George - Photographing the Child: Natural Light Portrait Techniques for Beautiful, Profitable Portraits

Copyright 2013 by Jennifer George.

All rights reserved.

All photographs by the author unless otherwise noted.

Published by:

Amherst Media, Inc.

P.O. Box 586

Buffalo, N.Y. 14226

Fax: 716-874-4508

www.AmherstMedia.com

Publisher: Craig Alesse

Senior Editor/Production Manager: Michelle Perkins

Assistant Editor: Barbara A. Lynch-Johnt

Editorial assistance from: Carey A. Miller, Sally Jarzab, John S. Loder

Business Manager: Adam Richards

Marketing, Sales, and Promotion Manager: Kate Neaverth

Warehouse and Fulfillment Manager: Roger Singo

ISBN-13: 978-1-60895-592-3

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012953176

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher.

Notice of Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the authors experience and opinions. The authors and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book.

CONTENTS

J ennifer George has earned a national reputation for her intimate, stylistic portraits. Her subjects are not just clients; rather, her portraits seem to reveal the inner essence of the person. Her soulful images, use of natural lighting, and cultural awareness have afforded her the ability to follow her dream.

Jennifer is passionate about inspiring other photographers to discover their own creative style. After winning California Photographer of the Year in 2001, she was able to travel the state, sharing her distinctive approach to portraiture. Jennifer taught at the PPA Women in Photography Convention in 2004 and spoke at WPPI for three years. She travels and teaches internationally and continues to guest lecture at colleges, universities, and photographic conferences and workshops in the United States and abroad.

The author and her family. Photo courtesy of Amy Connor.

Jennifer completed the print and educational merits needed to earn her Masters from Professional Photographers of America (PPA) in only three years. As a Certified Professional Photographer, she has also obtained her Craftsman with PPA. In addition, seven of her images have been selected for the National Loan Exhibition for PPA, and two additional prints were selected for the PPA display in Seoul, Korea, where she also guest lectured at a Korean university in 2007.

Jennifers first book, The Art of Pregnancy Photography, and second book, The Digital Photographers Guide to Natural-Light Family Portraits (both from Amherst Media), are available for purchase worldwide. In 2013, Jennifer began taking photography students to orphanages around the world, teaching them photography and showing them how to use their photographic skills to help the needy and give back to communities throughout the world.

Long before I became a professional photographer, there was a moment when I realized how important an image can be to someone. I was on a sales call for a local newspaper I worked for. In this clients very ordinary office, behind his desk, hung an eye-catching photograph. It was a close-up image of a girl swinging her head so that her hair was flying about as if she was in the middle of a hurricane. She was laughing. The photo stood out; it was out of character to the room and its occupant. I couldnt help but ask, Who is in this photo? It turned out that it was a photo of my clients daughter, who had died at a young age. He told me that it captured who she was. It was the most precious possession he had.

Over the years, Ive photographed hundreds of children of all ages in a variety of situations. Clients often tell me that there is one particular image that stands out for themone that they refer to again and again. It is an image captured in a split second when that child revealed their inner essence to the camera. The image is real and raw, a documented natural moment in the kids life. It is the parents most prized possession.

Todays portraits are unstructured and have an unposed stylehowever, there will always be clients who desire a more classical approach. This childs expression helps create a look that is reminiscent of a classical painting. She was lit using only window light.

For those of us in love with photography, there is nothing more gratifying than creating an image that moves another human. Creating a stunning image of a child will allow you to do just that. It takes time to learn to create this kind of image, and to do so, you must spend time with the client.

As a professional photographer specializing in family and childrens portraits, Ive had the privilege of working with and creating thousands of memorable images over the years. Nothing gives me more satisfaction than meeting the families, getting to know them, and creating extraordinary images of and for them. The skills Ive acquired have helped me to truly enjoy the experience of photographing children. I have a deep love for teaching, and in writing this book, Ive married my two lovesphotography and educating. In these pages, you will walk along with me, learning techniques to better your photography and your ability to capture those images your subjects will cherish.

As a family and child portrait photographer, you get to see your subjects grow up. There are several families that I have been photographing since the children were very young or even babies. Today many of those children are reaching adulthood. I feel so very privileged to have captured the milestones of their lives.

When meeting a child, determine which features you want to emphasize, then use poses, props, and a camera angle that help you meet that objective. The child wore a white top, and I used a high key lighting setup. The hat drew attention to her beautiful eyes.