Stay safe when taking photos. {College Station Photography}

This morning I was driving along highway 6 when I saw them...

The first bluebonnets of the season. 

Rumor has it, all the rain we have had this year is going to serve us with a killer bluebonnet crop.

Bluebonnet season for College Station Photography is HUGE time for family portraits but every year, I cringe when I see families pulled over on the highway squatting in the wildflowers to try to get a good shot. I cringe 100x more when I see that they have toddlers who could so easily slip away and run into the road. 

So it has inspired me to highlight some of my favorite safety issues when it comes to family or children's portraits. 

1. Railroad tracks. 

Just say no to railroad tracks, please. This issue hit close to home 2 years ago in 2017 when a 19 year old, pregnant Navastoa resident was struck and killed posing for a photographer on a set of railroad tracks. You may think that you will hear a train coming in time to move, but I am here to tell you that the statistics on railroad track deaths say otherwise. Not to mention, it is illegal. If your photographer is willing to take you to pose on the tracks, correct that behavior immediately. Seasoned photographers who have been in the industry for a solid amount of time are fully aware of this hot-button issue. Pick a different idea, please.

2. Live Animals

I have a strict policy here at Fig-Mint. The only animals allowed near your children are animals that YOU OWN and trust. Want to bring your family dog to your portrait session? Sure! Got a horse you want to pose with for your senior session? Absolutely.

However, I will never bring live bunnies or baby chicks or a stranger's animals in to pose with your child. There is no way to predict how an animal will behave when put in contact with an even less predictable toddler. Each year around this time, thousands of chicks and bunnies are purchased by well meaning photographers for spring and Easter portraits, and many are dumped by the side of the road, killed or worse, die during the sessions from stress or squeezing, in the hands of the children. It is extremely difficult to regulate this properly, so as a studio owner, I choose to avoid the problem altogether. 

3. Babies in unsafe positions

I am sure you have seen many incredible images on Facebook or Pinterest where a baby is hanging in a scarf from a branch, or in what we call "froggy pose" where the baby seems to be balancing his head on his hands, asleep.

These images are what we call composites. That means that it is made out of 2 or more images photoshopped together. That way the photographer's assistant is holding onto the baby for safety, and then later, that part is covered by another image where the baby is being held in another place. 

The problem with these images is that when new, less experienced photographers are inspired by these images, often, they don't know how to create them safely, and that is when a baby can be put in danger. 

Also, a baby should NEVER be placed inside a glass prop. 

Be sure to only trust a newborn to an experienced professional who has studied newborn safety.

Last but never least, 

4. Fields of wildflowers

I'm not saying to not take bluebonnet photos. Im saying to think first. 

Find a private seeded field that is not on the side of the road. Turning your back to 70+mile/hour traffic to take a photo of a friend or loved one squatting in some flowers is just not worth it. 

Be aware that you are in an open wild field with all that comes along with that... bugs, ant piles, snakes, etc.

The biggest way to keep yourself safe when you are scheduling family photos is to hire a seasoned professional. Someone who has spent time in the industry is well aware of how to make sure you have a safe and fabulous experience. 

If you are ready to book your safe spring family portraits, Click HERE

We can't wait to meet you!