When I take pictures of people, I try to be as inconspicuous as possible. It's usually just my camera in hand (no fancy studio equipment), and I keep instructions for posing to a minimum. Unless, of course, I'm trying to get the attention of an infant. In which case, I'll break into babble talk to get the baby to look up.
For me, portrait photography is more about documenting a moment in life than staging one. This is one of the reasons why I enjoy taking photos of small children. Kids can't really fake a mood. If they are not happy, they are going to let you know. Fortunately, kids are also easy to please. And, usually, a tasty treat or talk of bunnies will do the trick.
My favorite portraits are those that capture sheer human emotion, like joy, love, shyness, surprise, and even annoyance. And, I always look for those subtle nuances between couples and siblings that make a photograph more memorable and genuine. It helps that most of my clients are folks that I already know. The mother shown in the photos above used to be my daughter's preschool teacher. These photos of her family were taken just last weekend.
If I had the time, I would shoot in black and white film again. Back in the day, I even developed the pictures in my darkroom. Today, my equipment sits in a corner collecting dust. I consider photography to be my hobby, however, and not my profession. So, I'm okay with where things are at the moment, especially since I get to paint and draw throughout the week! Now if only I can squeeze printmaking into the mix, my creative life would seem perfect.
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