For a workshop in Central Park, New York City, my objective was to show how to make full sun midday shooting achievable.  But often, it is the client who also helps transcend an ordinary day and make it special as well.  This family in that regard were absolutely a pleasure to work with and shoot.  They brought a full picnic set, set it up, and then sat and enjoyed the day, allowing us to capture that warm, intimate moment of enjoying life together.  When the sun moved enough to put them in shade, they were happy to move the set up a bit back into the sun and then sit and enjoy the grapes again.  It’s a reminder to all of us to spend time just enjoying ourselves with our family and the ones we love.

My goal with my shots of the family was to show that love and connection and really show that heaven has smiled on them.  I wanted to have them bathed in the warmth of the sun and to that end carefully chose the location away from the crowds but still with a bit of Central Park flavor peeking in from the upscale white high rise apartment buildings visible through the trees.   I had to shoot between ugly yellow buses and a few random pedestrians also enjoying the park (fortunately, dogs were leashed at that hour!) but in all, once the location was chosen, it was an incredibly easy shoot.

I hope they enjoy the images – they really have a huge thanks from me for being so incredibly wonderful to photograph! My understanding is that the father in this image is a wedding planner – I wish I had known him when I was married because he is very, very, good at his job!

Our luck would have it that although it was a park next to the kids’ school, it would also rain nearly the whole day.  Such is the weather in the Seattle/Tacoma area, however, and the children were great sports despite soggy logs and wet shoes!

We started in a beautiful forested area by the lake. Of course, with a lake session the challenge is to photograph but still make sure no little ones decide to go swimming. But the lake is also my lighting source, especially on an overcast day like that afternoon. And although I love the diffused lighting, I also have to make sure not to flat light them so that I destroy the dimensionality and toning of the photographs. But that is the challenge of professional photography – to shoot so that I am always optimally positioned for the best light possible (and avoid trees growing out of people’s heads!)

I am so happy when families are completely on board to make the best images possible. Mom and dad brought changes of clothing for everyone and even picnic supplies for the middle of the shoot. And their little one was kind enough to bring me grapes to eat inbetween the photographs! It gave us a wide variety of images and felt like a series of images taken over several days rather than a short hour or so.

One happy aspect of the lake location is the abundance of blueberry bushes. We were able to find some blueberries to keep the little guy happy and even a little froggie appeared from underneath a bush, much to our delight. I’m not sure the frog shared our enthusiasm for the photography but at the very least, he is now a professionally photographed star!

After the shoot, we tried to get some images in the local wheat and rye fields (and look for some horses to say hi to!). But the area had been recently harvested! Fortunately, we were able to head out to a nearby field of sunflowers and do some picking! The field was next to a freeway and new subdivision – making it a challenge to keep whizzing trucks, telephone poles, light posts, and newly constructed duplexes out of the images! Not to mention that all the sunflowers face the sun – and in order to get their front, I had to put the freeway into the background! But when I saw the images, I can see that it was totally worth it and the bright golden sunflowers really make what was a cold Autumn day seem like a bright golden Indian Summer afternoon.

We finished the session in a field of golden dried grass lining the freeway onramp. Their little one had a fun time hiding behind a clump of grass and then popping up and running to surprise mom with a big hug. I love those images best, I think!

This is what I love about shooting in Finland – all these little spots in locations only a kilometer from each other but so diverse. From forest, to field, to grasslands, to shoreline.

So much love

Singing nursery rhymes off key!

Sunset in the Fall

A moment at the lake

In a field of blueberry bushes

A frog surprises us with a visit!

Deeper into the older growth forest

The sunflower field

Playing in a field!

we began the session  near an old power factory museum in Helsinki – I just had to get that late season moss and fallen leaves in the old bricks and concrete area.  I really wanted her beautiful brown eyes and vibrant colors to stand out and not have to compete with too much distraction.  Because, it really was all about that sweet face.

To get to the other side of the river, we traveled across a spam bridge and found a lovely area where several streams and the river converge.  The late setting sun beautifully lit up the area and I was able to get several shots before the sun set behind the old factory.  Then we enjoyed an area lined with oaks and plenty of fallen leaves.

I switched between lenses for the session – using the longer 70-200 to compress the background and increase the focal plane with the family shots.  And it ended up being especially useful on the riverbank to remove unwanted distractions across the water.  My 85 then provided the means for showcasing that beautiful face and personality.

I truly believe I am the luckiest photographer in all of Finland.  These pictures can definitely show you why!

8:00 to 12:00 noon Saturday, November 13.

I will be doing full and mini sessions at Cummings Park, near Burlington in Northern Boston.

$250 mini session (15 minutes only) for 5 full resolution digital images.  No more than 5 family members (including pets!).  This is ideal for those looking for professional Christmas card images.

Or a full session of 10-15 full resolution images (1 hour shoot) for $500 for any number of immediate family members (parents and children).

The shoot location will be Cummings Park near Burlington area.  All session times are booked when payment is received, on a first come-first served basis.

Email andrea@ajatonjoki.com to for more information or to reserve your session.

Here is a sample image from the shoot location:

Boston Cummings Park

I do get lucky, though, with being able to photograph such beautiful families.  The littlest one was so happy – he woke up with a smile and I don’t think I saw it leave his face all afternoon.  Their little girl had enough energy and personality to make any photographer happy – perhaps my only challenge was keeping that shutter speed high enough to make sure I didn’t get any motion blur!  And her elder sister was a treat – one of those rare tweens who didn’t mind helping with the shoot and working with me to elicit great expressions from her younger siblings.

Here is a sneak peek from the session – just a few black and whites (this session is so remarkable in black and white!) and one color!  Truly, I must have the best clients in all the world!

And one color image – she was such a lovely soul: