Where is Mum?
What part of NO don't you understand?
During a family portrait session I’d wanted to include the parents along with their children in a particular scenario.
The mother point blank refused. (Not Mum in this picture).
That situation has haunted me for years.
You see, she died unexpectedly at a very young age.
Result - no pictures of Mum with her children for the surviving spouse and children and them asking "Where is Mum?".
My job as a photographer is to produce images that will have meaning for the client and future generations. I failed in this instance.
As a photographer, what more could I have done?
It’s obviously the clients’ choice to be photographed or not.
During the pre-session chat (which we do for all in sessions), I could and should have clarified the full range of possibilities. There are many reasons why people don’t want to be included in the photograph. It could be that they are self conscious about their appearance or perhaps that they want to shed a few pounds in weight first.
Naturally, we are not going to be macabre about future possible events.
I think it is reasonable to ask how the images will be used and suggest how they might form part of a families’ photographic legacy.
After all, what else is there to remember some-one by?
Children in the future looking for images of their mother aren’t going to worry about their appearance or weight.
They simply want a picture of Mum to remember her by.
That makes an image priceless.
Thinking about a portrait session? Contact Paul here.