I have found out through experience that kids are great, which is good because I have one on the way, but they do tend to convey their own spirit in photography. The little kids that I photographed seemed to do pretty much what they wanted and I was more of an observer. These two siblings were much easier to work with. I could tell them a pose and it would work. At least that was until we found some rocks to throw.......But pose them I did. Yet I found that kids are best photographed
when relaxed and the only way to get that is to let them breath and move how they like. I can set some boundaries but allowing them to have control of some things makes the pictures seem so much more natural, well because it is more natural. One of my favorite shots was of them running and jumping at the camera. It captures the fun and joy of being a kid. Most of the time the first pictures you take are
not going to be good an comfortable pictures. Which is ok if you have lots of time. However; I also found that an hour long shoot isn't all that long. I found myself just getting in the groove and their time was up. It ended up being good because editing the pictures was much longer than I had expected. If I would have had more images to sort and edit I think I might have been done by Christmas, well not really but learning a new tool takes time and Photoshop is one complex tool.But I like the results....
This picture above is one of my favorites from this shoot. She looks so grown up yet at the same time still child like.
Now like typical siblings they did tend to have their arguments about what they should and shouldn't do. She tended to be shy and quiet about things and he just wanted to play. Which given his age I can't blame him for wanting to play and not pose for an hour getting pictures.
He tended to be fine doing his own thing and tended to be relaxed well represented by this fun angle shot ==>For all the pictures he at least reluctantly did what I asked except for one particular shot. And by looking at the pictures one might guess which that was, and if you know boys at his age the answer lies in the last image....Holding hands. I eventually did get him to hold her hand and walk at a slowish pace but even then their own personalities shown through.
All in all I had a great time photographing these kids. They were at a great age for photography because they could understand what I was wanting and yet still had that childish charm about them.Again due to a large chuck of empty space and my need to fill it I will leave you with a quote or two.
"Who in the world am I? Ah, that is the great puzzle."
~Lewis Carroll~
Durring this time in my life I feel like quote by Lewis Carroll this sums up my thoughts. Not
really sure who I am but I know I am not who I was."Fear freezes the spontaneity of life. The more fear there is in us, the less alive we are."
~John MacMurray~
Weird how some people can put into words the thoughts that all of us have floating around in our head.
Till next time, Kelby McClelland
