I thank my stars every second of the day, every day of my being that I was born to the spectacular woman I was born to. My mother is an amazing woman and has introduced me to all types of things during my life. I do not think I would be half the person I am today if not for her; not only has she been able to deduce the secrets of my heart better than any of my other family members, but she is the one who, during my entire life, has encouraged me to go that extra mile and to try that one thing that has me shaking in my boots. My mother instilled bravery, my desire for further knowledge and my longing to do any and everything I could do in life, to fill my life with joy and interest and marvel. This is why I have had so many hobbies in my life, and still continue to quest for knowledge in various platforms. This is why I choose to start and try new hobbies constantly.
My mother is one of the reasons I blog, one of the reasons I am able to decorate a wedding cake, the only reason I know how to knit, to make a killer stir-fry, to swim, to paint, to play an instrument, to sing …. because of my mother’s ever-seeking nature, I have become one interested in the world, always looking for a new hobby. And today, I’m telling you about a hobby that I’ve been wanting to start – no, I haven’t pinned this (are you following my boards on Pinterest? If not go take a gander – I’m told they’re addictive), but I’ve always wanted to do photography. I’ve three or four books on how to take professional photographs of various natures, and this one, Envisioning Family is one of my favourites thus far.
The book is written by photographer extraordinaire, Tamara Lackey of Tamara Lackey Photography and is an easy-to-read all-encompassing manual for photographing a family. It’s not just a manual though, it’s a heart-felt tale of Tamara Lackey’s love for family photography and an in-depth explanation of what she considers a family to be and how to capture that best. I loved that the book started with, not technical photography mumbo jumbo, but rather, a history of what a family truly is and then a small description of Ms. Lackey’s actual family and how it grew to the amazing family that it is.
The book also goes into more professional photography advice like what equipment is required for various types of photographs, how to style a photograph, how to pose your clients/family, tips on how to interact successfully with your family and even tips on how to have them interact naturally for a more treasured and descriptive shot of the family. I’ve been on a few photo shoots (and if you’ve been married or engaged or even had a sweet sixteen etc, you’ve probably been too) and I always found that lacking. They would instruct us to sit there, turn here, look across the lake, hold hands…..but they never quite got that natural interaction that exemplifies what our relationship truly is – and that’s what I miss in my engagement photos and my wedding photos and many other “posed” photos that I have taken of my family.
That’s probably why I love the type of wedding photos that are more natural…that’s why I sometimes wish I had a photograph of me falling on my bum at my wedding…ahem..you didn’t just read that….
Anyway, if you love taking photos of your family and desire to learn how to take more natural photographs that truly describe the silliness, excitement and love that surrounds you, I would say pick up this book for pointers. It is really well written, full of good advice and easy to read. Also, if you want, hop on over and check out Tamara Lackey’s blog for further advice and to just read about the antics she gets up to in her life as a photographer.