Children's Portraiture

We Make the Road by Walking

This past week I was setting up to do a preschool in a church and I saw a book lying on a table, We Make the Road by Walking, by Brian D. McLaren.  The title caught my eye and I thought how much insight could be gained from this title or simple statement.

Throughout history paths and roads have developed in this way.  Whether we are talking about a game trail through the woods Continue reading “Making the Road”

Recently, I had an opportunity to work with one of the two people who do my editing and image enhancement. I was pleased to see how good she had become. She is much better than I am at enhancing images because she does more of it than I do. I still need to work with her to understand what she can do and for her to understand what I want. But having her do this part of our operation serves our customers better. They get better pictures at a lower cost to me.

Some photographers are aghast Continue reading “Hire an Editor”

Or, Never Let Them See You Sweat

This week I dropped a camera with about 70-100 people watching me. I did my best to act like it was no big deal. It happens all the time.  My big concern was the football team in front of me and the spectators that were watching me.  The worst thing that could happen Continue reading “Don’t Use Equipment You Can’t Afford”

I once told an assistant director of a child care center, “We don’t have time to hurry.” She liked it so much she kept repeating it to me and her staff for years.

When you rush a relationship with another person bad things will likely happen. That takes longer. My goal is to guide my subjects to what I want as quickly and smoothly as possible. That means I have to work smoothly and efficiently but hurrying is not efficient.

I photographed an 11 month old girl last week that illustrates Continue reading “Don’t Hurry”

What’s an f-stop?

In 1971 I heard an experienced photographer state that a new photographer should spend at least ten years working with an accredited pro before they were turned loose on the public. One of the most highly regarded wedding/portrait photographers in South Dakota claims he worked for “Gene” nine years before Gene let him take a picture.

When I heard the first comment the business I was with had a three week training program. Actually, most people didn’t make it Continue reading “Learning to Photograph Children”

Yesterday a four year old told me how to make his two month old sister smile. “When you smile at her it makes her smile.” That pretty much sums it up.

There are a few more things that are useful if you want to make your living making babies smile.  But, that young man had figured out the secret to making anyone smile.

When you smile at people, they smile back. Age doesn’t matter. It really is Continue reading “Making a Baby Smile”

Nothing can turn off some subjects more quickly than seeing someone staring at them, or worse. I always try to arrange a session so that I am the only one that appears to be on stage. I’m an insufferable ham so it’s OK.

Most of my work is done on location. When I set up at a school I always set up so that the subjects enter Continue reading “Crowd Control”

Over the holidays I got to see a picture of a four month old photographed with a three year old by another photographer.  Basically, the pose consisted of placing the infant between the legs of the older child and having the older child hold on.  It did not go well.  Love can hurt.

The pose is one that can start a fight Continue reading “Posing Infants with an Older Child”

You Must Have a Nice Camera

This is a comment that has annoyed many photographers.  Because it seems to imply that the photographer can only take good pictures because they have a nice camera, or that anyone could take good pictures with the “nice camera”.

A photographer should accept the comment for what it is, the speaker’s attempt to say something nice.  Be gracious.  Resist the urge Continue reading “A Nice Camera”

I Hate Having my Picture Taken!!!

These are words I frequently hear from subjects.  I respond with something like.  “Let’s fix that.”  Or even, “Oooooh!  That’s a serious neurosis.  We should start treatment right now!”

If I get into more of a conversation, I say that that is the result of clumsy photographers.  Continue reading “Hate Having Picture Taken”