I'm incredibly excited to be writing this from Las Vegas for WPPI, where I'll be speaking tonight in the Garden Arena at 4pm. If you're in the neighborhood, feel free to drop on by! I'm hiding in my room most the morning because my nerves are preventing me from holding a coherent conversation, but I'm honored to invite my good friend Amy Wenzel to share tips on Children's Photography. She's incredibly talented and her insight is completely awesome. Seriously...just see for yourself...
From Amy:
People are often amazed at those of us who work with kids- like how on earth do we get them to cooperate or look at the camera, or smile for that matter??? Surely we must drug them with Benadryl or something? I'm sure we have days where we wish we could do that, but most of us have a gift for working with little ones. There are lots of different types of kids, so as a child photographer you have to wear many different hats. Sensitivity, intuition, and patience have been my compass for navigating the many personality types of children and how they respond and engage, but I've also learned some old standby tricks that would be useful to any photographer or parent desiring to capture great photographs. I thought I'd share some tips for interacting with kids that have helped me along the way, and hopefully they will prove useful to you as well!
1. Let Mom & Dad off the Hook
In my experience, the majority of children engage and take instruction better if their parents aren't in the room. I am not a mom yet, so I don't know why this happens. It's just a psychological principle of nature! Kids transform from a whiny basketcase, into totally cooperative, enthusiastic participants when their parents step out of the room. A great way to start the photo session is to explain that kids give more eye contact and take direction better when they do not have a parental audience, and that you prefer to work with kids one on one if everyone is comfortable with that. For a lot of parents this actually lets them off the hook. They are happy to let you do your job without stressing about the behavior of their kids. If parents really want to watch the whole experience, suggest they stand at a distance or look out the window if you are in the yard. I'm telling you, in some situations this makes all the difference in the world between an average session and you capturing your best work!
2. Play "Simon Says"
This game is my favorite technique for engaging kids and getting them into awesome poses without boring them to death. Using a cheerful, high energy voice, I do the poses with them so that they can mirror what I'm doing (especially the little ones who aren't as familiar with the game). I start out with silly commands, "Simon says stick out your tongue! Simon says, put your tongue away." Then I get sneaky and start posing them, "Simon says turn sideways! Simon says put your hands in your pockets. Simon says tilt your head this way." And voila! They are now facing the right direction with the perfect pose. Be sure to throw lots of fun things in the mix, like jumping up and down, shaking their tummy, putting their arms out...things you may not even want to photograph but that keep it fun for the kids so they don't catch on to you!
3. Make Obnoxious Animal Noises (Ages 2-6)
I am very serious when I say OBNOXIOUS. It amuses them to hear me being so loud and goofy and often sends them into hysterics. I've successfully mastered the howling hound dog, the yapping poodle, the LOUDEST bawking chicken you have ever heard, and a horse neigh that puts Mr. Ed to shame. I like to build up the hype about how cool my animal noises are and ask if they want to hear them. They usually do want to hear, so this bribes them into the perfect pose, and then I say, "Ready? Okay! Which one do you want to hear (I list available choices)." They like to continue directing me as to which obnoxious noise I make next. I feel sorry for the neighbors.
4. Compliment Them
Kids are no different than adults - they love compliments. Who doesn't love to be told they are amazing? I want kids to love my attention and love being in front of the camera. I want the experience to boost their self esteem, making them excited for the next time I come to take their picture! It's fun to see the sparkle in their eyes as I let them know they are doing a terrific job or tease them with praise. "You are a great poser! Are you a professional model? How do you know how to do this so well? I loooove your outfit! You have the bluest eyes I have ever seen. Are you the coolest kid at school? I bet you have so many friends. Are you a princess? Do you live in a castle? You are sooo cute! That was such a great face! I love these photos! You are doing such a great job! Your mom is going to love these!"
5. Capture the In-between Moments
Sometimes we'll make a ton of funny faces, and although I may not want a photo of funny faces, I'll wait until they are all done with the hideousness and then when they bust up laughing about it, I'll bring my camera to my face and snap. Or maybe I'll have them twirl or run to get them excited and then I'll yell FREEZE! and snap a few. I'll ask them to tell me a joke (and kids always laugh at their own jokes), and then when they are done I'll get a photo of them laughing at their own cleverness. I'll use anything I can to get reactions from kids and then photograph their expressions.
