this picture of the ohmans a couple of years ago is still one of my all-time faves. the boys are wrapped in cozy blankets, cuddling with mom & dad by the fire pit. it was really cold and i had to keep moving to avoid the wind blown smoke. they laughed and joked and wiped away sloppy wet pooch smooches. they are such a laid back, outdoorsy family, and this was sooo them, and i was honored to get the chance to capture these moments. i really was bummed when it finally got too dark to shoot - i really wanted to break out the s'mores and stay awhile!
when i was thinking about fall photoshoots, i was considering planning a couple of days of mini-shoots. short time slots during the course of a couple of mornings, shooting several families in the same spot, with the goal of getting "the" christmas card shot and a few candids of the kiddos. i kept trying to plan it, and i realized i was not excited about it. i just wasn't feeling it. not at all. then it finally occurred to me: that is simply not my style. not that it's not a great idea - but it's just not me. i really want to capture your family as you really are, and i can't do that in 30 minutes with my next appointment waiting in the wings. my favorite place to start is around the home. i wrote about this a little more in the "frequently asked questions" link:
in addition to your home, of course, there are countless family activities we could shoot around: hiking lake catherine, hanging out on your dock, strolling on bathhouse row or the grand promenade, fishing at your favorite spot, visiting family property, enjoying an a.t.v. adventure, carving pumpkins, jumping on the trampoline, going on a picnic, playing at one of our many beautiful parks ...you get the drift. i'm up for any activity in which i am able to capture those unique connections & genuine emotions you share with your family.
this fall photo session topic got me thinking about one of my favorite fall memories. it takes place in our front yard in bartlesville, oklahoma. we lived on willowood drive in woodland neighborhood, so as you might guess, we had trees for days. there was always a day in late november when the very last leaf had finally fallen, and it was leaf raking time. i can picture the scene like it was yesterday: my big brother - flared jeans and a black stones tee, my dad in plaid flannel and john denver glasses, me in my red satin jacket and a pony tail. i can see my mom sweeping the leaves from the front walk and porch with one of those heavy wooden corn husk brooms (before the plastic days of swiffer). we would rake the leaves into enormous, vibrant piles, then my brother and i would take turns running and jumping into them, scattering the leaves and exasperating my dad again and again. eventually the leaves would be raked onto giant old bed sheets. i would hop in the middle of one of the piles (occasionally my brother threw me in...) and my dad would pull up of the four corners making a giant sack. he would lug it over his shoulder, santa style, with me inside, and carry it down to the woods behind our house to dump it. i remember giggling wildly on the way down, anticipating the drop on the soft layers of leaves at the bottom of the woods. i always itched for days after, but i didn't care. it - was- awesome. man, i wish i had pictures of those leaf raking days....of my family the way we really were. not all spiffed up with my brother and i standing stiffly next to the christmas tree.... more like leaves in our saturday morning hair, laughing our heads off, trading wicked arm punches in our front yard...
these are the days i want to capture for your family. think about what makes you YOU, and let's capture it. on the right side of my blog there is a DETAILS section with contact information, and more about my style, etc. check out the links there, and send me a message if you are interested in scheduling a shoot.
the links below are of a few shoots that truly exemplify my style. these were taken in and around family homes and on the property of clients' family & friends:
- http://shannonladukephotography.blogspot.com/2011/03/happiness.html
- http://shannonladukephotography.blogspot.com/2011/07/americana-n-activities-etc-typical-of.html
- http://shannonladukephotography.blogspot.com/2011/05/home.html
- http://shannonladukephotography.blogspot.com/2011/04/ohman-sneak-peek.html
- http://shannonladukephotography.blogspot.com/2011/01/down-on-diamond-h-ranch.html
- http://shannonladukephotography.blogspot.com/2011/01/gone-fishin.html
