Baton Rouge Family Lifestyle Session
This was a family session turned lifestyle photography for great reason! This particular family was visiting from California and the other half lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The father of the two kiddos was a long time mathematician at Louisiana State University. His two kiddos and family were all together for the holiday so we scheduled a cozy Sunday afternoon for our session for a group of 11.
One of the mommy’s was highly concerned of her two autistic children cooperating for a proper family portrait. As a client, she was worried this would be problematic but for me this is where I believe some of my best work lies… and the adventure begins!
Clients with a sense of adventure are right up my alley!
We began the session on an overcast afternoon at Rural Life Museum off of Essen Lane. This is an ideal location for photographing because it’s smack-dab in the middle of the city off of Essen Lane and it’s completely wooded and covered with sprawling gardens. I prepped the family that we would attempt some classic portraits and then let the kids just be kids.
My approach as a lifestyle photographer is always to capture the subjects as they are in real life – couple’s being in love and children being themselves. So when parents seem frantic about me getting any good photographs of their seemingly disengaged child, I reassure them that this is where my skills shine.
Lifestyle or candid photography is a chance to just document subjects doing the things they love to do and I am just a fly on the wall.
With families this size there will always be a classic group shots but after these are done I just say, “y’all play together and interact” and I stand back and catch the magic that happens (even in the rain!).
Like these such jewels that will be cherished for a lifetime…
So where some moms of special needs (autistic) kiddos would cringe at the thought of corralling the littles for a family photo session, I say bring them all to me!
To me, generational portraits are an absolute favorite and I just adored the rest of the family in the background that complemented this all too well.
To me making a family portrait is to be fun, stylish and simple.
Capturing a family as they engage is the most rewarding form of photography to me.
Everyone exactly as they always are. Such as life.