The Unposed Family Session Explained

When the Mconvilles reached out to me about taking their family photos, we had just moved back to the area and I was both nervous and totally flattered. They are very talented photographers themselves, so I was confident that they knew what they were looking for in a family photographer, and I wanted to make sure and deliver that for them. Something unique about me and my photography style is that  I offer my clients an unposed family session. In my opinion, emotional photos will always look better than overly posed family photos. 

Let me explain… an unposed photoshoot sets less pressure and more expectation for the family to just have fun! Rather than placing everyone perfectly and having them stand up straight with the perfect smile, I like to capture families as they are in their everyday lives. This looks like going out and basically having the family lead the session rather than me bossing everyone around. When everyone is relaxed and having a good time, I feel like I am better able to capture the true energy and love that is unique to each family structure. I just want everyone to truly be themselves. That is when you get photos that capture memories that are fun and emotional to look back on for years and years to come. 

For their session, the Mconville family and I headed out to a park in the Starved Rock Area of Spring Valley, Illinois. It was an unexpected park location but it offered so many of the wild elements that I always look for. When I get to a shoot location, I try to stay away from man-made structures as much as I possibly can. Locations with tall grass and no pavement are ideal! We were able to find a grassy hill to play on with gorgeous fall trees in the background.

When I say we found a hill to “play on”, I mean it! When we got there I had the kids run around and play with the family dog. Their daughter wore a blanket like a cape and twirled around! During an unposed family session, whatever feels fun and organic to them is what we do. This doesn’t always come naturally to clients, especially children who don’t know me yet, so I make sure and have prompts ready to ease everybody in the right direction. I will gather the family members in a space and rearrange them if needed, then ask a silly question or tell a joke so that I can capture their natural reactions. As the session goes on everyone starts to get more comfortable and the pictures start flowing. It was so sweet that the Mconvilles brought their pet along for the session. Dogs can be just as much a part of the family as anyone, and they are actually really helpful when it comes to unposed photos. 

This family was so easy to work with and I am beyond grateful that they asked me. They came into the session flexible and ready to trust my expertise. This is so important coming into any kind of photography session. If you have asked a professional to photograph you, you must trust that they will deliver the kind of photos that you are after. I love working with fun, easy-going families like the Mconvilles, and I am so excited to share their unposed family session with you.