So you're thinking about booking a Hawaii photoshoot ?

Maui Family photographer, affordable maui photographer, best maui photographer, Hawaii family photographer

The countdown until your time here in paradise has begun - In your spare time you may find yourself scrolling through endless Google articles + Facebook pages that are geared to help you check off all that there is to see while here in Hawaii. In the mix of investigating you may come across advertisements or referral posts for photoshoots. When that occurs there tends to be two main reactions :

Oh my goodness yes ! What a great idea to update family photos on this trip !
Hmm….eh….I’m not sure if that’s something my family and I would find fun or have room for in the itinerary.

Guess what - both of those reactions are 100% okay to have. As a photographer I can go on and on about why you should book a photoshoot BUT as a general human being I am not a fan of photoshoots. Ironic, yes. However, with that said I realized after a family tragedy that our family had a very small number of photos which included everyone. It wasn’t until realizing most photos on hand were from my days in high school that I started putting a priority to document my life more and get those updated family photos. Does that mean one has to LOVE the photoshoot planning process ex. choosing a photographer, picking outfits…no this part is not everyone’s favorite but the end result once everything is done truly will be worth it all. Now here is where I jump back in to not necessarily push you towards booking a shoot but to give a little bit of a breakdown of what kind of family photoshoot experience you can have -

I have been a photographer for over ten years. Photography was a hobby of mine but never something I planned to be a profession though alas here we are and what a dream it is to have this as my job. With all the years of snapping away I have seen everything in the dang book : unhappy spouses, annoyed teens, littles who would much rather go on a scavenger hunt for sticks than take photos…honestly the list goes on and on. There is this weird general idea that families/couples in a photoshoot need to be smiling and stay picture perfect throughout the session. Though who here is perfect ? What family wakes up each day with everything going according to plan and everyone in the happiest of moods ? That’s not realistic so why should that idea carry over to photos ? About 90% of photoshoots that occur have at least one family member who would rather be anywhere else than there in the get go and again that is okay. There is no need to stress yourself out whether you are all in for photos or not on making sure everyone is in the perfect mood for a photoshoot to turn out beautifully. The only thing I want my clients to focus on is getting out the door, meeting me, and then letting me handle the rest.

As for the session that is right for you there are endless kinds of photography out there. Some shoots are set to only be portrait sessions with set poses. Others are nothing but action shoots that included a whole lot of movement. As a photographer who mainly photographs lifestyle sessions ( families/couples) very rarely do most adults or kiddos want to have to do pose after pose for a shoot. It can be awkward, it can make the session feel dragged out, and for any little ones there is one word “wiggles”. With all of this in mind I like to approach my photoshoots with a mix of both with more emphasis on having fun and less poses. The session will begin with a few posed shots - everyone looking at the camera but literally only about 4 max of those photos. These are great to have for holiday cards or for sending to your in laws so they may hang them on the walls. After those are snapped we break it up and break it down. I will give helpful prompts for some direction to help set up a shot but everything that unfolds after that is all natural. If your little one wants to collect sticks - let them. This is a great way to keep them happy AND get some photos of your family doing what you would do if you were on a beach here in Hawaii without a photographer in your bubble. It’s you all being yourselves. This doesn’t mean I’ll stay silent the whole shoot , I never want clients to have the thought “ what do we do now ?” - I will always give guidance and jump in with fun ideas but I don’t want clients feeling like they cannot blink or breath while having to stare at a camera. Some families love playing in the water which I LOVE ! Though others want to get those fun shots yet stay dry and I LOVE that too. When we start talking upon inquiry know you can let me know what you like and dislike. This isn’t my photoshoot this is yours and I am here to capture it with my style but for you.