New Age

New Age

The growing affordability of digital SLR cameras has brought about a new age of family photography. With high-quality cameras at their fingertips, families have discovered and enjoyed the many benefits of owning their own SLRs. These days, photo-loving moms and dads are snapping away to capture the day-in and day-out events that turn into precious memories down the road. As a professional photographer and a mother of two, I've encouraged as many families as will listen to take the plunge and buy a digital SLR… it's a purchase they'll never regret!

Parents are their children's best "lifestyle photographers"… they're there to document so many of the precious, unscheduled moments that come up in everyday living. My sister's two-year-old son recently emerged from his bedroom proudly displaying the permanent marker drawings that covered his face, arms, tummy, legs, and feet. After an initial gasp, my sister did what any self-respecting mother would do… she grabbed her camera! These are the moments that demand a fast, high-quality camera, eliminating the frustration of a less-than-satisfying shot documenting a more-than-hilarious moment. At a standard three-or-more shots per second, there are no more "lost moments" waiting for the shutter to release on a basic digital point-and-shoot. Digital SLR cameras enable moms and dads to quickly and effortlessly capture the growth, successes, and endearing moments that happen so regularly in their children's lives.

Many parents, however, are tempted to think that their digital SLR will eliminate the need for a professional family photographer. My personal experience as a photographer has helped me understand the importance of having another professional step in when it comes to capturing the relationships within my own family. No matter how nice of a camera I have, it's an unfortunate fact that I'll never be able to be on both sides of the lens. I cherish the images I have of my children, husband, and myself together as a family. There's no replacement for a series of heartwarming family portraits taken by a professional.

Through my experience, I've also found that many children will respond to a photographer more intently than they will to their own parents. A new face will encourage greater attention to the camera than will a parent's repetitive requests. I've heard countless exasperated parents say, "I just can't get him to look at the camera when I take pictures!" I often have more success at this than parents for the simple reason that I'm not the parent! Of the hundreds of children I photograph, my own two are the hardest to capture because of their familiarity with my pleading.

One final advantage of having a photographer capture your family is the post-processing that's involved in the final product. This time-filled process carefully takes each image from "snapshot" to "professional". Decent photo processing software not only requires quite a bit of money but also the knowledge and skill that come through countless hours of training and education. Professionally edited images have the "wow" factor that makes you undeniably proud to display the final prints throughout your home.

As a photographer and a mom, I couldn't be more thrilled with the growing accessibility of digital SLRs. My first wish for every family is that they own one of their own to capture the precious, fleeting, everyday moments that make up their children's early years. My second wish is that every family that owns their own high-quality camera continues to recognize the essentiality of having professional family portraits done regularly. Both aspects of family photography produce priceless memories that will be cherished for a lifetime!

Author: Amy Tripple of Amy Tripple Photography and NAPCP member. The National Association of Professional Child Photographers (NAPCP) offers parents a directory of Children's Photographers who specialize in child portraiture and newborn baby photography. NAPCP's mission is to provide parents and clients a comprehensive directory of Professional Child Photographers who will fit their needs.