One of my favorite aspects of being in the Washington DC family photography business, is the pleasure of spending an afternoon with a local family that I never would have met had it not been for the camera in my hand. The Wilding Family is just one of those families and they welcomed me to witness their playtime and capture every hug and giggle with a silent click of the camera.
The Wildings were the winning bidders on a Julie Kubal photo session, which was auctioned off by the Temple Sinai Nursery School at their annual auction. Janice, the mom of the Wilding clan, shared with me that the family had just moved into a new home and that the bare walls were in desperate need of some great new artwork to bring a bit of warmth and life into their new surroundings. In the following days, Janice and I worked closely together to nail down the family’s wardrobe selections. She wanted the kids to be clothed in outfits that were true to their personalities, but that also looked a step or two up from the usual school-day wear. So, we tossed around ideas from one inbox to the other until we were confident that everyone would look and feel their best in the pieces she had selected.
Alas, just a few days before our originally scheduled session date, daughter Caroline, age 4, fell down while playing and wound up with some significant scrapes and bruises. As a mom myself, I know that boo boos and bang-ups come without warning and so we decided to postpone the Washington DC family photography session until Caroline was happily healed up.
And when that time came we decided to rendezvous at a large field in Rock Creek Park, a beautiful green space that bisects the northwestern urban areas of Washington D.C. The park has plenty of space for the kids to run around and explore, but also a number of beautiful permanent features that gave us infinite inspiration for new poses to uncover. We used everything from weathered wooden fences to massive old trees, large logs and piles of crispy fall leaves. The park’s natural props each provided nice visual anchors in the photos.
Given the Wilding’s recent relocation and the vast amount of empty wall space in their new home, it could have been overwhelming to decide where to hang their family portraits. Having consulted with numerous families to solve similar decorating dilemmas, I was able to help Janice and her husband Peter identify one great location in their living room on which to focus. When we had our viewing session, I showed them some different options, but it was easy for us all to agree that two large matted and framed prints in the living room space was the ideal choice.
When it comes time for twins Caroline and her brother Ben, 4, to renew their family portraits, or when Janice is itching to fill up another of those empty walls, I hope they’ll give me a call and we can rendezvous in the park once more!
About the Author:
Julie Kubal is a child and family portrait artist and photographer serving Washington DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. She is passionate about creating warm and meaningful artwork through modern portraits and lifestyle photography at a location of your choice!