Client Interview by Batavia, N.Y. Photographer

I’m not exactly sure when I met this family, as the timeline has been a little fuzzy, but I definitely remember how I met mom. She used to take care of my kiddos when they were in the childcare center at the YMCA as I worked out. We used to chat a lot about cloth diapering, as I was new to the whole process, and she also was my youngest son’s swim teacher. We hit it off immediately. She’s so easy to talk to and is super laid back, and she was exactly this same way when I photographed her family for the very 1st time. She keeps low expectations (because, kids) and is grateful for those images that just capture her kiddos just being kids. Of course she enjoys those shots of them smiling at the camera, but if that doesn’t happen, she’s happy just having an image of them being them. Having her on the sidelines during a family session is just such a calming experience. She’s very good at communicating with her children in a calm manor and allows her children to feel their feelings. As a person who can get over-stimulated very easily, this approach works well for me. Plus, she comes in with a positive attitude and has approachable vibes. I’ve never seen this woman without a smile on her face.

She’s a dream client. Because we’ve worked with each other in the past, she was a perfect candidate for my interviewing process. Here’s what I know and what I learned…..

The Klatt’s are a family of 5- 3 children who are 7, 5, and almost 2.

3 children who all have different needs during a photo session because of age differences but, also, individuality. Mom was really great at communicating (which is also something she appreciates in hiring a photographer) with me the needs of each of her children. When I started photographing children, I kind of approached them all in a similar way- with the exception of age. I would come in which high energy and silly voices. I quickly learned that this was an ineffective way to capture the uniqueness of each child. I learned that some kids thrive on high energy and some just need someone who can give them a calm and relaxing voice. Some are shy and need more time, and others are ready to go straight out of the gate. Some need more breaks, while others have no issue performing for the duration of the session. It’s important to learn as much as you can about the children you’re about to work with before meeting them so as to give the family the best experience.

The Klatt’s are a hardworking pair who have to save for professional photos when they want them. While they wish they could get them done more frequently, they value the time when they can. I asked mom if they had unlimited funds, how often would she want to have her family photographed. Her response (and I’m sure this is a shared feeling): “All the time; Christmas, Family vacations, or just family adventures on a regular day.” How fun would that be?! To have all the amazing moments in your life documented AND you wouldn’t have to do it. You could be fully present and in the moment with your family. As a photographer, this is something I don’t do enough of. 2 Christmas’s (is that even spelled correctly?!LOL) ago I promised myself that instead of photographing every gift opening experience, I would only do one and then put my camera down. It was really nice just to be involved and seeing in real time my family enjoying their Christmas morning. Although, I’m sure our children don’t want to feel like they’re on the “Truman Show” but, as a parent, having those images to look back on is really nice.

Getting family photos isn’t always the easiest task, either. There’s so much prep work that goes into getting ready for family photos- especially when you have little kids! Mom preps her kiddos by bathing them the night before to ensure they’re nice and clean, and that they get a good night’s rest. She also spends time prepping their clothing the weeks leading up to their session date. A fun fact about mom that she didn’t mention in her interview is that she even makes some of her children’s clothing. I just think this is so cool! It adds a new level of custom to their images, and what a great story to share with her children as they get older. She believes it’s important to have clothing that coordinates but also shows off the uniqueness of each of her kids. I found this response to be interesting. I’m not sure how many families take this into consideration when picking out clothing for their children. This reminds me of my middle son during family photos last summer. I had his outfit all planned out, but he had other plans in mind. Let’s just say I didn’t win but I will say, he did enjoy his photo taking experience more because he felt comfortable and confident in what he was wearing. That’s another reason to consider your children’s thoughts and feelings when picking out their clothes for photos.

This brings me to printing all of those beautiful photos: How does one display and share their photos? I’ll be honest, I’m an over-shooter. I want to make sure I don’t miss a moment. Shooting this way is a blessing and a curse. While it yields a large gallery to cull, it leaves me with a large gallery to cull. I can also overwhelm clients because now they have a large gallery to choose from, but the Klatt family has figured out a nice way to share all of their photos without having to completely fill their walls and shelves. This isn’t to say they don’t hang photos on their walls, they do, but not every image is meant to be displayed, so a great way to have a hard copy of them to share is in albums. The Klatt family uses Chatbooks for their album printing. This is a great way to get those images from your computer onto paper at an affordable rate, and you can get a book every month should you so choose! At the rate in which parents photograph their kids in this digital age, you’d definitely have enough content to fill a book every month! How many times have you had photos done and you didn’t even print them? I’m totally guilty of this. Life gets crazy and those photos get put to the wayside. However, having a subscription to something like Chatbooks, it almost forces you to print those images. Plus, kids love flipping through photo books. At least I know mine do. Why not have the book be of them and their family?! Give them a dose of nostalgia and create a moment for you to share with your children.

Thank you, Laura, for taking the time to fill out my form. For those who want to be like Laura, go HERE to fill. out the form. I definitely took some tips away from your answers and will be incorporating them for future clients.