Discovery

Portrait photography is quickly becoming one of my favorite areas. To me, the whole point is to tell a story without words. Getting to know the people I shoot, if only briefly, helps me pull out their personalities within a photo and tell (what I feel to be) a compelling story in the confines of a single exposure.

Children are subjects I find to be increasingly easy to photograph, especially if you just stand back and let them be themselves. Children, after the initial interest in your gear or what you’re doing, quickly ignore you and move on to the next item of attention. These are the moments I love to capture.

One of the difficulties, however, is when parents or family members tell them to stop what they’re doing and look at the camera. As a photographer and a father, I am torn there. I can certainly appreciate the need for a child to listen and obey. Lord knows I work on that with my own son. And I can also truly appreciate the genuine interest of the parents for their children to be cooperative subjects, as well as their desire to get “that perfect shot.”

What I’ve found with my own son is that my definition of “perfect” has changed drastically (and for the better, I think, from his help). To me, a perfect photo is no longer that well-balanced and posed shot, with all eyes bright and looking into the camera and all details Photoshopped correctly. Rather, I now think the perfect shot is one that captures the essence of who they are, doing exactly what they normally do: being that wonderful little gift from God (flaws, boo-boos, occasional disobedience and all).

EXIF data

Canon 5D Mark ii body, Canon EF 70-200mm L  f/4.0 IS USM lens

Exposure: 1/2500 second

Exposure bias: -2/3 EV

Aperture: f/4.0

ISO: 100

Focal length: 121mm

Aperture Priority exposure mode, Auto white balance mode

Strobist data: none