Being a Perth Photographer is my second job. My first, and most important job, is being a mum. And as a mum, I am big on consent in our house.

We don’t give our kids hugs and kisses without their consent, we stop if they ask us to, we teach body autonomy and let them know they have a right to say no if they feel uncomfortable. I truly believe this needs to be put into practice during your family photoshoot.

Hugs and Kisses

I won’t ever put pressure on yourself or your children to give hugs or kisses. I will ask ‘would you like to have a mummy/daddy/brother/sister cuddle?’ and if either party says no, we move on. Simple. The intimate and tender moments shared between people are not always hugs and kisses and physical touch. They are a look, a smile, a cheeky glance or a sticking out tongue in your direction.

‘Posing’ and Group Shots

Some people just do not want to be in certain poses or images, like siblings not wanting to stand next to each other, or someone having a good side and a bad side. These things can not only put someone in a bad mood if forced to do it, but can ruin the experience and taint their view of the images afterwards.

By letting people stand where they want to and where they feel most comfortable, we are ensuring everyone has a positive experience and feels in control of their body autonomy.

Bribes and Coercion

I am not big on using bribes to get kids to do what we want during a session as a Perth Photographer. As a mum, of course, no judgement (I truly mean that…I’m not saying I’ve never done it. I have a toilet training bribery box of Smarties in my pantry as we speak). But during a session, I like to let the kids naturally lead and feel in control rather than feeling like they are being told what to do and how to behave. After all, we are trying to capture their natural personalities! We want to remember them as they are and for who they are in that very moment.

I believe that for our session, we ditch the bribes and ‘if you smile for a photo, we will buy x y z’ because I promise you I have some tricks up my sleeve that will get the natural smiles and giggles going!

After our session

To talk about after our session, let’s go back to before our session. Prior to meeting you at our photoshoot location, you will receive a questionnaire from me asking questions about your kids interests, your preferences when it comes to what photos you want etc. One of the most important questions I ask as a Perth Photographer is ‘do you consent to your images being used on Miranda Adie Photography’s social media pages and website?’

If the answer is no, after your sessions shot and edited, it gets filed away where they will not be shared with anyone but yourself via a private gallery that requires a private PIN number to download the images. I have never shared a families images that have not given written consent, and I always allow people to change their minds. I have some families say ‘yes, but no faces’ and some families ask if they can choose specific images from their gallery they will consent to sharing.

The internet can be a big scary place and I am 10000% okay with you choosing not to share your families gallery online if that is your wish. I will always respect your decision not to do so.

The long term impact of consent fosters a healthy sense of self esteem for everyone involved as well as building a trusting environment and reduces anxiety around being photographed, which we all know does happen. My sessions will always aim to be a safe space where your whole family will be comfortable and relaxed enough to show who they truly are resulting in authentically YOU family photos.

If it sounds like we are a match and this is your kind of session, get in touch and let’s book your next photoshoot together!