Children’s photography to me is something that’s important but not pressing. It’s not like there’s a leak in the bathroom and you have to call the plumber right away, but in the end you’ll be very glad you’ve got the images when the kids are all grown and you’ve moved house.
So I was very happy that I got a call from Evan and Lane’s mother to set up a shoot. My daughter had been in pre-school with the boys, and we’d been meaning to schedule a session for a long time.
Arriving at their Santa Fe house on a bright Sunday morning, I was greeted with a mimosa. This was going to be a tough gig.
The plan was perfect for my style of work. I’d reacquaint myself with the boys for a while, letting them show me their rooms, their favorite places in the yard, and the sort of things they liked to do. Then, when they were comfortable I’d start shooting in my relaxed documentary style before finishing up with some group shots.
I prefer shooting in people’s houses (as opposed to a local park, for example) for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the kids are often more at ease in their own environment. I’m just dropping in to see them, rather than it being a big production to get in the car and make a special trip to a place that doesn’t have any of their stuff in it.
Secondly, photographing kids in their own environment tells more of an authentic story of what they’re actually like and what they really do. You can see this with the boys bouncing on the bed, or Evan sitting in the chair with his name on it – neither of these were posed, but when both brothers are off at college somewhere, their parents will be reminded of what daily life was like back when the boys were little.
Technically there were a few issues to consider while shooting outside. There was only a limited amount of shade and even the early morning sun was very bright. So I looked for places outside where the boys would be in shade (like inside the play structure, or in their ‘den’ amongst the piñons).
For the family groups, I needed a sheltered spot where they would be looking toward the light to give the nice catchlights in their eyes.
Evan was keen to show me one of his books, which he carried around for a long time. Some images with the book were fine, but I didn’t want it in every one. So I shot around it for a while, cropping in tightly so it wouldn’t be shown. But in the end, we resorted to old-fashioned bribery to get it out of his hands.
The boys and their parents and grandmother were relaxed, we took our time over the shooting, and I was happy to let them dictate where they went and what they did (up until the point when Lane fell off the bed). As well as making the shoot run better, it definitely results in better and more lasting images.
A really lovely shoot, and a reminder for families to make the effort to capture these everyday joys (with a professional photographer or on their own), because soon the kids will be on to a different stage of growing up, and there’s no going back.
