Photographing your own Children

[luis_modesti]

<p>So while I was reading this article; http://www.photo.net/learn/basic-photography-tips/five-reluctant-subjects/<br>

I came to the realization that yes, I am in the number 1 spot. Photographing your own children is the worst. <br>

I have to say, my daughter gave me the best expressions and pictures I could ever hope for, up to the age of 7. Something happened after that that totally changed her.... She is now 9 . Trying to take beautiful pictures of her for her first communion portraits was a futile effort with no end. She cannot stand more than a couple of minutes and the beautiful face expressions are nowhere nohow to be found .... the article goes about hiring a professional photographer because they will listen to someone else... well. the issue is that I am the professional photographer. then what now ? Well, I am using the term professional a little loose but I want to clarify that I only have about 2 years experience photographing for money. Before that it was a hobby . <br>

I was really hoping to capture some beautiful pictures of my daughter's first communion and portraits myself... </p>

[Norma Desmond]

<p>I guess you just have to try to put yourself in her shoes and think about how many times over the years she's had a camera pointed at her and that she simply might not like it at this point. What's getting the picture worth to you? I've long been of the mind that good memories and being in the moment with those I love are more important than good photos. Not that I don't have some great photos of family members and important events, etc. It's just I'm always OK with putting the camera down when it's not working.</p>

[Ed_Ingold]

<p>What, defiant at the age of 9? Wait three or four more years and look at this as "the good old days."</p>

<p>Catch her unposed, doing something she likes to do. That works at any age. She may want something more "professional" for Facebook too, at a certain age.</p>

<p>For what it's worth, boys do the same thing, then at about 15 you aren't even worth speaking to. That lasts until they're about 22.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

I can see a few solutions:

 

1. Skip the posed portraits. Take candid

snapshots. A small, quiet and quick camera helps

minimize the intrusion for camera shy folks.

 

2. Hire another photographer who excels at the

lifestyle portrait style. A change of face may

help.

 

3. Go with the flow. If the kidlet is moody,

photograph that, even in posed portraits. It's a

valid phase of life, so why ignore it? Some of my

favorite family photos show us as moody, angry

from spats, in pain from knee scrapes, anything

but posing and smiling. They're all part of life.

 

4. Let her take her own photos. Not just selfies. Set up the camera on a tripod with a remote. Let her explore self portraiture in her own way. And respect her privacy if she doesn't want to show you those photos, or will show you but doesn't want anyone else to see them. The self portrait is an essential part of artistic growth for many creative folks.

 

Check out the work of Alain Laboile. His family

photos are marvellous. And it shows the candid

family snapshot is an under-appreciated art.

[BrianS1664879711]

<p>In my family (and experience) Lex's #3 is #1. That works the best for me.</p>

[sjmurray]

<p>I've photographed my "kids" now 25 and 29 (and friends and neighbor's kids) all their lives. No problem. They get used to it because I'm always doing it. I only do candids for the most part, snapshots. Now I'm photographing my 2 yr old granddaughter and she's getting used to it too. My folders are full of shots of all of them. You can see my daughter growing up in my "people" folder, and now her daughter.</p>

[Karim Ghantous]

<p>Perhaps an alternative perspective may help: the only photos that matter are the clients'. Your own photos? Big deal. I could lose every single one of my personal photos and despite the unpleasantness, I'd get over it.</p>

<p>But my clients'? Recently, I spent half a day searching for a set of photos from 2012 which have apparently vanished into thin air. But to no avail. That was stupid of me and inexcusable. Thankfully the client didn't care. I got taught a cheap lesson.</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>Every year for many years I photographed our son and daughter every year for our Christmas card. When they were little, they were very happy that Daddy wanted to take their picture. At some point, possibly around 8 or 9 plus or minus, they became less cooperative. i would get everything set up, my wife would get them properly dressed and hair combed, then the shooting would start. One would look good and the other would squirm. Then the other way around. Then mabye they would both squirm. They would fight. We would yell. Eventually they would cry and there would be a timeout. After that, we had them worn down enough that they would come back in front of the camera, given us two minutes worth of nice smiles and cooperative behavior and I would click the shutter. All our friends would see the pictures and ask how we got them to sit and be so cooperative for a picture. Our answer was always "first we make them cry." :)</p>

[AlanKlein]

<p>My wife's the problem. She says I bother her too much to get shots. Especially when on vacation. </p>

[Brad_]

>>> Take candid snapshots. <P>

 

Agree. Many times the context from unposed candid shooting can add a lot - for adults as well as children.<P>

 

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<img src= "http://citysnaps.net/2015%20Photos/Davis%20bound.jpg"><br>

