Familiar

I love meeting new families and creating beautiful, lasting images of their children. My goal is always to try to capture their true personality, but it can be difficult. Depending on the child, meeting a new person can be intimidating, not to mention a person with a big black camera pointed in their direction. I try to remind myself to slow down and relax, so the kids (and parents) can come out of their shell a bit. And at the end of the day, I hope I did a good job.

As I edit the photos, I am aware of certain expressions and faces that I love. But sometimes I wonder if they are typical for that child. Having only known the child for an hour, how can I be sure that I captured the personality that mom and dad know and love? I did my best.

Recently I was able to do a full photo session with the son of our dear friends. Even though they live in another state, we manage to get together three to four times a year. I have gotten to know their little boy since he was just a few days old and love to snap a few pictures of him every time I see him. So it was refreshing to go back reflect on these latest photos and know that his real personality shines through.

Comments

[Audra Van Vliet]

Oh, my gosh. His eyes are to die for. Beautiful shots.

I have known this little girl since she was born, but finally got to shoot her today. I have only had my dslr for almost a year now, and I am so blessed to be surrounded by these sweet little ones.

http://lastpictureshowphotography.blogspot.com/2010/11/olivia.html

Here are her beautiful older sisters. I took pictures of the whole lot of gingers today, everyone of them a ginger. Three boys and three girls.

http://lastpictureshowphotography.blogspot.com/2010/11/princeton.html

[Jen L.]

I can so relate to this exactly! I often wonder if the family will be pleased with what I capture; especially when they try to help and tell the child to "Say Cheese"....I often try to snap as many as I can when they aren't noticing me and those often tend to be my favorites. I too have a dear friend whose son I have been photographing since he was about one and he is such a charmer when he sees me with my camera =)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vLmzVoANZQo/TGfzEJ0wDqI/AAAAAAAAB64/m0H4K5GXzc4/s1600/b9.jpg

[Corinna]

I *love* shooting kids, both because they are completely unselfconscious, and because I've had lots of practice on my own kid, so I feel comfortable shooting them.

Here's one of my goddaughter taken on a recent trip to the pumpkin farm. Her mother said it moved her soul:
http://birdwannawhistle.squarespace.com/blog/2010/11/6/unselfconscious.html
And one of my son I took yesterday:
http://birdwannawhistle.squarespace.com/blog/2010/11/27/endurance.html

[Jamie Solorio]

I think the best shots are just your everday type of encounter. No fake cheese ball grin, just true emotion. Here are a couple I took of my daughter hanging out on our couch one day watching tv.

http://jamie-solorio.blogspot.com/2010/08/face-and-feet.html

Here is a shot of my friends daughter crawling in a creekbed I took a little while ago.

http://jamie-solorio.blogspot.com/2010/10/baby-portraits-in-redding-california.html

[Valerie]

I really love taking photos of my friends' kids. We are living in this area for just a few years and then will be moving 3,000 miles back home. I've come to have great affection for my son's baby/tot buddies but know we'll likely lose track of most of them. I love the idea that even with my rinky-dink "studio," perhaps I can capture a little of them. I hope someday they see the photos I gave to their parents and realize how beautiful and lovable they were as wee ones.

http://journeyleaf.typepad.com/journeyleaf/2010/11/halloween-tot-photo-day.html

[Rebecca]

I love when a kid gets completely comfortable in front of the camera, and the parents allow it.

This particular girl is FULL of personality!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebeccasmithphotography/5219747730/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebeccasmithphotography/5219747526/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebeccasmithphotography/5219747272/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebeccasmithphotography/5219155635/in/photostream/