6. Play the "Take a Bath In" Game
For some reason, kids love to think of disgusting things to take a bath in. We take turns yelling out something gross to take a bath in, laughing all the while. I like to start the game this way, "Hey, I have an idea! How about you have to take a bath in Peanut butter! Gross!!!!!!! Shall we go do that? Okay, well how about you have to take a bath in MUD!!" The list goes on and on, from worms to jelly to maple syrup. You are bound to get a ton of smiles. Encourage them to come up with their own grody ideas.
7. Sing Songs
Kids love music, so I'll sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, The wheels on the bus, etc.. But best of all I like to get on YouTube and learn the intro theme songs to the most popular kids shows. I save it for that perfect moment, and right when I need killer eye contact to match the perfect composition I start singing Dora the Explorer or Thomas the Train or The Back Yardigans. This tactic will stop a child dead in their tracks and make them look straight at your camera!
Maybe you can work a few of these tricks into your arsenal if you aren't using them already. Or if you are a Mom wanting a good shot, hopefully these will give you something better to pull from than the old, "Say Cheese!" Happy Bendaryl-free shooting!
Kisses+Disses : Jellyfish + Protein Bars
02.18.11
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ou know, for as much as I like the beach, I've come to realize she might not like me. I mean, really. If the Beach was a person, I'd call her into my office so we could hug it out. A couple weeks ago, while JD and I were swimming along the Gold Coast, I felt the strangest sensation...like a fire whip struck both my shins at once. I screamed. JD immediately turned around to gauge my drama-queenness as the shriek could've meant I was drowning, or I saw a Zac Efron lookalike.
At first I thought it was my imagination, but, no, something definitely happened. And I was in pain. That's when JD saw the jelly fish swim away. He helped me from the water and while we inspected the severity of the sting, large red welts formed across both my legs. Wow, this fish had it in for me. I think I embarrassed JD because I walked with my feet turned out in a slight squat, like I just got off riding a horse for 14 hours. This was CLEARLY not the impression I wanted to give to the Australian lifeguards. Oh, yes, help me...I'm John Wayne's stand-in.
They sprayed a solution on my legs (why didn't I shave today?!?!) and bid us a g'day. I hobbled back to our beach towels and winced from the embarrassment of it all. JD--ever the optimist--said, Well, look on the bright side: At least you got to talk with the lifeguards!
This week's DISSES go to:
*Jellyfish. Of course.
*Australian lifeguards. I was hoping they'd carry me to my towel and offer to share their coconut sunscreen.
*Realizing the piece of floss you just cut was too short. Hate when this happens.
This week's KISSES go to:
*Zac Efron. Because he's scream-worthy.
*Think Thin protein bars. They're low in sugar and surprisingly tasty...I mean, it's no Snickers, but you don't feel guilty liking the chocolate off your fingers later!
t all started with her blog post. She was single girl writing about what she looked for in a Christian man...and Whitney poured her heart on the web. A stranger by the name of Drew left a comment. A rather nice comment, so Whitney did what any girl would do: She Facebooked him. And--oh-my-goodness--he was cute! And from Manhattan. Whitney envisioned Drew walking chic New York streets in an oversized pea coat and was smitten.
They corresponded over the web and Whitney admitted her passion for sailing, a tradition passed down from her grandfather, and Drew confessed he dreamed of sailing the world one day. Sometimes he worried he'd miss the hills of Kansas. Kansas? Didn't he mean New York? Huh? No, Drew explained, I live in Manhattan, Kansas.
Whitney fell deeper in love with Drew from Kansas, and when he decided to move to Marina Del Rey, California to be closer to her, he took residence on a boat. It was the first stop on his world tour...little did he realize Whitney would be his passenger for life. They married two months ago and bought a boat for their future trip. Though Whitney started a business and Drew is an associate pastor, their goal is to board their boat in Long Beach and sail away. Together.
With much appreciation, this Nautical Wedding Shoot was styled by Kelly Makes Things, who also provided the vintage Emma Bomb dress, which she accessorized.
