Do you have a sister that you LOVE to do everything with? As a family portrait photographer, I've had the opportunity to photograph siblings celebrating a tradition together. It's amazing!
First Communion Portraits of Saray & Lupita:
These two sisters celebrated their first communion together.
If you like to see more pictures from Saray's and Lupitas first communion photoshoot, >>click here<<
What did I do differently?
For Saray and Lupita's photoshoot, I asked specific questions about the photo session the parents wanted. And the questions I asked were:
How many kids?
How old is each kid?
How many photos would you like to have?
Would you like single portraits of each girl?
Would you like group photos with each girl?
Will the godparents like to have a single portrait?
Would you like photos from inside the church?
How long will the service (the mass) be?
The goal was to get an idea of what Mom's expectations were and give a proper timeframe of the session. Photographing two girls that are 10-12 years old is different from photographing two toddlers from 2-5 years olds.
Photographers, my advice is to ask specific questions to get a clear idea of how long the photo shoot will be and to quote the parents well. Tell the parents what to expect as well.
What did I learn from photographing this family session?
Based on the final edits of the photos, I know portrait photography still needs work. After I've delivered the gallery to Saray's and Lupita's mom, I went on Pinterest to look at ideas for first communion photos.
Let's just say that I should've looked up for ideas before the session. I can give thousands of excuses as to why I didn't look for inspiration beforehand. But it all came down to this - I did not take the time to do so.
So, what am I going to do next time? Block time to do the work! If I want to become a fine art portrait photographer, I need to put in the time and do the work.
Personal Note from the Author:
I have two sisters. One is a year and a half younger then I (her name is Elizabeth) and the other is eight years younger (that'll be Marlen).
Growing up, my mom used to dress Elizabeth and me as twins. And she did until each of us started to have a taste of fashion and had our own on style. Growing up, as well, Elizabeth and I used to do everything together. We used to eat lunch together in high school, join the same sports and took the bus together. It wasn't 'till each us went off to college and started our own separate lives. However, when we get together, our favorite thing to do is watch Disney movies and eat Hot Cheetos.
Marlen is the baby. She's the youngest, so I'm kind overprotective and bossy with her. And she's sassy and rebellious with me. It's kinda fun duo. She's the one who goes along with my crazy ideas when it comes to photography. If you check out my Insta or Facebook, you'll see her pop-up. She helps me a lot with filming and photographing behind the scenes of my photo sessions and she's my model for my personal photographer projects.
What's your favorite thing to do with your siblings? Let me know in the comments below.