<i>

Davis, California bound, via Amtrak • ©Brad Evans 2015

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</center> <P>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Regarding the candid style of active kidlet portraiture, <a href="http://iantaylor.ca/"><strong>Ian Taylor</strong></a> may be the master of that style. I have no idea how he does it, but I've been inspired by his work to get a bit more creative and looser in my own photography of family kidlets. For almost 15 years I've photographed my various cousins' kids, which morphed into a documentary project about 9 years ago. One of my cousin's sons, Stewart, was born with a serious heart defect and had two or three open heart surgeries before he was a year old, and subsequent followup surgeries. We don't live in the same area now but try to get together once or twice a year for family gatherings, at a local park, etc.</p>

<p>With this many rowdy kidlets (a dozen or more at some gatherings) posed portraits aren't practical. So I've adapted to them and learned to react more quickly, shoot a lot and concentrate more on timing than getting every detail just right. In addition to the dSLR - which is still great for fast lenses with shallow DOF for isolating people against busy backgrounds - I mostly use small sensor ultra-quick P&S cameras. Even though my Nikon V1 has a good EVF, I find myself using the rear LCD more often, usually one-handed. It enables using peripheral vision to spot peak action up close, while also getting a decent approximation of good framing. The tradeoff is sacrificing shallow DOF, but I often prefer a busier milieu anyway.</p>

<p>I'm nowhere near Ian's class: his show obvious professional intent within a playful context; mine look like pretty decent candid snaps of kids. But my candid snaps of kids are better than they were decades ago when I thought I was doing pretty well - but wasn't. When I look back those older photos were pretty static and usually that awkward mix of stilted posing and "Are we through yet?" expressions.</p>

<p>And, again, check out the family documentary work of <a href="http://www.laboile.com/">Alain Laboile</a>. He's like a Puckish version of Sally Mann, with her flair for the casual rural milieu and Ralph Meatyard's surrealism.</p>

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<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18018712-md.jpg" alt="DSC_0041_DxOFP-HPS-green_20060609_LR4_DxOFP" width="680" height="450" border="0" /><br>

<em>Auntie Shera and baby Stewart, June 2006, a week before his second open heart surgery</em>.</p>

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<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18018717-md.jpg" alt="DSC_0569_DxOFP-HPS800-green_20061119_LR4_DxOFP" width="680" height="450" border="0" /><br>

<em>Stewart, November 2006, recovered from surgeries.</em><br>

<em>"Hey, did you just get my nose? Again? Man, you are freaking me out with that. Okay, show me again how this works..</em>."</p>

<hr />

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17636241-md.jpg" alt="LR4-from-V1-NEF-2925-3" width="680" height="680" border="0" /><br>

<em>Stewart, on uncle Matt's back, spring 2013, a few months after his most recent open heart surgery in autumn 2012</em>.</p>

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<p> </p>

[AlanKlein]

<p>If you look at those Ian Taylor shots http://iantaylor.ca/ , you'll see that most were taken down at the kid's level. That makes then more intimate. Use a camera that has an articulating LCD screen to accomplish this. It'll really move you children's shots up a notch.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Yup, I'm betting Ian's knees and back are in better shape than ours! (Or worse, after chasing kidlets for a living.)</p>

[Ian Taylor]

<p>My intergoogle ears are burning! <br>

Thanks for the mention Lex. I am a middle-aged guy who spends a lot of his life on his stomach. Wet grass, city streets, beaches, whatever. I just get down at the kid's level and shoot. That's how I started and that's how I still do it. For me the articulating screens don't work as I am still 'up there' and that's where they will look. <br>

Re: the OP question. I get this sometimes. Somewhere between 8 and 10 kids become self conscious and it can be hard to photograph them. I have a few workarounds, but it can be a tricky period to photograph kids. It's a stage, then they realize they want to look good and will work with you again. </p>

[q.g._de_bakker]

Becoming self-conscious also involves becoming aware of being a private person with a sense of ownership, of having things that are personal, that belong to you and are yours to share, or not.<br>The right to one's own image is one of those things people feel is private. People feel it important to have control over how they are presented to others. The right to have a personal private space that cannot be intruded without consent is another.<br><br>But something else people feel is rather personal is information about medical condition(s). When children are small they may not mind yet having their medical history shared with the entire world through the Internet (obviously mainly because they don't yet understand what that entails, what consequences it can have). But when they grow up, that same Internet will not have forgotten those status reports, and they may find it rather annoying to have that info out there. Just to give an idea of how serious a thing this is: people in the medical profession, care and cure, can be severely sanctioned (fines or even being barred from the profession. And both) for sharing such information.<br>Be careful sharing personal information about someone else but you over the internet. It's best to assume that unless there is something like 'informed consent' you may and should not.