A picture is more than just an image...

"A picture is worth a 1,000 words." This is a quote we all have come to know at one point or another. As a photographer it is my job to capture a moment in a way that a viewer would not just see an image, but feel the emotion in that moment and as if they were there.

Having a toddler and baby at home myself I have a special place in my heart for photographing young people. When taking a picture of an infant or child, my challenge is to capture their innocence. In my own experience of taking my family to get photos done at studios in the mall or shopping centers, I felt each encounter to be impersonal and cold. I felt the photographer was more trying to get the shoot done and over with than trying to capture the beauty and innocence of a growing family or newborn baby. Our end results were a few nice shots of us together, but I don't feel any emotion when I look at the photos.

I've done a few sessions with my own girls and one with a baby girl who was born the same day as my youngest. I'm learning that in order to get the right shot, it takes time and patience. Young people whether infants or toddlers or children don't like to be in one place for long, aren't fond of bright lights in their face and need time to eat and calm down, even nap. I as the photographer need to create a calm environment and be patient with my subject. An infant isn't going to like being moved around in so many different ways and may not be comfortable in each spot or pose I'd like to get them in. I have to ensure that little person is happy and comfortable otherwise the emotion I capture won't be ideal.





This past weekend I did my first engagement shoot. I'm shy to admit this was also my first experience shooting people older than 2. I was nervous for many reasons going into the shoot but as soon as I took out my magic wand (the camera), the enchantment began. The drive came from within my soul and with my wand I captured the couples love. I was extremely surprised in editing that there were minimal adjustments needed. I was incredibly proud of myself that I had truly captured the emotions I saw.

As a photographer I challenge myself to go above and beyond. I don't want to get the shot over and done with, collect my money and move on as I find is done in most big name studios. I want to capture the raw emotions of the moment.