the goal is to get photos of everyone smiling at the camera, you may choose to be engaged when the photographer is ready with their camera up, but in order to get candid family photos it’s important to stay engaged during the in-between moments. For candid family photos, stay engaged with your family during transitions and focus less on the photographer.
Focus on your family for the best candid family photos. The more you interact with one another, the more the photographs will tell the story of your family and what it’s like to be a part of it.
For these family photos, we met at a local nature preserve where we knew the kids would be able to run around and explore. This family wanted a nice family photo of everyone smiling for their Christmas card, but also prioritized more candid moments together. I told the kiddos that I was joining them for a family walk, that I wanted to take some photos of them with my camera, but it was also okay to play and explore. We walked a loop together around the nature preserve and I tagged along like I was one of the family, encouraging the parents to interact with their kids and the kids to interact with each other. Every once in a while I’d see an opportunity to have them all sit or stand together and prompt that. While some kids played, I’d grab a photo of another child with a parent or looking at my camera. Because this family was focused on enjoying each other, responsive to small prompts from me, and comfortable with the imperfect, I was able to create some beautiful photographs of their family—photographs lavish with personality and connection.
I’m Becky, a photographer based in Boise, Idaho. As a photographer and a momma myself, I’m obsessed with photographs that tell the story of family. I love capturing photographs that are evocative, nuanced, and personal. Years down the road, if you want to show your kids a photo of how you all looked, we’ll take one. But if you want to show your kids a photograph of how it felt to belong to your family, I’d love to create that for you.
Learn more about me or reach out on my website if you’re interested in a family photography session with me.
Wedding photography is my heartbeat. For me, it holds the perfect tension between creativity and authenticity, observation and connection. In front of my camera clients transform to friends, and behind it you'll usually find me tearing up, cheering you on, or holding my breath because of the raw goodness of the moment at hand.
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