Photographing Childhood: The Image and the Memory

Children are one of the most intriguing yet difficult subjects to photograph. Whether you are a proud parent who wants to capture the fleeting moments of childhood or a professional photographer working with paying clients, Photographing Childhood: The Image and the Memory will give you the know-how and the inspiration that you are looking for to create the perfect image.  Rich with emotion and creativity, this guide delivers tips from a master photographer who has contributed to Child Magazine, Pottery Barn, Martha Stewart Omnimedia, and many others.   Learn how to take photos that are technically and compositionally sound; pictures that are so gorgeous they'll fill up your walls, refrigerator, and your family's (or clients') email in-boxes for years to come.

 This book goes way beyond photography basics. There are countless important events and stages to document in a child's life; learn the secrets to making sure you don't miss a single photo opportunity. Be inspired by amazing shots from several historical and contemporary photographers. Working with children can be particularly tricky, and this book shows you what pitfalls to avoid to prevent tantrums (your own or your subjects!). Before you know it you'll have a collection of great shots that you'll want to share for personal or professional purposes.  You will not find a more engaging, expressive, or nostalgic guide to taking photos of what you love most: children.

Southworth and Hawes Julia Margaret Cameron Gertrude Käsebier Lewis Hine Edward Steichen Jacques Henri Lartigue  Heneri Cartier-Bresson

Sebastião Salgado, Brazil Emmet Gowin, USA  Joyce Tenneson, USA  Melissa Anne Pinney, USA Robin Schwartz, USA Takashi Homma, Japan  Rania Matar, Lebanon Achim Lippoth, Germany  Anders Hald, Denmark Cuny Janssen, The Netherlands

*Delivers all things important: inspiration, beauty, and sound photographic advice

*A unique timeline segmenting stages of childhood and what they can offer the photographer

*Contributions by historical and contemporary photographers

*Advice on working with children from an experienced master *The inside cover functions as a substitute for an incident light meter (when using an in-camera reflective spot meter) because of its neutral tonality, and unvarying tone

Take a Look Inside Photographing Childhood

Children quickly forget about the presence of the camera and photographer as they focus on other projects and activities.

Even when making a formal portrait, look for serendipitous moments that exude the magic of childhood (even if just tugging on one’s toe).

Look for natural fill light. Here the white blanket redirects the window light and provides a natural-looking fill to the little girl’s face.

Here I captured both the natural light in the space and still froze the motion of the father and son.

Pay attention to the interaction between two or more subjects in your frame. The interplay of children is something not to be missed!

When a child wants to perform for the camera, asking questions provides distraction.

Amazon Exclusive: A Letter from LaNola Stone, Author of Photographing Childhood

Dear Readers,

If I had only one thing I could emphasize about photographing childhood, it would be that the most direct way to get a great photograph is to ALWAYS consider the individual in front of the lens and who that particular child is. This understanding is the seed of truly authentic photography. You simply need to water that seed with light, composition, and exposure.

As one of my photographic heroes put it:
“A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it.”
– Edward Steichen

Children love positive attention. To them being photographed is especially validating, but only if they feel a level of acceptance and admiration for who they uniquely are at that time in their young lives, whether toddler or teen. It is good to remember that exposure to childhood is both a blessing and a responsibility. Because we are interacting with children at a time when their little minds are forming opinions and attitudes about the world and themselves, we must remember that our experiences together will be a part of their life's foundation. The memories created therein will be further reinforced by the document of that experience, the photograph! Don't mistake it otherwise, this time together will be remembered. This is a great opportunity to develop their inner selves, as well as our own.

I wrote this book to inspire the "artist-photographer" inside each of us. By understanding our own objectives for photographing childhood, and with a bit of technical know-how, we can create images of childhood that are genuine and true to ourselves. If your child subject is predetermined, try to capture their best self by locating that aspect through collaboration with them. If you have a choice, cast a child that naturally embodies your photographic goals. Either way, let childhood be your muse! Photographing with a stringent adherence to your goals and without consideration of the child will always yield disappointing results. When working with children, you set the stage and fully prepare with your goals in mind, but then allow the serendipity of your time together to dictate the photograph.

Best of luck, spread the love, and continue to populate the world with beautiful, substantive images!

Warmest regards always,

LaNola

How to Capture and Preserve Original and Authentic Photographs, by LaNola Stone

TECHNICALLY:

10. Develop a standard nomenclature for every import of digital image files (an organized and predictable file structure in which to store your images). (Chapter 7)

9. Properly archive and store your work using a cataloging program (like Adobe Lightroom). A program like Lightroom makes keywording and metadata entries easy. Metadata is today's way of writing on the back of a photograph, but even better! We should all take advantage of this powerful tool. (Chapter 7)

8. Make a backup of your digital files--this includes making prints and sharing your favorite photographs! (Chapter 7)

7. Understand how your camera "sees" and records light (exposure), and the creative controls within the aperture, shutter speed and ISO settings. (Chapter 3)

CREATIVELY:

6. Don't hesitate; move around and photograph what moves you, when it moves you. Authenticity is very difficult to recreate. (Chapter 1)

5. Learn to "see" and feel the emotion invoked by different directions and qualities of light. (Chapter 3)

4. Identify the "mood" of an image and reinforce it with the composition of the shot. (Chapter 3 & 6)

3. Inform your work by looking at images you admire (both historical and contemporary), whether made with the photographic process or other artistic media. (Chapters 2 & 6)

2. Be a pleasant person to work with. Photographing living subjects requires collaboration, ALWAYS! (Chapter 4 & 6)

1. Identify and understand your objective. This provides a platform for quick decision-making and a structure that allows your intent and style to live in your photographs. (Chapter 1)