Leigh with her boys - Toronto Lifestyle Photographer
Leigh is an incredible mother, business woman and someone I am proud to call a friend! We met eight years ago when I was assigned to capture an editorial of her business Shot In The Dark Mysteries (which you should check out!!!) We quickly became friends as we chatted our passions for entrepreneurship. Soon after I met her family for their first family session and I've had the honour to capture her family since. Watching her boys grow is such a joy and seeing their personalities come to life the best part of the work I love to create.
I asked Leigh after our session to share some insight on what it has been working with me all these years! She quickly said she may be bias and we both giggled. Giggles aside, I think it can really provide insight on those initial fears that exist when considering to work with an independent photographer. I can do my best in expressing my passion as an artist but sometimes the best advice can be given by someone who has experienced the process.
1) What was your biggest fear in hiring me or even considering having a photographer capture your family? Did it come true, if not, what happened instead?
You can focus ... Before the session, were you worried about how your kids would behave or act? How did the session really go? Did you have concerns about spending money on photography? How do you feel about the purchase now?
I'm such an advocate for you and your work, I had zero fear at all! Although I do always worry a bit about how my kids will act, but that day in the distillery district with the pic of them upside down (the octopus mom one) taught me that sometimes their "misbehaving" turns out to be the best pictures. It was that moment where I put away the pretense and just started having fun with my kids. This session it was the one of them smacking each others butts - haha it's just so THEM and instead of posing them, YOU captured the true joy of their relationship. It's not just about making a family picture with me and them, it's also about capturing their relationship with each other, which is totally magical, and you did EXACTLY that this time.
2) What did you enjoy the most about your session and why?
It's a bit of a whirlwind, but afterwards, we are always in such a great mood and feeling so close to one another. After our session, we sat down and just cuddled and talked. We set down tech, work, housework and everything else for time, not just to capture us together, but to actually BE together and to celebrate that. The rest of the day was wrapped in this dreamy softness of the three of us together. Thinking back to our previous sessions, it was the same after those ones as well. The session itself actually brought us together and gave us a chance to connect. Then, seeing the photos let us relive that - the boys were excited and saying "oh that was so much fun when we did that". They picked their favourites too, so in essence, the session itself turned into some pretty special family time that we get to cherish forever now.
3) If you where to tell your best friend about your photography experience, what would you say?!
Ha! I tell ALL my friends about my photography experiences with you! But if I had to sum it up (as I did yesterday while chatting with a girlfriend), it's so real, and logical to capture the reality of where we are right now. It's real life, not staged and posed. It's authentic - a true photographic record.
