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To me, the most striking photographs of people are those that
tell me a little (or a lot) about who that person is. The more
obvious the emotion, the more the photo moves me. As a photographer
it has always been my goal to make enough of an intimate connection
with my subject that I can elicit that "look". It's
also important to me to try to capture a candid look, one that
shows a true side of who they are.
Children have so many of those looks, they have yet to learn
to hide their feelings, and for this reason they are my most
cherished subjects.
I want to capture the uniqueness of each little person I photograph
through their facial expression, and to be able to produce images
that have strong emotional impact. Every person has these expressions
to show me, it is just a matter of bringing them out.
I have yet to meet the child who can give me the look I want
on command, but I have learned that patience often pays off.
As long as they are in a place that has the right light, all
they have to do is be themselves and beautiful images are created.
The first thing I do is to determine where I am going to position
the child. It is important that the child is the most prominent
element in the photo, so I usually place them in a very plain
context (i.e.: on a white sheet or a plain piece of furniture).
After I have found the right spot, I put them there and put them
at ease by getting down on their level (i.e.: sitting or kneeling
or even lying on my stomach, depending on where I have put them.
I often find it helpful to ask the parents to give us a few moments
alone, as sometimes children are more relaxed without mom and
dad around. Also, sometimes mom and dad are fixated on getting
their kids to smile, and that is not always what I want. Some
of my best work has been achieved by photographing children being
just who they are...and they definitely aren't always smiling.
For younger children, or children who are really shy with me,
I ask a parent to stand behind me and talk to or read to the
child, so that they are focused and still for a few minutes.For
the children who really have no interest in being still for any
length of time whatsoever (for example, those who are in that
age span between being able to walk and being able to take direction),
I simply follow them around. They are very busy and if I let
them do their thing I am usually able to capture some wonderful
looks as they explore the world around them. With older children
I make the most of their ability to connect with others. I look
right into the child's eyes and talk with them for a few minutes
before I shoot anything. This usually helps to put them at ease.
Also, it helps to focus them on me and to establish a connection,
which I will try to build on throughout the shoot. The best type
of talking to do with them (I find) is to ask them questions,
like who their best friend is, what they do together, or what
their favourite game is, how to play, etc. This serves two purposes:
1.They forget (for a minute, anyway) that I have a camera
in their face and are distracted enough that they stop trying
to give me the dreaded "cheesy camera smile".
2. Talking about things that they are interested in brings
great expression to a child's face: laughter, excitement, and
that cute little "pondering" look that all children
have. Sometimes I ask a confusing question on purpose, just to
get that adorable look.
Another look I try to get is that wide-eyed look of innocence.
I ask the child to look very carefully into the lens of my camera
and tell me if they can see their own reflection. Works every
time. This look can be enhanced by standing over them, so the
child is looking up at the camera.
When I am photographing siblings together, I find that the
photos with the most impact are those that show the bond between
them. Telling each other secrets is always a cute photo, and
it often makes one or the other laugh -- even better! Tickling
can also be good. I sometimes ask them silly questions about
each other like, "does your sister eat caterpillars for
breakfast?" -- almost guaranteed to make them look at each
other and crack up, which is a wonderful natural photograph.
One last tip: don't be afraid of the shutter release. Hesitating
for even a second can result in a precious look being missed.
Once I get rolling with my subject and they are at ease, I snap
away at breakneck speed. You can never predict when that ultra
cool look (like eyes looking to the side with one eyebrow raised)
will flash over someone's face, but you can be sure that you
won't be able to recreate it.
I hope this article proves helpful, happy snapping! |
