A new year has just kicked off. Normally I spend January relishing in the quiet that follows a busy holiday season full of family gatherings and friends. But this year, because of covid, the holidays were quiet and lacked all those annual extended family memory making moments. I think I must have PTSD from all the cancelled plans of 2020 because while I find myself endlessly dreaming of trips I would like to take and gatherings I would like to organize, I can't pull the trigger and make any of those plans concrete. I'm sure I'm not the only one with a 2021 calendar full of activities that I don't know if I should get excited for because the thought of more cancellation just seems too much.
These days I find myself bringing my daydreams down quite a few notches, but at the same time, I also acknowledge that my appreciation for the small, close to home joys has gone up. I have been to several mediocre movies in a movie theater and been tickled to be out of the house eating hot popcorn I didn't make. (And for this short girl, I never have to worry about a tall person sitting in front of me and blocking my view since theaters can only seat every other row.) Josh and I enjoyed a quick overnight for our anniversary to lava hot springs in Idaho. We found the cutest historic boutique hotel in McCammon, Idaho called The Harkness Hotel that won the #1 best boutique hotel in the US for our trip to the 117 degree natural Lava hot springs. (Honestly, check it out- it's definitely a destination hotel www.theharknesshotel.com.) We have also discovered Crystal Hot Springs, about 70 miles away, that turns out to be THE worlds most mineral rich hot spring. I never would have taken the time to explore so close to home pre-covid because I was always overlooking the local for something more exotic.
I absolutely know I am not alone when I say that I cleaned my house more in 2020 then ever before. Closets were cleaned, old laundry piles donated, kitchen cupboards emptied with the voice of Marie Kondo running through my mind, "Does this spark joy?" Now that the cleaning has taken place it's time to redecorate and spruce up for a new year but, as everyone who has tried to order a couch or new kitchen appliances knows, those things can take 3-6 months to arrive due to current production times. Luckily, photographic production times have been mostly restored so I am using January to catch up on decorating and refreshing my walls and shelves with my own portraits. Of course, I have also started dreaming of what portraits I want to create of my family this year because I feel like that is something I can count on and control in 2021.
I am so thankful that as everyone was canceling plans in 2020, they still created new family portraits. Because many families love the outdoors in Park City, creating a new portrait was a safe activity. Although studio family composites have been around for a number of years, they became a whole new invaluable solutions for big Utah families to still have a family portrait together and keep safely distanced. In this family composite portrait, each family came separately over the course of 2 days and then I created the final image digitally. (Obviously, you can't wear a mask when you are photographed so I was the one masked up and cleaning between groupings.)
When you hang a new family portrait it breathes new life into both your home and your heart. In a year where gathering together as a whole family wasn't really allowed, having a new family portrait to look at everyday really does make it so you can feel close to each other. At a time when we need to be surrounded by loving memories, our family portraits on the wall add more impact and emotional support then ever before. If your looking for an easy way to brighten up your walls and refresh your home, think about creating a new family portrait in 2021 or visit your archives and get some of those older portraits that your missed up to enjoy everyday.
The home projects I am working on right now are: 1) my new family portrait I shared 2 blog posts ago. This will be at least a 50 inch portrait 2) Will's senior portraits which I haven't order in 18 months . This will be a wall collage of acrylics outside his bedroom door 3) Wall portraits from several years ago of just the kids that I absolutely love but procrastinated because I was worked on client orders. If you want some help refreshing your walls, even if it's older photos, let me know, I'm super happy to help. Since I can't plan the trips I want or gather with my friends, at least i can work on refreshing my house with the faces I love.
If you are like me, plagued with wanderlust in a pandemic world, make your home the most joyful place you can. Creating new portraits, or finally hanging something you were procrastinating, feels like a solution I can actually control and count on in these unpredictable times.
(Scroll down for success tips for creating your own family composite)
Tips for creating your family composite
1. Start with the end in mind. Pick a background color that will look amazing in your home. All family composites are panoramic in nature so make sure you know the best location to hang a long family portrait in your home.
2. Design your clothing. In order to create a cohesive group it is essential that everyone know exactly what to wear. If you just say the color green, that is too vague, you must email a visual to clearly communicate which shade. You can see the very specific clothing guide I created after consulting with the client. This was easily emailed to all the family to help them coordinate together.
3. Even though each family comes separate, it is best to create all the groupings back to back to keep lighting consistent. The most successful family composites I have created occurred when all the groupings came within the same 48 hours. Each time you have to set up the studio you risk changing a the lighting or posing.
Biggest Benefit to creating a family composite
1. Family composites bring the best expressions on each persons face. Each person can rest assured knowing they will be looking their best because each person gets great lighting and great posing. Small kids always look amazing because they are engaged with the photographer in small groups.
2. Easier to coordinate for big families- Instead of finding one time that works for the whole family, everyone can find a time within 2 days to come in that works best for them.
3. Each grouping only last about 20 minutes so it's painless for everyone involved.
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