Personality

We recently won a photo shoot and 5x7" portrait after I answered a survey while out shopping in Bury.  I was super-excited about the chance to have a great picture of our little family.  We've got some that we took when Linus was one month old, but it'll be nice to have some that don't involve a box as a tripod and the self-timer.

Well, tonight I spoke to the girl from the photography studio to schedule our session and was left scratching my head.  She explained that they really like to capture the family in their element and put lots of personality into the pictures.  Sounds great!  I don't want cheese pictures of fixed smiles.  In photos like that I always end up looking crazy or you can read the thought "just take the darn picture already" in my eyes.  The best pictures ever taken of me are from our engagement pictures and our wedding pictures.  Granted the professional hair and make up at the wedding helped, but the most important part was that it was a relaxed shooting style that captured us as we really are. 

The scheduler asked me questions about what we are "in to".  I struggled to answer this.... "Um.... our family?  Laughing?... We're kind of boring, I guess..."  She finally managed to get me to say that Ross likes old movies- like Laurel and Hardy and that I like to cook.  I also mentioned that Ross really likes socks.  She said that was weird.*  She then suggested that, in order to make our photos more personal, we should bring some of movies and some pots and pans.  Right. Sure.  Nothing says priceless family photos like props of DVDs and cookware.

Tell me I'm not the only one that thinks that sounds like the worst idea ever?  I'd much rather have pictures of my family laughing and smiling and being goofy.  I'd like us to be the focus, rather than some stuff that we like.  I can't speak for Ross and his DVDs, but I like my husband and my son and heck of a lot more than I like pots and pans!  I do appreciate what they're trying to do: put people at ease and make the photos more individual, but come on... If our family doesn't have enough personality and facial expressions to make a fun photo shoot, then I'll eat my hat.  Or maybe Linus' hat.  

It's cuter.

Anyway, I'll keep you posted on our experience (spoiler: we won't be bringing any props).

Have you ever used props in a photo shoot?
Would you have family pictures taken with a stack of DVD's and pots and pans?

*Ross disputes and takes great offence to the idea that his love of socks is weird.  I explained that, while I don't mind, it is (in fact) abnormal to have an entire dresser full of socks.  He wasn't convinced.