LemonLens

i love photographing camera-shy kids, and here’s why…

when a mom reaches out to me saying that her kids don’t like having their photo taken, i get a little extra excited to work with them.
i love seeing kids come out of their shell a bit, and you won’t believe how many times i have seen this happen in front of my camera 😮
now you might wonder, how do i do this? how do i get a kid from hating the camera to being fully comfortable and being themselves in the moment so i can capture it?

i do 3 things:
1. before the day of the session, i talk to mom. i ask her to show my photo to their kid, to talk to them about me and the photo session we are going to have and time we’re going to spend together. this way, when your kid meets me for the first time, it won’t be the first time they see my face and they would’ve prepared their minds that we will be spending time together.
2. when you and your kids arrive at the photo session, i don’t immediately whip out my camera. i have some conversations with you and your kids, let them settle into the new environment and let you interact with them naturally for the first few minutes (in-home sessions also work so well because they already know the environment)
3. during the session i don’t say “stand like this”, “look at the camera”, “turn to face me” but rather “chase your sister around the living room”, “run to the tree and back”, “attack mom with a hug and kisses”, “do your favourite dance”. this results in you and your kids feeling comfortable which results in beautiful, natural looking photos that feel like real life 🤍

send me a message if you are ready to plan your session 📸

just in case you were wondering who is behind the camera…

hi, i’m amber 👋
for those that have been around, i changed my hair, so the next time you see me for your session i will look like this 😂

things i think are important to know about me:
- i am originally from South Africa and proud of it 🇿🇦
- until a week ago, my hair used to touch my bum 💇‍♀️
- i am married to (for 2.5 years now💕)
- when i am not behind the camera you will find me in front of the stove trying a new recipe 🍜, running 🏃🏼‍♀️, travelling ✈️, or spending time with my closest people 🤍

i also just want to thank every single person who has been in front of my camera, cheered me on or is just following along on my photography journey✨

jessy’s family 🤍

before jessy’s shoot, she spoke to me about her kids really not liking photos and how we would work around that.

when olly & peppa arrived at the photoshoot, i didn’t immediately start with giving instructions and pulling out the camera.
i first introduced myself to them and sat on the picnic blanket with them for a moment (no photos yet) to ease them into the environment.
once i saw that they were a bit more comfortable, i just let them be for the next few moments. i let them interact with each other, touch everything around them, and this is when i quietly took out my camera and started taking photos of just how they were.
only once i really saw that they had settled in completely did i give them prompts (but still no sit still and face the camera). i asked them to run in the field, give mom a big hug, chase each other etc ✨
and at the end when they had gotten most of their energy out, i let them all sit together for a quick family portrait 🫶

and the photos are the result of this carefully thought out process ❤️

don’t delay your family photos because your kids don’t like the camera. you could be missing out on irreplaceable memories captured with them ✨

send me a message to start planning your photo session 🍋

slowliving

lize & liwhan 🤍

liwhan’s name is actually a combination of his mom and dad’s names, something decided before he even arrived which shows how much he was loved before he was even born 🫶

lize was also the first person i ever met who wore a breast milk ring, a small keepsake made from her own milk, preserving a season of motherhood in a way i’d never seen before. how special?

somehow it felt very fitting for her.

throughout our time together, there was this quiet way she was with him.

the way she looked at him.
the way she held him.
the way she was always softly aware of where he was.

just a mother and her son, moving through a season of life that is still unfolding, whom i enjoyed photographing so much ✨

i love me some lemons 🍋

last slide note…how cute would these three images look framed next to each other? 🥹✨

if we were a movie 🤍