I love shooting family portraits! I often suggest an activity for the family, particularly when there are young children. I want to capture action and emotion from each individual, as well as the interaction among family members — my sports photography roots can often be seen in my style.

I recently met up with Kelly + Jason and their two children, ages 5 and 18 months. They chose Lewis Park, an adorable park in Bradenton that holds lots of memories for their family. This session was particularly fun for me because I got to hang out with my good friends at the same time. I hadn’t seen the kids since Julian was a baby. And now he’s keeping up with his big sis! I’ve said it before but…time flies (*sigh*). Afterward Kelly said that in hindsight, she was worried the kids were “all over the place.” They were, and I encouraged it. It makes for fun photos and a fun day!

A note: When shooting children on the go, I tend to think about my shutter speed first and stay on my toes. As many times as I have literally run after a photo, sometimes I still miss the mark. The photo below (right) came out a little soft. When I first downloaded it, I could have kicked myself (can you imagine me literally trying to kick myself?)! I am, after all, a complete perfectionist.

But (and here is the point) photography is not always about perfection — the perfect exposure, the perfect focus, the perfect pose. For me it’s often about capturing that one moment in time that will never authentically happen again. And the moment that he somehow flopped his hat right on top of his head was unforgettable, for me and for his mother. Don’t let your perfectionist keep you from embracing the imperfection…in photography and in life. Deep, I know.

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