Photographer Q & A With Posy Quarterman
Posy Quarterman Photography
what is your specialty?
I specialize in what photographers refer to these days as “lifestyle photography.” That is, documentary style portraits of families, children and creative people. I love working with people to create fun, honest, un-posed, natural photos of their children, family and selves.
where do you photograph?
The majority of my sessions take place in homes and at favorite locations for the family. Whether that means a trip to the local park, a hike in nature, climbing trees on Sauvie Island or a stroll through a client’s neighborhood, I try to keep it as authentic as possible. With that said, I love thinking outside of the box and have had some of my most fun sessions in coffee shops, the art museum and even a bowling alley.
what do you love about photographing children and families?
Being invited into peoples’ homes and families, and being granted the honor of documenting their lives, and their love. I recognize the importance and value of honest (and gorgeous) family photos, and feel a great honor that I am able to provide this for people. On a deeper level, getting to know families over time, seeing them change and grow, building relationships with them and creating my own role in their family is an incredibly awesome experience. It is what pushes me through the late hours of the night (editing photos while my family sleeps), and keeps me coming back for more.
do you photograph birthday parties?
I do! I love attending birthday parties and I really love photographing them. These celebrations of our children’s major milestones deserve all of the hoopla they get. So frequently parents are busy hosting, mopping up spilled juice, wiping tears, and managing the event, they forget to document this big moment in their history. I love being a fly on the wall, capturing all the little relationships at play, as well as the party details.
how do you deal with a mini client in meltdown mode? or a shy client who won’t look at the camera?
Patience, creativity, fun and magic! I love it when parents thank me for my patience with their children; it gives me a laugh, as a mother of a four-year-old who feels very impatient much of the time. Luckily, as a photographer I am capable of channeling extra patience and understanding of children’s feelings. All kids come around eventually; I just give them space and time to warm up. And I make it as fun for them as possible. I do very little posing or directing, which helps, particularly with reluctant children, as does working within their environment. I have left many sessions with parents apologizing and thinking I’ve gotten nothing for them, only to surprise them with a photo gallery full of varying expressions and moments captured.
what was your most meaningful moment as a photographer in 2011?
That’s a tough one because I so thoroughly enjoy the time I spend with each family, and the different experiences we have together. Capturing images for a family with very camera-shy children, making the mother cry tears of joy seeing her whole family documented together, that one certainly stands out for me. But by far the most meaningful sessions I have had were with families directly affected by cancer. I have had three: a mother, a father, and a baby, each fighting a different form of cancer. I cannot accurately express how it feels to be granted the opportunity to capture their lives for them while they are navigating this life-changing journey. It feels both huge and miniscule; on the one hand, the undertaking of capturing their family, the look of which may change, which is the thing you really do not want to happen, that feels enormous. On the other side of it, I try not to let it feel that big, because they are going through something so much larger. I hope that makes sense. I do not undervalue the importance of what I am there to do, it never feels more important than when a family is facing something like this, but I try not to treat the actual session like anything other than it is, photographing this family as they are, together, in the present.
what makes your point of view unique?
I have always connected with people very naturally. I pride myself on being able to enter a child’s world without disrupting it, which allows me to capture honest, raw, beautiful images of each child’s unique personality, and families as they interact with each other naturally. Being a mother, with a strong sense of community, and a passion for people, gives my photography heart. The comment I receive most often from parents, which is my favorite compliment, is that I allowed their children to be themselves, and in turn, accurately documented the big personalities of their little people.
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