Family time

It's been a crazy few days getting ready for our trip to Oregon. I was working hard to get all the loose ends tied up on Saturday when I got a phone call. A former client wondered if I was available that afternoon. She was hosting a family reunion at her daughter's farm and she had just found out that all her siblings and her mom's sisters were going to be there. She wondered if I was able to come and take a few pictures!  

I had a lot to do and I really didn't have the time but, if you've read any of my blog posts, you know how I feel about recording memories as photos!  Of course I said, "Yes". My pricing had gone up since the last time I photographed her family but her sister immediately said that she would pay for my time. I suggested that, rather than just a few group shots,  we should photograph all the family groups separately, and the various combinations together. She thought about it for a moment and agreed. 

So, that afternoon, at 1:30, with the sun blazing overhead, I showed up with my camera. The farm had big oak trees which provided shade from the sun and we picked a spot near to the house so that the oldest members of the family could get there easily. There were about 30 people involved, including a couple of toddlers and two new babies. I seated Mom and Dad on chairs, holding the youngest great grands, and grouped the rest of the family around them. When photographing large groups, it's always a good idea to take a number of shots, because someone always has their eyes shut or is looking away, and this group was no exception. My client bossed everyone around and generally did a great job as photographer's assistant! Thanks to her, I got all the possible combinations, including dogs and horses. I will go through them when I get home from my trip and arrange a zoom call with as many family members as want to come. I promised my client a web quality photo to share in the meantime. We were done in a little over an hour and the family were allowed to eat! 

When I got home and got back to work on the headshot session I have to deliver before I go, I found myself thinking about the family and the photos they will have to remember this crazy, busy, family day. It's all about the value of memories and photography's special super power of making time stand still!