Daddy and Me photo session Why they are so important

As a photographer I normally come across a lot of inquiries from woman, especially moms who are looking for photography sessions for them and their children. Rarely do I come across a father inquiring about a photography session for him and his children. So why is that? Well I can say as a mom and a wife myself  we tend to be a little more nostalgic. So perhaps naturally capturing these moments is kind of a priority to us. I’m sure I’m not the only one who is the photographer within the family and the one that captures dad sleeping on the couch with babies or literally every candid moment in our daily lives. It’s like we want to remember everything you know. Where dad on the other side maybe isn’t always so hung ho about photographing every step up of the way. I also find dads to be very uptight and awkward in front of the camera. I think this is another huge reason why they don’t book solo for sessions with her kids it’s usually mom who books family photos for everyone. So why are father solo sessions with children so important? Well I believe that just like in a mother session with her children you get to see the bond that the child has with their parent. It’s different in such a unique way that you don’t get to see happen when you do a family session. When you have a family session there is usually a leader in the family whether that be mom or dad and the whole family kind of just follows that leaders lead. So when you get to have intimate moments whether they be life style or portraits captured of each individual parent in this case being Dad, you get to truly understand and showcase that bond that the child has with their father.  That otherwise wouldn’t normally be highlighted and trust me kids want to see these photos 20 years in the future with their father and become such beautiful family heirlooms. It also brings a sense of importance to that father and child bond. Because fathers are also heroes in our lives and are very special, so having these beautiful photographs is a must. 

How different it’s from a mommy and me session

So let’s say you book a father solo session with the kiddos. How would I set that up and how would it look ? Like well first of all it would not look like a Mother’s Day solo session. It would be very different actually so instead of maybe adding flower props and making it super flowery. A father session would be more active, more silly, and more laid-back. Personally, how I would conduct the session would be starting off by taking a stroll with dad and the kiddos then maybe sitting down having a talk with dad telling jokes and ending it with straight portraits. The classic sitting on the lap is super nostalgic. Of course every session is different but this would be how I would structure it and the main priority as a photographer that I would like to showcase is each individual’s personalities and the bond between father and children that I believe is not photographed enough. 

How to make the session more special

Something pretty cool about a father solo session that I think every dad booking one should consider. Is bringing in a prop that you find it connects you with your child. For example, if you share the interest of playing baseball, bring a baseball bat. If you enjoy playing soccer with your child bring a soccer ball. Have at least a few photos of you interacting with your child in one of the activities that you both love and share. 

Why they’re unique

So why are father solos different than let’s say a portrait of the father with the kiddos during a regular family session. Well for starters when you have a family photo session it can be very chaotic. You have a whole entire family trying to do all of the same thing at once which tends to be very hard in any situation let alone a photography session. So there’s added stress. Also you have to include the dynamic of how a children interacts when both parents are present. It’s different than with just one parent present. You definitely give space for the child to showcase the bond, in this case the father in the photograph. You’re also creating this atmosphere of this being a moment in time where I get to spend with my dad and it’s a thing that we’re doing together versus it’s a thing I’m doing with my family. It’s definitely more raw and a lot less stressful because you take out a lot of the other factors of a family session. 

Bonding opportunity

Another cool thing about a father solo session is that if there’s multiple children it can be super interesting to capture the difference in between the bonds. For example, if father interacts with his son, it might be different then with his daughter so giving that room and space the time to really show these bonds is super important. 

Style in which to photograph

So going a little bit back to how I would carry out the session. I am a lifestyle photographer so I do believe specifically these father solos should be almost 98% lifestyle all the way and maybe just a few portraits. This is because it will allow dad to be more comfortable and the more comfortable that dad is, the more the kiddos will be. The session will flow better and more smoothly. 

Let’s encourage every dad out there to step in front of a camera and get their photo taken with their kiddos because just how it is important for Mom to do so it is also equally important for Dad to do so. So I want to see so many more photography surrounding dad solos! I clearly see no cons and a whole list of pros. Because I believe in the art of photography and how it could be carried on for many many years.