Opening the Door
We had photographed Dad with his wife for a maternity portrait when she was expecting this little boy. Maternity portraits open the door to connect with a client before the child is born, giving me the opportunity to create images throughout the child’s lifetime—especially during their early years when they change so rapidly.
Explaining What It Takes
After my client tells me that they came to Walden’s because they love our style, I explain what it will take to achieve that beautiful portrait. If they request a portrait of just the child, I do my best to discourage it. I want to photograph the family or the child with just Mom or just Dad. The size and texture contrasts this produces add interest to the image.
I also ask if their eighteen-month-old child will sit still. The answer is always no—which gives me the opportunity to explain another reason why having a parent in the portrait is so important: it will help keep the child still. Adding a parent in the image gives me a lap for the child to sit in, a shoulder they can look over, or a face they can snuggle up to. I am able to capture not only what that child looks like but also a relationship that would not be there if I photographed the child alone.
Posing and Expression
For these portraits, I had Dad seated with his son standing on his lap while they snuggled and interacted. Having the little boy’s feet off the ground was very important to me; when a toddler’s feet are touching the ground, that is run mode. Even if I had been photographing the boy by himself, I would still have had him standing on a step stool 8 inches off the ground so that he did not walk away.
I did not have to work for the expressions because they came naturally. I did not have to worry about composition; with my subjects right against each other, I could fill the frame any way I wanted.