From Porsche photos to candid family portraits in the Sandias
Julia first contacted me about a year ago to make photos of her dad and his stunning new Porsche Taycan. This time it was photos for the whole family with a candidfamily portrait photo session in the Sandias in Albuquerque, New Mexico. You would not be able to believe it from the photos, but it snowed overnight and in the morning where we shot it would have been totally snow covered! By the late afternoon it melted and we had our candid family portrait session as scheduled. It was a fun time in the mountains making portraits. Thank you Julia for continuing to choose me as your family’s photographer!
Candid Family Portraits are the best in Albuquerque
A bit of history about Jason Collin Photography. I started this photography business in June of 2009, so now I am celebrating 12 years as a full-time professional photographer! Like many photographers, I started out as a lifestyle photographer (weddings and portraits). Due to a number of factors, around 2012 I made the transition to being a commercial photographer. I still enjoy, however, the opportunities I get like this one to photograph a very fun family for candid family portraits. We met in Altura Park and from the first shot it was go time for making my favorite kind of portrait, a candid one! Monica, Mary, and their whole family pretty much came up with all their own ideas for the photos and I just had to capture them! Thank you for a great shoot!
Studio like results for portraits in the park in Albuquerque
In addition to making candid portraits of Indu’s 1 year old son, I also made group portraits of her extended family at Altura Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The sun came out from behind the trees in a few of the shots just right to add an amazing visual element to the portraits. Since I use the same lighting I would in studio out on location, the results are spectacular portraits combining the best elements of outdoor and in studio photography. Thank you Indu for choosing me as your family’s photographer!
When a family is willing to have real fun in portraits
Earlier in my photography career, I regularly booked family portrait shoots specializing in my own signature candid style. Now I very rarely have family portrait shoots, and typically only for clients I have done other commercial photography work for, like Barb and Dr. Norm. When they asked me if I could do a Christmas Day shoot because that was the only time their entire family would be together, I said yes mostly because I really like them and knew it would be a fun time and I could push the envelope with getting some great candids. The photos in this collection are my own personal favorites from the shoot. The siblings in particular had fun with each other! We made very good use of Highland Park from top to bottom to climbing bars to the merry-go-round!
I first met Darrell when he came to my Home Studio for a headshot session in December of last year. I was very happy to hear he wanted me to be his family's portrait photographer this time. I was extra excited because after shooting dozens of families in Florida for sunset beach photos, this would be my first family desert sunset portrait session!
Mother and daughter candid black & white Sunset Beach portrait on Treasure Island Florida - Nikon D300 Nikkor 50mm @ f/2.5 ISO 200 1/250th - Strobist: SB-800 to frame left & SB-600 to frame rightLately I have been photographing rather large families on Florida's beaches. This time it was a family of four and I was reminded of the benefits of photographing such a small number of people, and also with children not out of control. We were also at my favorite beach, Sunset Beach on Treasure Island. This was an opportunity for me to try new shots and take my time. The shot above was a candid between setup shots of mother and daughter. Converting to black & white had a dramatic effect on the overall look of the photo and it may end up being one of my personal favorites of 2013.
Family visits Sunset Beach on Treasure Island Florida and jumps to the sky - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/6.3 ISO 200 1/100th - Strobist: SB-800 to frame left & SB-600 to frame rightThe family requested a jumping shot, one that is not on my normal shot list, so another chance at a new type of shot. It took quite a few tries to get everyone to jump in a semi-coordinated effort and not have faces blocked, etc.
Carrying the kids family beach portraits on Sunset Beach Treasure Island Florida - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5 ISO 200 1/100th - Stobist: SB-800 to frame left & SB-600 to frame rightAs you can see it was not a clear sunset that evening, but more a dramatic backdrop of clouds backlit by the setting sun. The family liked this background, and for me it provided another differentiating factor for this series of images.
Family in form on Sunset Beach Treasure Island Florida - Nikon D300 Nikkor 50mm @ f/2 ISO 200 1/160th natural lightThis photo was my idea, earlier on in the shoot. The dad mentioned how he did not mind if he was not in some shots, so I placed him furthest back and using a 50mm lens at f/2 let shallow depth of field create interest in the framing. I do not often get to use my 50mm lens during beach portrait sessions due to lack of time.
Family walking down Sunset Beach Treasure Island candid portraits - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/4 ISO 320 1/500th natural lightThis last shot is one I often make of a family walking down the shore using my long lens (Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D). It was a windy day and it kicked up waves making the Gulf of Mexico look more like a proper ocean background.
Father holds his baby girl in the air at Madeira Beach Florida - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/6.3 ISO 200 1/250th - Strobist: SB-800 @ 1/4 power beside camera & SB-600 @ 1/4 power to frame rightI returned to Madeira BeachFlorida last week for a family beach portrait session at sunset with a three generation family. There has been very unpredictable rain this July here in Florida, but two early day rain showers allowed for a nice clear sky with plenty of clouds for an ideal backdrop. I made use of that great sunset in the above photo of a father holding his baby girl high up in the air. I have made this kind of shot a few times before (see here), but I tried a new strobist lighting position that produced the best results yet.
Black & White family beach portrait on Madeira Beach Florida - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/9 ISO 200 1/100th - Strobist: SB-800 to frame left & SB-600 to frame rightI like clouds in the sky for a beach portrait session, and all the ones in the above shot in my view add drama to the overall family portrait. I framed this shot very carefully, so that the viewer would have no idea of the line of hotels just outside the left edge nor all the people walking down the beach just outside the right edge.
Baby Girl at sunset on Madeira Beach Florida candid beach portraits - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/200th - Strobist: SB-800 & SB-600 somewhere near the baby as she was roving aroundToward the end of the session we let the baby loose for some truly candid shots, as she never even looked my way once. That was actually fine with me because I like the results of her looking perhaps at her own reflection in the water or maybe just the sparkle of the setting sun?
Gathered around sunset family beach portrait Madeira Beach Florida - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50m @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/200th - Strobist: SB-800 to frame left & SB-600 to frame rightThis is a new-ish pose I like for a group of five adults (plus baby ok too) with one person anchoring the entire pose and everyone wrapped around. Just lining people up like a picket fence makes for a mundane beach portrait to me, so I am always trying to not take the easy way out and encourage the clients to get in the sand and of course interact with each other to produce more personal beach portraits.
Sisters sunset portrait on Madeira Beach Florida - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 1/250th - Strobist: SB-800 to frame left & SB-600 to frame rightThe same for this shot above of two sisters. They were just going to stand next to each other, until I used the trusty Posing App to suggest a more sisterly bonding look for the photo. When this photo is looked at by the sisters twenty years from now, if they were just standing side-by-side, that would evoke no physical feeling, where this photo in contrast will hopefully make them remember what it felt like to hold their sister in their arms.
