On the Other Side of the Lens

If you don't recognize the person in these photos, let me introduce myself! 

Hi, I'm Kitty, the photographer behind Lady Grey Photography!

Photo credit here goes to my husband, Kevin. He is my second shooter whenever I need a photographer for weddings or other events. He is fabulous :) Kevin has a degree in graphic design, and taught me just about everything I know when it comes to Photoshop. I was not a good student either, I hated learning Photoshop because it was so different than anything I'd ever worked with. Now it seems like second nature to me!

Back to my post. I think it is so important for a portrait photographer to get on the other side of the lens every now and again. Why? Because I can forget that my clients aren't models, they don't know where to stand, how to pose and I forget the feeling some of them may be feeling when they get in front of a camera. 

I do that too. If only we had captured this session on video, you would have heard my husband saying "You look like a dork, stop doing that, stop moving so much, don't stick your stomach out" (we are of course nicer when it comes to photographing our clients, but he thought it was hilarious how awkward I can be in front of a camera!) 

So what did I take away from this session? Sometimes its nice to have something you're familiar with during your sessions, to make you forget about the camera a little bit. With couples you have each other, with family photos you have your kids, but if it is just you sometimes its nice to have a couple props to interact with. For me, those are my cameras. It also really helps when its my husband as the photographer. Even if you're a complete stranger to me, I always try to make you feel comfortable and talk all through our session to capture the most natural you on camera. 

That being said, if you are having a session, feel free to bring a friend or family member along that won't be in the photos to help you feel comfortable! They can stand by me, make faces, and help let me know when you are doing your "fake" smile or your "real" smile :) 

This week was such a great learning experience for me!