1. Start with the Kid

Image

ISO 200, 1/200 sec., f/8, 70–200 mm lens

Stranger: That’s a beautiful child you have there.

Mother: That’s nothing, you should see his photograph.

—Anonymous

It makes sense that a book about photographing children would “start with the kid,” but how many photos of children have you seen that center around anything but the kid? Instead, many images center around a grungy environment, a couch in a field, or a tutu the size of Montana. All of these elements may be trendy and fun, but what do they have to do with the child you’re photographing?

In this chapter, I want to challenge you to more carefully consider how you approach ...

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