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Overview
My complaint about the portraiture I had to endure while growing up is that all it did was capture how we looked. There's value in that, and I understand why most portrait photographers like to work with standardized poses and lighting, but it could be so much more. That's why I was drawn towards unposed natural-light portraiture in 1996, when my photography career was in its infancy.
I try to capture who people are, in addition to how they look. This means I generally produce black and white portraits, and I generally take enough time to get to know the subject in order to capture something of their essense on film. Generally this means hours per session, rather than minutes, but the results are worth it.
Most of my portraits have been of children -- up to about age 5, where they become self-conscious and begin to pose for the camera -- but I can get good results from anyone as long as they're willing to relax and trust me to only show the best images I create.
Children's Portraits
None of the children's portraits you see on this site were posed. Pre-school children have an honesty and openness that flows naturally. All I do is capture what's already there.
My technique is to play with your child, and to let your child show me who he is. I'm not interested in dress-clothes unless dress-up is fun to your child. I don't use props or artificial lighting. I depend on sensitivity and a willingness to see your child for who he is.
I create black and white images.. Black and white gives me the control to strip away the unnecessary details in the scene, which results in a much more engaging, powerful portrait. After all, the image is about your child, not the color of their clothing or surroundings.
I get the results that you see here because children have fun during the session. My subjects and I play at the playground, explore the golf course next door, tell jokes, chase the dog, throw rocks into the stream, and act like ourselves. The sessions generally last for a couple of hours, and are conducted anywhere your child enjoys playing.
Mom is encouraged to participate in the session, but I insist she have "playmate" as her primary role. After all, jumping in mud puddles is fun.
Sessions are generally conducted outside, so inclement weather may require a rescheduling of the session. Sessions can be conducted year-round, so long as the weather is accommodating.