the shoot at-home
Sunday, March 19th, 2023
When organizing a shoot, clients almost always ask me for ideas about the location. If we are planning to shoot any time between May-November, chances are we will be taking advantage of the nice weather Ontario bestows upon us between bouts of winter. I have my favourite outdoor locations around the GTA and I will give clients a few options to determine what suits them the best. And then in the cold winter months when photography quiets down in general, those people still looking to commemorate life’s beautiful events are a bit more limited in location.
In-studio shoots have grown fairly rapidly across the city- new studios continue to pop up in airy lofts and refurbished industrial spaces. Sometimes these are decorated seasonally, but most often these studios are designed with white couches and coffee tables and artwork to mimic a beautifully minimal living space. And often these come with studio mini shoots- the chance to fit in a few families or individuals for portraits in 30 minutes or less. I do love studio spaces and will recommend my favourite ones in the city if the option appeals to the client. I think they can be especially beautiful for both maternity and branding shoots. And yes, I do understand the appeal of the mini shoot- a lower price point and shorter time commitment (which can be tempting given the attention span of the toddler).
But, they are not my favourite.
I am very fortunate to have photo albums full of memories from my childhood. My mother was such a talented photographer and captured everything, from weekend hikes to summer trips to everyday moments at the kitchen table. I have a few photographs framed in my apartment and they all have one thing in common- they were taken at home.
I consider my memory to be superior and still, it is a relief to know that I have the history of my life preserved in these photographs. I remember the apple tree in the background of the first house I lived in, but in photos, I see just how tall it was, how many blooms it held in the spring. I could never forget the floral upholstery of the couch that served as the epicentre of family life in the living room of our second house, in the country. But, I still have photographs of me sitting on it, during every birthday and on every Christmas morning for years. I have lived in my current apartment for the past eight years and I have taken self portraits each year. More art has been hung on the walls and more books pile on top of the coffee table and more flowers find their way into vases, somehow. And a few more wrinkles line my eyes. One day, I will be able to show my kids just how much their mom healed and grew as she lived alone in her apartment in the city. I will show them the way a home grows with you.
When I told my sister about this blog post, about how I wish more clients opted for shoots at home, she raised one very important point. As a mother of two toddlers, she is well-versed in the absolute MESS that little bodies somehow create wherever they go. And inviting someone over can thus be a stressful experience… let alone a photographer… who is going to take pictures. I told her that most families bring this up to me when I suggest a shoot at home- “our house is a mess!”. My sister’s response to this is that she would like to let everyone know how often I have been able to take photos in her home, “between piles of clothes”, and still make it look “beautiful”. Her formal endorsement.
My response is that I get it. Inviting a photographer over for a shoot at-home will require some tidying and some cleaning in an already hectic life. But, I am also insisting that it will be worth it. And I am promising you that I do not see a mess. I see dishes that were used during a family breakfast around the kitchen table. I see a pile of clothes that a toddler didn’t want to wear because they insisted on wearing their favourite princess dress instead. I see rumpled bed sheets because they were so excited to show me their “big kid bed” that they ran and jumped on top of it. I do not see the mess, I see the life behind it. A life worth remembering.
Over the next few weeks, I will be posting more of these shoots at home because I want to show the timeless beauty of it. I want to help you capture the memories and details of your unique space, whether it’s your family’s first home, the apartment you got engaged in or the one-bedroom that held you tenderly as you lived alone. Show me this life you live, this sanctuary you retreat to at the end of each day and then hold onto these memories for years to come. The lighting might be imperfect, the aesthetic might be more crowded than minimal and it might not be as tidy as a studio, but it is completely yours.
Of all the portraits I’ve taken of myself, the various ones at home are my favourite. Sitting in my warm apartment, in a rocking chair that was built by the hands of my great-grandfather. Surrounded by my collected art, my photographs, my endless cups of tea that grow cold before I can finish them. Dressed in a nightgown in the middle of the day, with a vase of flowers given to be by the man with the green eyes.
In the end, the story I will leave behind will be one of warmth and life and cups of tea. I hope you will trust me to capture yours.