When I told my husband that I arranged for us to have a professional video made of our kids, his reaction was less than enthusiastic. “Does that mean we have to clean the house?” and, “Do I have to shave?” were his first questions. He also insisted that we could just take our own videos, flashing me the iPhone already in his hand. Yes, but the truth is, we don’t. Sure, we take the occasional 15-second videos, but those end up living in our phones forever and we certainly aren’t making elaborate home movies or capturing any magic. And that is exactly what Portraits That Move does so beautifully.
Spearheaded by Susannah Ludwig (pictured here), an Academy Award nominee who is also a Brooklyn mom and entrepreneur, Portraits That Move is made up of a team of professional filmmakers who capture your children as they are, in their own element. They aim to highlight the personality and the spirit of children to show them talking about their lives in their own voices and in the most high quality and gorgeous way possible.
So we cleaned the house a little, my husband did shave, and we tried our best to prepare our two boys, Max and Sam for the shoot. To be honest, my husband jumped right in and was enjoying himself, while I found myself stressing about the process. Even though Susannah and her camera person were perfectly charming and obviously very comfortable around kids, I was feeling worried that my guys weren’t acting like the sweet, funny, and smart boys I know that they are. They started off not getting along and acting up in their nervousness. During the one-on-one interview with my five year old, he wouldn’t stop playing with the microphone, so I was sure they wouldn’t get a decent soundbite. When they suggested we go outside to play, my two year old refused and needed a good 10 minutes of coaxing. I was convinced that they wouldn’t have enough good material to work with. Boy was I wrong! They were able to capture the most genuine smiles, hugs, and expressions and really highlighted some amazing and honest moments. The quality and artfulness of the final product is what makes Portraits That Move truly unique and so very special.
Here is what they came up with in just under two hours in our home on a Sunday morning. A snapshot of an ordinary day that our family will now treasure forever!
Max and Sam from Portraits That Move on Vimeo.
Give the gift of a Portraits That Move session!
Portraits That Move is offering A Child Grows readers a 15% discount on any product if you book by Valentine’s Day using code ACHILDGROWSLOVE. The shoot can be scheduled for any date in 2015, but must be booked by the deadline for the discount to apply.
This makes an amazing gift to any family – especially your own! Have it made for your next Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, grandparent’s birthday, or holiday card! You will be so glad that you did!
Visit their website to see other samples of their work, learn more about the process, and to book your shoot: www.portraitsthatmove.com.
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This service was reviewed by A Child Grows in Brooklyn staff member, Marisa Karplus. She accepted the offer of a free trial to review the service. All opinions are solely her own.