The “Baby Drop” Photo with Liz Hansen Photography
My 15 minutes of fame came when this picture went viral a few years ago. People still ask me about it all the time!
Here’s the backstory: Before I opened my boudoir photo studio, I took outdoor family photos under the name Liz Hansen Photography. In August 2013, I was taking some family pictures of my cousin (the dad in the photo) and his wife and two kids at the beach. The little boy was being a bit fussy.
I suggested, "Let's try doing some pictures while you're walking."
As the parents started walking, they decided to give the older toddler a little swing. In a split second, the baby slid out of the Mom's arms and landed on the sand. I happened to catch this moment in the photo!
The baby did NOT get hurt. The height in the picture makes the fall look worse than it really was. The baby did a 360 flip and landed on his back in the soft sand. The baby's grandfather happens to be a pediatrician and saw the whole incident. He immediately came over and gave the baby a medical exam and determined that he had not been injured.
The parents though the photo was funny and posted it on their social media accounts.
Very quickly, the photo made the rounds on the internet, was featured on Good Morning America and the front page of Yahoo. I got emails from people all over the world asking me if the baby was ok.
Photoshopped versions of the picture started popping up online.
Here are a couple of photos leading up to THE DROP:
The photo landed in a museum exhibit in Denver, in a book called “Born to be Awkward” and the 2017 Awkward Family Photos Calendar.
Musuem exhibit
Born To Be Awkward book
Awkward Family Photos desk calendar - 2017
In April 2021, the photo was minted as the “Day at the Beach” NFT on the Foundation.app platform with several other photos from the Awkward Family Photo collection.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
In May 2021, the photo was included in the opening minutes of the Sony movie The Mitchells vs the Machines.
This “baby drop” photo endures because it’s relatable on some love and just a really, really funny image. You can feel ok laughing about it because the baby was not hurt. The family is good-natured about the whole thing and they have actually had fun with the publicity they’ve gotten from it.
In 2018, I transitioned my business from from outdoor family photography to boudoir photography — click HERE to read the story.
Give me a call / text anytime at 3124252946 or email me at hello@chicago-boudoir.com. Thanks!