Family Photography: Modern Storytelling with Kirsten Lewis

Kirsten is an amazing photographer! I love her work and to see the way she has developed as a photographer.

Kirsten is fantastic and inspiring. She gives great tips, lots of inspiration and helps to understand what is the family photojournalism about. I absolutely love this class and recommend it!

This is the best course I have ever taken online. Kirsten makes so much sense. I have done several Illuminate, Define School and Clickin Mom's courses online - but this course is the best, most useful course I have ever taken (at half the price). I really cannot believe how much this has helped me grow as a photographer. Thank you.

I have started taking Photography and every time I am taking one I think of how Kristen would have taken it. Thank you Kristen I have watched all her classes!

I'm a subscriber and I watch as many classes as I can, which I think has been over 20 in the last year. By far the best class I've taken. Kirsten teaches concepts for not only technical skills and issues, but also, throughout the course she speaks to the soul and truly demonstrates the power of a photograph and shows her students the importance of being a photographer. I cannot wait to watch her other courses (which by the way, I am starting right now)!

Very inspiring! I loved this class.

Wow, Wow, Wow....I am so happy I found this course. Kirsten is such an inspiration and wonderful teacher. There is a wealth of information within this course but most importantly for me it has shown me what I want to do with my photography. I am obsessed with Kirsten's style....If you love photographing families, catching their human moments, this course is a must.

Absolutely amazing. Kirsten had me laughing and crying throughout this session. What an inspiration she is, I can't thank her enough for sharing everything she did. Don't even think twice about this - it is worth every single cent plus more.

I read somewhere in another review how they were addicted to this class. I was as well. This has changed the course of my photography for sure. the info with which she shares in the open way shes sharing it makes me feel good about myself. If I've learned nothing else it's the need to grow in that way with my subjects whom will ultimately become my friends. She's lovely. To everyone seeking info before the class, take it and enjoy it. To Kirsten, you rock! One goal is to see you as a mentor soon.

LOVE this class. It inspired me a ton and I rewatch it all the time. I'm taken millions of notes. It helped take me to the next level in my photography. It helped me decide who I want to be as a photographer, and I learned not to be anyone but myself. I was trying so hard to be exactly like the photographers who were ahead of me, and it gave me hope that my new business is going somewhere and assured me that EVERYONE starts somewhere :)

Loved it

One of the most authentic and meaningful classes I have taken! Kirsten really connects with her audience and is an amazing teacher!

Kristen provides great information and tips for those that do or plan to do family photo sessions, along with births, newborns, and day in the life. I also found this course well-polished compared to past Creative Live series, and the credit goes to Kristen’s organization skills as a former teacher. What I got most of this series was Kristen vast experience dealing with clients and families, as well as focus on details with regard to composition. And I found her documentary style refreshing compared to traditional family "cheese" photo style. As far as critiques, none what I have to say below should deter you from purchasing this series. The following critiques are meant to provide anyone reading this review a different point of view, and that's is all. First, I have a pet peeve calling photography “storytelling,” but that’s more a philosophical debate; still, it’s great marketing. Second, Kristen business model seems a little complex and inefficient, and the fact it takes her a while to explain it, at least twice in the tutorial, is telling. Honestly, we never got a straight answer on what a total package cost and her “photographer” pricing just makes it worst. Personally, I feel like she is making more work for self without the added benefit of sales. There are a lot of great wedding photographers out there have very simple three to four pricing package models that include all the details all-in-one fee, which not only helps get you your ideal client but your ideal price point. In the end, no one should be confused with your pricing and what you get in the end, right? Fourth, you get hit over the head several times with Kristen's very strong leanings toward photojournalism, which comes across as being a superior genre, all of which I found as a distraction. Like most photographers, I have a deep respect and appreciation of photojournalism (and greatly sadden by its slow demise), but there are other genres to celebrate too. Honestly, I feel like Kristen needs to wrap your amazing family photography work into this genre to make it feel legitimate and respected in her eyes given some of the elitism you do see within the photojournalist community. Before watching this tutorial, I would have entertained the idea of a day in the life session. Now what I know, I could never see offering this service to my clients. It just seems way too much work, time, and migraines for the money to support it, especially if you have your own family. I even question the market for the day in the life session, other than from photographers and the rare client. The question I ask myself, 1) would I be interested in this service, and 2) would I be willing to pay a premium. For me, the answer is no, so this is not something I could offer. Still, I have a deeper appreciation for Kristen's work, and it helped my business model. Overall, this tutorial is great, and highly recommend it for any retail photographer.

