Autumn at the Academy

I can't say it enough:  I love taking pictures in the fall!  Albuquerque is especially gorgeous this time of year, even with the leaves a little past their prime and the winds starting to kick up.  And one of the prettiest spots in town is the campus of the Albuquerque Academy.  So I was super excited when this family opted for the Academy for their family photo shoot.

This family is also a close personal friend, and it made for an interesting dynamic for the shoot.  While I knew that they'd be very comfortable with me, I was more nervous of them than I would be for a brand new client.  I felt my responsibility as their photographer, and hence, the weight of their trust in me, keenly. 

We were shooting kind of late in the day, light-wise.  Since it was a Friday, the campus was active and we timed the shoot for after school let out.  So, it was a race against the setting sun.  I've recently done portraits of the kids, but this was my first time to photograph all five of them.  They are a super fun family.  The kids are energetic, to say the least  :-)   My plan was to start the shoot at the far end of the campus, so we would  A) be traveling against the exodus of students, B) get the mountain shots in before the foreground was "dark" and I'd have to use fill-flash, and C) the mileage would wear out those kids! 

Despite the time crunch, we were able to take group shots at 5 or 6 diverse locations on campus.  Mixed in there, we got some beautiful portraits of the parents, and individuals of the kids. 

For families with more than one child, I prefer to do posed portraits.  It's more economical time-wise, and it's still an honest portrait.  However, I really love candids.  I love images of people interacting with one another.  But with a group this size, you have to be very, very patient to catch a frame where everyone is in sync. 

Here's my favorite candid, and possibly my favorite image, from the afternoon.  True to form, it was one of the last ones I took.  The light was fading really fast, it had been a long, productive shoot, and we were all headed back to the cars. 

To me, this image says "We ROCKED that photo session!  Let's go enjoy our Friday night together."