Today, I photographed Maria at the Beach. She was, as predicted, the perfect little beach princess, giving me a zillion and a half gorgeous photo-ops. I thought I'd use a few of my favorites to illustrate what I strive to achieve with every child photography session.
I want every angle!
Most of you are already acquainted with my candid style of photography. I believe I have a talent in deciphering beauty on many levels; in the features of your child, but also in the way your child relates to its environment, and in the shapes and lines created by their movements. You're hiring me if you want original work... so expect the direct opposite of the standard commercial shoot.
All work and no play make boring photos!
I'm very married to the idea of letting children be themselves; I try to get as far away as possible from the standard practice of sitting a child down on a platform where he/she is expected to perform for the camera. I *hate* posing. If there is no dangerous reason not to let a kid run, jump and be wild... I welcome it! This is the reason I don't charge extra for location shoots, and love shooting at the beach. The more room there is to play, the very merrier!
Smiles, schmiles!
The most difficult and important thing that I insist on doing during every photoshoot is capturing as many expressions as possible. This is mostly difficult because of the performance issue; very little children don't automatically respond to a camera pointed at them with smiles and giggles. It's also difficult because children are often coached by their parents to be happy during a photoshoot, and will accordingly try to make sure that they get as many smiles as possible during the time we spend together. When the years have passed and you sift through your collections of smiley photos and find these unique and touching expressions moreoften ignored, you'll be moved... I'm certain of it.
