Freedom/ Jacksonville Extended Family Photographer

On June 14, 2016 by meg With 0 Comments - Uncategorized

Freedom was one of the adjectives the grandmother used to describe what she wanted this extended family photo session to demonstrate. My own grandparents were a huge part of my life. So, it really thrilled me to take some extended family beach pictures for this beautiful family. I love the pre-planning stage to a photography session. I know when you get your picture taken you are planning on your outfits, what you are going to do and look like in a session. I am planning too. I asked the grandmother some questions about what she wanted in the pictures. She gave me a wonderful description of the props she was bringing, the names and ages of those being photographed. She used phrases like “intimate glimpse of family life,” and “casual” to describe how she wanted the pictures to look like.

The grandparents were celebrating their anniversary and instead of just pictures of them they wanted pictures which showcased their life. Their life is their family. They told me being a grandparent “really is the best thing”. You can tell that these grandparents are very involved with the day to day lives of their children and grandchildren and that they love it! You can tell by how effortlessly the grand-kids played, curled up to snuggle and freely they gave kisses to the grandparents. These grandchildren have an extra set of cheerleaders to reinforce their confidence- how lucky they are.

To see more of this session continue after the jump.

When I asked them to kiss, I told them to pause right before the kiss. Then I was told, “But I want to kiss her” and something to the effect of “I’m not going to stop either.” Talk about being that in love after 40+ years. I think that’s something everyone should aspire to. Freedom is getting to run up and down the mini sand dunes at the beach and play with the sand. They were making magic at the beach! I learned a few conversational tricks that I have since tried with my own kids. The grandmother is quite accomplished and has a graduate degree in psychology and I think I witnessed a little play therapy going on. She was asking her grandchildren how different toys felt about what they were doing. The oldest girl was so articulate and I think it had to do with the types of questions she was being asked. I loved this. I noticed that these types of conversations really allowed the child to express their thoughts and be heard. I think every mother wonders if she is doing the right thing for her children. She wonders how her choices affect the happiness and well-being of her children. No need to wonder anymore because when you see the look of adoration on your children’s faces you know that you are doing exactly what needs to be done.