Find the Bold Print
At the design appointment, I always ask my clients, “If this portrait was a chapter in your life, what would the bold print be? What is the story behind this image?” I want to hear their take on what we plan to do. Asking my client gives me some direction for the session.
This mom said that the bold print for the session was one word: present. She said that she would like her son to know that his mom will always be present in his life. As I was creating the portraits of them together, I could not get that word out of my mind.
Do I Feel Mom’s Presence?
For example, in the facing-page image, instead of cutting part of her head off or having him hold on to her pant leg, I made sure we saw Mom in the image. I posed him sitting on a bench with his legs crossed, leaning down on his knees. Mom straddled the bench behind him, leaning forward. Even though it was about him and she was essentially a prop, her presence was important. I see Mom being present with the look of someone who really loves her child. The little boy is just being who he really is—full of love, personality, and spunk. Throughout the session, I asked myself if I felt Mom’s presence. Did their relationship carry through with this image? As I look at this portrait, I see the fulfillment of the mom’s story and it makes me feel good.
Additional images from the same session.
Learn Their Story
I tell photographers that learning the client’s story will make them better image-makers, because they will see that relationship differently. They will start evaluating what is happening in front of them and refining the pose based on that story. The story does not have to be complicated for it to be effective.