Just like in any other field of work, there are idols in the photography world.  Men and Women who’s work moves you and inspires you; artists who you dream about being when you grow up.  In the family photography circuit, Robin from Picsy Photography is that ideal that I dream my work can become.  I had followed Robin for awhile, but didn’t realize right away that she was so close!  As soon as I realized she was in the Chicagoland area, I contacted her right away to book a mentorship with her.  Photography can be a lonely profession.  A lot of us don’t really have “offices” or “colleagues” so a chance to work side by side with others in our field and to learn from someone great is something I was really looking forward to.  This workshop was especially appealing because it was just myself and one other photographer working with Robin so we had plenty of time to pick her brain and soak in all that she gave us.  Yesterday I headed up to the Northern ‘burbs and met up with Robin and the other photographer joining us, Lindsay.  The weather was pretty cool and cloudy and we were all PRAYING for the sun to peek through because those warm glowy sunsets are what Robin is all about (see here).   We met at a fun wood fired pizza place and discussed Robin’s workflow, her styling (more on that to come!) and timing of her sessions.  Robin books all of her sessions about an hour before sunset.  There are no exceptions.  That is simply how she achieves those consistently warm, glowing, soft photos that so many of us love.  We talked about the challenges of keeping children up late (summer sunsets can be as late as 8:30 around here) and some reasons why we should encourage parents to do it.  Just looking at her images was enough encouragement for me.  I get it though, I do.  I have three kids, two of whom are twins and haven’t napped since they were 2!  I know it can be stressful past bedtime, but there are things we can do to make the evening go more smoothly.  When preparing for a late night, you can try to adjust naptime and push it a little later, as well as dinner.  Make sure kiddos have a little snack before you head out for photos, and remember, when they are outside playing and interacting (which I aim to do with my families) they will perk up and hopefully enjoy the session.  When you’re investing in photos you want the best circumstances, and so do I.  So many times I have found myself shooting in unflattering light and come home to edit the sessions and feel a little pang of disappointment because they aren’t what I envisioned.  I always want the best for my clients and want all of us to walk away loving our images.  This year I am making the switch to sunset outdoor sessions.  I am going to strive for consistent, warm, rich photos that you will cherish for years to come.  And if you need any more convincing, just take a look at this lovely family we got to shoot yesterday at the workshop. At practically the very last minute before the session, the sun decided to make it’s appearance and it was magnificent!    To book your sunset session, contact me here.