One of the best pieces of advice I’ve heard on photographing children is to let them take the lead. Sometimes a photographer or client has specific ideas for how a shoot will unfold and often children have other plans! Rather than trying to force the “perfect” shot, I’ve found it works best when you work with the child’s personality and mood. I was photographing two sisters recently and one was in a modeling mood while the other wanted to hide her face. In one instance she put a flower in front of her eye and when I asked if she’d lower it (to capture more of her cute face), I was met with giggles and a head shake. Instead of fighting it, I kept shooting. The result is one of my favorite photos of the day. So, play along with children…they will always remind you to stop and smell the roses (lillies, tullips, daffodils, etc.)!
A few thoughts that come to mind when I look at my beautiful new niece:
Let’s focus on that second thought for a minute. Isn’t it funny that we think of the future of a baby, or young adult with so much promise but may feel like it’s too late to make a change or try something new for ourselves?
How odd that someone older, with more years of experience can actually trick themselves into thinking that it’s too late for them and that a baby (from Day 1), has the upper hand. I get it – we have more responsibilities, aren’t as “wide eyed,” but too often it’s just us. We get in our own way, make excuses, worry too much, think too much.
In fact, it’s part of the reason I started this site.
To remind myself:
I don’t know yet what will come of this blog but I know that it feels good to learn something new, to take a sweet photo, to share my thoughts and write this post. These are steps to something bigger. Baby steps mind you (pun completely intended) but steps forward none the less.
What will you do today to get closer to achieving a new goal?
Preparation is key before a photo-shoot. Making sure your clients feel comfortable can be a big part of that but when it is freezing cold, there’s not much you can do but try and take the best photos in a short amount of time. That and blankets. Luckily, Michelle and Pat were sporting an “I can’t wait to marry you” glow which made my job easier. Here are a few of my favorites from that day, over 7 years ago. These two have three beautiful children now…you’ll be seeing them in future posts!
I don’t know what they look like but the twins in my sister’s belly have stolen my heart. Today I had the chance to take pregnancy photos during the “golden hour,” the perfect time to shoot! Put simply, it’s the first hour of light after sunrise, and the last hour of light before sunset. The natural light and my sister’s pregnancy glow were unmatched. You may want to plan ahead and take advantage of the amazing light revealed during this short period of time – plug your location into this Golden Hour calculator to see exactly when it occurs in your area.