Absolutely wonderful! I am so glad I have taken this course. Kirsten is not only an amazing photographer, she is also a great teacher. Love it!

Wow, this woman is so deep and so real. I love her truth and the truth she teaches. I knew but didn't quite realize or understand I guess, just HOW IMPORTANT our craft is to others 'til now. Our clients, their families & to society as a whole (if you're a photojournalistic photographer). Even if you're not and just happen to be at the right place, at the right time, to capture THAT moment or event in history. You know the one, the one that speaks to us all. I love so many of my creativeLive instructors. They each have their own skill set & their own je ne sais quoi. I've learned crucially vital lessons from each of them... but no one (well, maybe for the exception of Sue Bryce) has ever left me w/ my mouth dropped open in awe like Kirsten Lewis. It was a pleasure and an awakening attending this class online. Thank you so much for your insight, Kirsten Lewis. Unfortunately, some of us in this world didn't have certain creative opportunities lotted to them but creativeLIVE is making world-wide dreams come true. Thank you a thousand times over creativeLIVE, b/c w/o you I (personally), wouldn't have access to top notch workshops being taught by such amazingly talented, successful and professional creatives. And that's a BEAUTIFUL thing baby... BEAUTIFUL!!!

A-Mazing

This class opened my path as a photographer. Now, I know exactly what I want to do. Excellent! Thank you Kristen!

If you want to master the family documentary style photography this is a must class you have to have it!!! The best you can do for your business. The content is clear, complex and really well designed.

I loved the class! I reflects perfectly what photojournalism is, and it gave me a vision to move forward with my photography business. I am photojournalist so it helped me a lot, to understand how can I incorporate my career into my business. It's very eye opening and inspirational!

What I loved about this course were watching the unspoken moments between Kirsten and the family she documented...she continued to show true connection and positive energy throughout the entire day. That is such an overlooked yet essential skill for documentary photographers. She showed me how to find your shot in a scene..and working the moment until you capture the emotions and interactions between family members. This is not a rushed art. Kirsten would be the photographer I would like to photograph my family life! Kuddos to Creativelive for bringing in such a talented photographer! This was an inspiring class.

Hands down my favourite CL class. No other class has impacted me and changed the way I shoot so much. Kirsten is funny and engaging - would love to see more from her!

This course made me completely rethink how I approach my family sessions. I have watched it over and over and over!

It's been about nine months or so since I originally took this course and wanted to leave a review for it today as I'm about to dive back into it and go through it again for a refresher- now that I've *mastered* manual. I originally took it while I was in the process of learning my DSLR and my brain was FULL to the max with info from all directions. I feel so incredibly lucky to have found this course so early in my photography journey- it changed the course of everything about my growth and learning process. Kirsten is amazing- she goes into such depth and it helped me learn from someone who is so passionate about what she does, but also incredibly down-to-earth and honestly someone I would want to be friends with! She is so funny, and is a fantastic speaker and teacher. It just makes the learning process that much easier and that much more fun. This is so much incredible information packed into this course and I am proud of the work that I have produced in the almost year following this class. I fully believe that I am better able to capture true CONNECTION in my family (I'm a hobbyist) which is far more important than anything else when it comes to my personal photography and Kirsten really goes over this a lot. I think my biggest take-away from it (this is tough, there was a lot) was learning to slow down and WAIT for the moments that matter- especially the ones involving humor. Those moments are the ones that mean the most to me and the images of my family and children that I most desperately want to capture and treasure forever. I would highly recommend this class!! It was an absolute game-changer for me.

She's awesome. I'm halfway through This class and I have already learned so so much. I also didn't know much about storytelling through photos. I will take away so much away from this course. Look forward to the rest of it.

I'm slightly obsessed with Kirsten Lewis!! She is such a real, down-to-earth person and approaches the world and her photography with such a refreshing realness. This course helped me identify more clearly and confidently who and how I want to photograph families. It's okay to not want to photograph babies in baskets and props and such! Thank you for being such a breath of fresh air Kirsten.