With the rise of Pinterest, I thought this week’s lesson would be about how to use Pinterest to prepare for your photography session. There are so many things that I wonder how moms (and dads) did things before things like Leapfrog, the iPad, and Pinterest. Pinterest is full of so many great inspirations. But I often have to remind myself that they are just that, inspirations. I’m not a professional baker, so my cupcakes will not turn out just like the picture. And my children are little, so their arts and crafts will not perfectly resemble the turkey or candy cane I had pinned for the holidays! Have you seen those great blogs on Pinterest fails? They are great, and make me feel SO much better about my projects not always turning out. I have had some great success, however. Like Milo’s Chef birthday party last year, and Sawyer’s strawberry party. I got so many great ideas (and I may have had a special helper or too helping me pull it off!) from Pinterest, yet I was able to tweak and make them my own and fit what I was doing.
Here are three tips on how to use Pinterest to prepare for your photography session.
1. Wardrobe Ideas. There are so many great color combinations that work great together, though sometimes it is hard to picture. What you thought might have worked, you may not like. Or, if you’re like me, and are not a fashionista, Pinterest is full of ideas you may not have thought of! This is a recent pin of mine for a styling that I just love the color combo! It not only shows colors that work well together, but ways you could style everyone! What do you think?
2. Style of photographer. There are so many different types of photographers out there. Do you prefer your session to be lifestyle or heavily posed? Stylized or natural? In a studio or on location? By pinning photos you like you can start to get a good feel for what you’re drawn to and the type of photographer that will be the best fit for you. You know that my style is more natural, capturing who YOU are as a family. The image below is a favorite from a newborn session I did recently. If you love the images, pin it! We could be a good match!
3. Inspiration not Replication. This is my biggest warning. Pinterest photos are meant for inspiration not replication. I’m not saying that if you’re in love with a particular photo and it fits my style, I won’t try it. However, your session is different then the one you’ve pinned. You don’t know the circumstances that family had to get that shot. If you have a busy toddler, chances are, she’s not going to want to sit still while you place a sleeping newborn on her back. Likewise, a shy toddler isn’t likely to be adventurous and stray far from mom and dad. It’s so easy to look and want your shoot to look just like the pins you’ve found, but if you’re flexible you often find what your family and your photographer create together is so much more special, because it represents your family.
Last weekend, I photographed a 3 year old boy and his family. Laurie, the mom you may remember from her review of my workshop, had sent me a link to her family session inspiration board with ideas of what she liked for her son’s 3 year session. I had told her what I said earlier, it’s a great starting point, but reminded her to be flexible. She completely understood. The first image was from her board for inspiration.
Laurie brought her own tricycle and we set it up how her son was comfortable. I think Laurie will love this shot even more because it is of HER family! But what do you think? Do you see how I have used the image for inspiration not replication?
Hopefully this helps you see how to use Pinterest to prepare for your photography session!
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