Challenge: A Dad Who Hated Photography

I talked to Heather for a while on the phone - much longer than the 10 minutes I budgeted and advertised to her, but neither of us really seemed to mind going over. We chatted about what she wanted to get out of her in-home session, and when I asked about hesitations, she mentioned how much her husband hated photos.

I get it. Really. But I’d argue that it’s probably not so much the photos that Heather’s husband hates - he wants to remember this time with their daughter just as much as she does. I’d argue that it’s the hullabaloo of posed photos that he probably hates. Maybe he grew up with parents who dragged him to Olan Mills or Sears for stiff family photos where the photographer poked and prodded and then said “hold it just like that” like the dentist taking an xray.

I’d hate having my photos taken if it was comparable to a trip to the dentist, too.

But Heather’s family had never done indoor family photos. In fact, they hadn’t done any photos since their wedding (another event with the potential for lots of posing and stiffness) so they were up for the chance to avoid mid-July RVA heat, and I was up for the challenge of getting Dad excited about photos.

We didn’t do anything exciting, and I didn’t do anything extraordinary to get him interested. We started our session with the end of a nursing session for Heather and their daughter, and then moved through the house naturally, following their baby girl’s needs rather than any set plan of mine. Play, bottle, change, play. Then we rounded out our hour with an attempt at a more traditional photo of the three of them. Maybe next time we’ll try that more in the middle, when the baby isn’t suddenly ready for an off-schedule nap.

I sent Heather a sneak peek of our session the next day, and she wrote back almost immediately.

Her email was delightful: “I love all the detail your photos bring - I can’t get over her hands next to mine, or her whole body being enveloped by Andrew’s arms. Sending these out to our families right now!”

And then here’s the kicker that I really consider the win: “You also helped turn my picture-hating husband into someone that asked if we can do family photos every year, which is a huge win in my book 😍”

I bow with a flourish, thrilled to have had a part to play in his converting from hating photography to asking for another round.

Do you have a partner who may have PTSD from forced childhood posed photography? Maybe an at-home session is the answer. Surrounded by familiarity and none of the stress of dressing up, posing, bright lights, or dark studios. Check out my family photo page and then let me know if you have a challenge for me to take on.