Luxe Ten #6 for 2008

Going to Houston, Texas for a weekend of shoots was one of the best decisions I made, looking back on 2008. I have to thank my brother, Michael, for setting it all up and making it happen. When you deal with a lot of outdoor portraiture, you are at the mercy of mother nature, which will always throw you curve when you are least expecting it. On top of that, you know in advance living in St. Louis, there will be a couple of months that will be difficult to get outside due to frigid temperatures, so traveling south gives us an opportunity to stretch out our portrait season.

Houston was perfect. We had a five family set, over two days, at Hermann Park. This particular image was our part of a shoot done on our first day. We had completed a few traditional family shots and I wanted to capture a more "active" moment. Walking shots are done a lot, but they are hard to get to look right. Add to the fact you are dealing with a moving subject, and you can see why they are so difficult to shoot. j

You can try positioning the family stationary, making them look like they are walking, but more often than not, it doesn't come across natural. It can be done, but it's hard to do. What I love about this picture is that we captured the essence of this family - in their own little world - but in the middle of a busy park, and a busy background. Your eyes are drawn to just them as a single unit, even though there is so much going on around them. I gave directions just to walk, and the rest was up to them.