The shoot was located on their dock in Long Beach and it was definitely bright, but worked around the sun for a bit before taking the boat for a spin...
I was thrilled to find a patch of shade to work in, so I photographed Drew and Whitney in this small area for a while before the sun began to set...this time of year the sun likes to play tricks on me...
The ever fab Kelly Makes Things created this nautical inspired bouquet used aged rope, roses and lamb's ear...she also set up a sweets table...because life is always better with sugar...
Once the sun dropped in the sky, we took Sea Bird for a spin...and I couldn't have been more excited...
My favorite photo of the day...
Oh, Whitney, you kill me...so, so gorge!
Work...It....Out...
One of the coolest (and quite sailorish) things about Drew is that he handcrafts pipes...they're so awesome! You can check out his work here...you, too, can now look like Popeye!
To see more of their nautical wedding photos, feel free to check out Whitney and Drew's slideshow with music by Bravest Ghost found at WithEtiquette...
Your Neck of the Woods
02.16.11
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Let's just get a few things straight: I love people. I love meeting people, laughing with people, and--quite honestly--I'm a great hugger. One of the reasons JD and I travel to speak is because we get to connect on a real level and create friendships...it's one of the best career perks! The next couple months we'll be out and about and I'd be honored to connect with you in your neck of the woods...
HOLLLLLLLA!! Yes, I'm so beyond excited to team up with creativeLIVE again for a FREE online course on how to build a wedding photography business. Feel free to register HERE and mark your calendars for this April 8-9, 2011 event. {For those of you who've been tweeting about it, thank you...I just wanna squeeeeze you!}
I'm incredibly honored to be joining forces with Akron Photo Series for a presentation on Tuesday, March 29, 2011. The three hour program will cover marketing and branding, and JD will be giving away free hugs as well. That's priceless. Trust me. The best news is 10% of ticket proceeds will go to Akron Children's Hospital and I'm honored to be a part of this event. Feel free to register here.
I'm terribly excited to be visiting the East Coast in March and it'll be my first time in Connecticut...ever. Yes, I grew up sheltered and spoiled by the golden sun. I'll be speaking at the CT Professional Photographer's Association Conference, so if you're in or around the Waterbury area (com'on...doesn't that just sound so East Coast and FANCY?!), I'd love to meet you. For more registration info, feel free to click HERE
Lastly, I'm stoked to be joining my good friend Becker over at The B School Study Hall tomorrow Thursday, February 17, 2010 at 4-5pm PST. I'll be taking your questions LIVE, so feel free to send them to me via Twitter, or you can leave them in the comment box below. The last time I was on, the questions were coming too fast I couldn't keep up...I'll be using questions from this post as a priority. 'Cause we're cool like dat.
Happy Wednesday!
Shooting Star : Wedding Ceremony + Contract
02.15.11
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kay, so how should I write it, I ask him last night while crawling into bed. He's sitting at the edge of the bed strumming the guitar humming a Beatles song. Hey, John Lennon, I say. I use my toe to poke him from his 1960s revelry. JD glances up and I ask how I should write today's blog post. He proffers a few suggestions and I scoff. Jasmine, why do you always ask for my ideas when you know you'll never use them? I blink a few slow blinks. It's then when I realize though I don't use his ideas too often, they're what push me--ultimately--where I want to be. I tell him this. He continues strumming and smiles. The answer makes him happy.
Speaking of happy, boy, oh boy, did y'all tickle me pink yesterday. Here's a great big 'ole THANK YOU for the shout outs on the 1,000 Pennies Contest! You made my day and I'm blown away by the support. No, really, I am. Gracias. Sometimes I speak spanish when I have no words to convey how I feel. The three random winners are:
Meg
Brooke of Brooklyn V Photography Leslie of Leslie Brown Photography
In more random news, I tragically accessorized an outfit and it's too late to take it all back because I shot an installment of Shooting Star...so now my transgression will live on. For everyone to see. But, really, what was I thinking wearing that belt?!?!
In this video, I'll be discussing...
*How I conduct prospective wedding client meetings.
*My approach to photographing the wedding ceremony.
*Amending a wedding contract to reflect client requests.
*I also said "ideally" 47 times. And I annoyed myself.
Like always, you can submit questions for future FAQs on Facebook!
