As followers of this blog will know, a large part of my work is family photography with those who have newly adopted children. I work frequently in the agencies as custody is taken and shortly afterwards for family sessions and Day in the Life sessions. These are all wonderfully emotional sessions and I bear witness to every aspect of human emotion while photographing them. There is nothing quite like that rollercoaster!
This family session with the Ashcrafts is slightly different from those. Several times a year, a returning adoptive family will contact me to make some images for them as they revisit Korea. It is a completely different dynamic and a wonderful chance to see just how the children I usually photograph adapt to their new lives. I relish these family photography sessions just as I do the moments when children meet their families for the first time.
Although I hadn’t worked with the Ashcraft family when they first took custody, we had been in the same room in 2014 as they visited to meet their second son. It was a pleasure to finally be able to meet them and spend some time with the family. Their boys were an absolute joy to work with.
This session was unique in the fact that I got to speak to the whole family in one language and, thus, give directions everyone could understand at once. Also, with the kids being a little older, it was a completely different dynamic for me (my bad jokes were aimed at an audience that needed a little more than a funny face).
On top of that, the family dynamic was very different. Most of the adoptive families I work with have had limited time together with the child and we need to work hard on bonding during the session in order to make our images show that. With these two boys, the connection was very much in place and we had to work hard on creating great expressions from everyone.
So, while I was working in a different dynamic for this session, I was still trying to capture the same emotions I usually capture. My sessions try to draw out the personality of each child I work with and show a little of the family dynamic.
Drop me a line if you’re looking to have your own family documented while you’re in Seoul. I’d love to hear from you. Please also follow me on Instagram and like my Facebook page to keep up with the latest news and special deals.
