Expensive photography gear, nice weather, a touch of technical skill and a love of children still don't guarantee a great children's portrait session. As much as I try to make the sessions fun, almost like a play date, most children blow my cover when I pull out my big black camera and continue to point it at them for an hour or so.
It is one of the reasons that retail portrait studios AMAZE me. While most of them are not my personal style for children's portraiture, I cannot fathom having 15 minutes with a child and getting several shots where the child is looking at the camera and smiling! Anyone with a child knows you just can't make a child want to do anything they don't want to do, especially sit still, follow directions and smile all at the same time.
Sometimes luck is on my side.
It is one of the reasons that retail portrait studios AMAZE me. While most of them are not my personal style for children's portraiture, I cannot fathom having 15 minutes with a child and getting several shots where the child is looking at the camera and smiling! Anyone with a child knows you just can't make a child want to do anything they don't want to do, especially sit still, follow directions and smile all at the same time.
Sometimes luck is on my side.
