With little ones, though, I try to do things as quickly as possible. I've recently found that with children 6-12 months old, a 10-20 minute photo shoot is all I need. 1 favorite outfit, shots alone and then with mom and/or dad. This is good because it is less trying on your child.
When I take pictures, I am most concerned about background when we choose a location. Choose a place you love and we'll work with it. The goal is that the background wouldn't be distracting from the subject of the picture.
If you have favorite poses, let me know. If there are parts of your child's personality that you cherish, please tell me.
As I shoot pictures, I will talk with the person or people in the pictures. I'm not after the big smiley picture unless it looks natural. I'm not looking for a show off or modeling type of picture, either. My favorites are where I catch a child at ease, looking at me, as if they are just about to smile or are hiding a secret joke inside.
How I would describe my pictures...
I like to take pictures that are easy to look at. I don't like to feel like I need to angle my head to look at a picture. I want the picture to be flattering of the people in the picture. I want your eyes to be drawn to the whole person in the picture, not one feature. I don't take super bright pictures. This is one style of photography. I enjoy the warmth of shadows.
One thing I am definitely learning is that I want the person I'm taking the pictures for to trust me. When I take pictures, I'm thinking about composition, background, colors, facial expressions, angles, symmetry, lighting... My goal is to take a picture that will make you smile.
