I have a theory: nice, fun people hang out with other nice, fun people. So, when a family contacts you about family photos and says that multiple clients you love working with recommended you as a photographer, you know that you’re about to work with another great family. With the McClure’s, that was exactly the case!

Lexi contacted me about taking brother photos of her two little boys: Drew (three years old) and Owen (six months old). We were worried that we were going to have to reschedule the session when the only ice storm Indiana has seen this year hit early that Saturday morning, but luckily, Mark is an excellent driver and got the McClure family from Wolcott to Lafayette, Indiana safely.

I typically ask my clients what their goal for their session is. Answers range from “just getting one nice family photo” to “getting photos to decorate a wall with canvases.” However, when I asked Mark and Lexi what their goal was, Lexi gave my all-time favorite answer to this question. She said, “I just want to capture my boys as they are right now at this point in their lives.” Mark and Lexi, I hope you feel like this was accomplished!

Owen is a smiley little thing.

Drew wasn’t so sure about pictures, so while he got used to being in Second Level Studios, we started the session with Owen. Six-month olds can be challenging to photograph, but when a little guy is as happy as Owen is, it’s a breeze! Owen was all smiles, especially when Daddy made a noise that I would never know how to spell. If you know Mark, you’ll have to ask him to demonstrate. It’s very entertaining!

Drew is an excellent big brother.

Oldest kids have something in common: they love to help their younger siblings! This is usually something parents and photographers can use to their advantage during photo sessions. Drew wasn’t excited to have his photos taken at first, but when his parents told him that Owen needed Drew’s help to sit up, Drew was all about it! We grabbed some precious (and a couple funny) brother photos, and with a little bribery, we were able to get some individual shots of Drew.

I may adopt Lexi’s ticket system.

When I’m photographing families with little ones, I usually bring candy of some kind, if that’s okay with Mom and Dad that is. I brought gummy worms for the McClure session, and Drew did such a good job that he got to take the whole bag home, but Lexi is a genius and came up with an even better reward system for Drew on the spot.

Lexi told Drew that for every time he listened, he would get a ticket, and if he got five tickets, he could cash them in for whatever he wanted. I was impressed by Lexi’s on-the-spot thinking, but I was even more impressed when she grabbed her rewards cards (the little ones that go on your keys) to use as the tickets. I should’ve taken a photo of Drew’s eyes lighting up. He was willing to do just about anything for those rewards cards! By the end of the session, he earned all five. I didn’t ask what he was going to cash them in for though. Hopefully it was something like ice cream and not a Disney vacation!

I get to see the McClure boys again in a few months!

When I get to work with incredible families, I’m always a little sad when the session ends. Luckily, though, I get to see Drew and Owen again in July when I photograph their Uncle Logan’s wedding! I can’t wait to see these handsome guys dressed up.

Lexi and Mark, thank you for allowing me to take brother photos of your little guys. You’re incredible parents, and I hope there is an opportunity to work with your family again. Thank you for supporting my small business!

Thank you for checking out the blog! Luminant Photography is a Lafayette, Indiana photographer who offers family, child, maternity, newborn, senior, and engagement photos. Contact Luminant with questions or to book a session!