P&K Insider

I’ve been admiring Sara Sun of Sublime Photo Art work,  from afar for a while now. I first came across her Web site several months ago when I was researching area photographers and was hoping to find  someone who had a niche for whimsical, fun and trendy approaches to family portraits.

So when Sara emailed me a few weeks back and said that my headshot needed some serious updating, I scheduled a photo shoot and… a hair appointment.

She suggested we meet at Weezie’s Garden, a delightful child-friendly park set in the middle of Elm Bank in Wellesley. I readied the family via guilt trips (”How will mommy remember how cute you were, if we don’t get family photos done from time to time?”) threats (”You have to smile or else!”) and some attire preparation (”Wear this and you can change into your Spiderman shirt after!”) On a serious front, Sara has this incredible resource on her site, called “What to Wear.” Simple, brilliant advice that takes the guesswork out of it all.

We met mid-afternoon and with the threat of afternoon thunderstorms, went right to work. A few family shots, a few of the children on their own, a few of me with the kids. I tell you it takes a LOT of energy to be a photographer. She was kneeling, twisting and on her tiptoes trying to capture sweet moments at pretty cool angles.

My 4-year-old daughter loved running through the small rock path in between garden beds. However, she paused and flashed an adorable smile every time she came near Sara’s camera. A ham. My 6-year-old son was also acting like, a ham, I guess. Goofy, smiley, wiggly. Here are a few real moment shots followed by nice real moment shots.

My son goes down and almost takes me with him!

Sara used tree stumps to get my daughter a bit higher.

I took the opportunity to ask Sara a few questions about her photography and approach in working with area families:

Heather: OK, I think the biggest challenge (beyond scheduling the time for a family portrait) is the question ”What do we wear?!” How do you advise the families you work with?

Sara: I’m such a visual person that I like to show people rather than tell them, so I have a “What to Wear” guide on my website. Basically, it’s not about being in identical white shirts and khakis, but about color and coordination. I like the clothing to reflect the personality of the family. I want the images to look like “you”. I told Heather to have her daughter in a pattern dress and then everyone matched their outfits to her dress. She followed the advice to a “T” and the photos came out great!

The love between a brother and sister is grand!

How would you describe your portrait-taking style?

I am super laid-back and game for anything. I am goofy as needed, because I want natural expressions. I want to hear the family say that I really captured their son or daughter. I love that!

You’ve photographed tons of people. What was you most memorable moment?

I traveled to a family’s home to photograph three sisters with their children. In total it was four children under the age of 4. It was a sunny day when we started the session. In the back yard

And sometimes sweet. I LOVE this photo.

they had a really nice large swing. I wanted the entire family to pile on the swing.  Everyone sat down and I started taking pictures. All of a sudden there were bees everywhere. I noticed before the family and we all started screaming, “Run!” Thankfully no one got stung, but we were all totally shaken up from the experience. To top it all off, a torrential down pour started and we moved things inside. It was a crazy session!

What, in your mind, is the perfect family portrait?

I love when the famiy is looking at each other and laughing, the kind of laughter that is infectious. Just looking at a photo like that makes me smile.

How were my kids? Honestly! And, how do you make it fun for kids?

Your kids were great, and I’m not just saying that. (Heather’s son hates thunder and lighting and it was thundering in the distance with light sprinkling for their session…he was a real trooper!) I try to make it fun with songs, playing and letting them just be kids. I am a total goof if needed

What image were you looking for my P&K headshot with the kids?

I wanted to capture Heather and her kids interacting, laughing, and just being themselves.

Thanks Sara for a great photo shoot and some fabulous headshots. You’ll see our final pick in the August issue of Parents and Kids magazine.

Photos by Sara Sun of Sublime Photo Art

Boston area Child and Family Photographer.
Sara Sun works on-location and is available for modern lifestyle photography. Sara specializes in Baby, Child, Maternity, Family, and Modeling photography. Her work has been described as vibrant, fun and creative.