"I can't believe you photograph kids. You're better than me."
If I had a dollar for every time another photographer said that to me when I talked about how much I love working with kids... well I'd be able to pay a lot of my bills in dollars, ha!
I have always l o v e d working with kids. In and out of photography. I think I love working with kids so much because they're unpredictable and more often than not, they are pretty genuine in their responses and feelings. They have raw emotions, and while sometimes that can seem a bit stressful when they're not the emotions you're hoping for, you know that it's real and I can get behind that!
Each kiddo I work with is so different. I love being able to figure out what works with each child and am totally O K with it taking a little bit of time to earn their trust. I want them to enjoy the experience of having portraits taken because those are building blocks to portraits later in life. Positive experiences provide positive reinforcements and when they're really really good, we get to whip up some core memories.
Is working with kids all rainbows and butterflies?
*insert laughing crying emoji here*
Absolutely not and that's ok! Sometimes it's plain ol' hard work. However, it doesn't mean its not rewarding hard work. My goal when working with your child is to show them, before anything else, that they are in a safe space to be authentic and express themselves. During the booking process, a portion of my questionnaire asks about your child help help me during the session. This is a great tool as I can do research before the session if it's something I am not familiar with. (like a movie, tv show, song or hobby that they're into)
We'll run around, play, maybe catch some bubbles, find the coolest rock in the garden and maybe even listen to silly songs. If they're a little older, I'll find out what interests them and guide our conversations with those answers. Whatever it takes for your child to feel safe and enjoy themselves, I'm here for it. After all, we're here to capture memories not just photographs.
