Sisterhood.
I have a sister 6 years younger than me. We spent a good deal of our lives growing up separately because we didn't have much in common being so many years apart. I was mostly about town between school activities and working part-time while my sister spent her time as my mom's side kick.
Photographing these sisters took me way back. From the semi-matching outfits to the grace the older one gives the younger and how the younger can put a smile on everyone's faces. There were so many moments in their session that had me cracking up behind the camera, but also directing a little bit from a distance.
A tip that makes directing a pose less stressful for the client is using a natural prop. For the younger one, I asked her to twirl holding onto her collar. The breeze and flowy dress made the twirling fun and her hands had a natural place. The breeze also helped in showing off her curls. For the older girl, I asked to bring her prop of choice. While most of her family and friends might know her as a competitive (and fast!) swimmer, they may not know how good she is at playing the guitar. This gave her an opportunity to pose more naturally when I directed her to sway to the song she was playing.
Lastly, as the mama, taking advantage of an opportunity for SOMEONE ELSE to snap a few of you with your kiddos is a TREASURE! In this session, mama didn't know I was going to have her jump in for a few, but ready or not she knew it would be important. I'm so glad she sat in with them because the giggles were priceless...there's no way you can capture true connection without removing yourself from the equation of taking a selfie.
As a mama, I know these are moments I would never want to forget. They are images that would mean so much to the mama, but will mean so much more to the girls as the years age us gracefully.
