When photographing just part of a family, you can treat your subjects with closer attention. Dad and big sister couldn’t make it to this session, so Brady and his mom enjoyed the special attention. Tammy says, “Nine months is a great age. Brady was crawling well but not walking. Moving slowly is his repertoire, so it was easy to anticipate and capture his movements. When a child is just sitting, and looking at you, the images can be amusing, too.”
Brady’s mom didn’t expect to be photographed, but when he got a bit fussy, she picked him up. Tammy says, “When she held him high, he smiled. That was fortunate, because I may not have had the two together otherwise. When Brady was tired of posing, if you can call it that, we went back to pictures of him crawling outside my studio door.” Tammy also did some close-ups of mother and child.
Children have great imaginations, and many photographers have had success working with portrait themes. With a background and props that set the stage for creative play, kids can pretend they are characters from books or television shows. The emotions, expressions, and movements that result as a kid plays can produce wonderful, endearing photo opportunities.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 70–200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens. Exposure: 1/640 second at f/3.5 and ISO 800. Natural light only.
Exposure: 1/800 second at f/3.5 and ISO 800. Natural light only.