Thursday, June 27, 2013

Ohana Means Family

Taking family photos is a great thing to do while on vacation.  You're relaxed, tanned, and have plenty of time to just take it easy and let the photographer do all the work.  Besides, a beach background beats a studio interior any day.  Many families take advantage of their family photo op to some alternative shots, like senior photos.  This fantastic family from the midwest came ready and prepared for a fabulous shoot, including some fun props.  We had such a great time!

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

K.A.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Smiling for the Camera

Why does it seem like kids loosen up just when you're finishing up the session?  

Recently, I photographed a Finnish family that was concerned that their photographs would look "contrived."  They told me that, while the completely understood the reasoning behind it, they did not agree with the American tradition of forced smiling in photographs.  While showing me photos of their children in their pocketbooks, I noticed all of the photos were taken candidly, and showing exactly the type of smiles and joy in the children's faces that all photographers strive for.  Of course, this is nearly impossible to achieve during a scheduled session; because, for example, how do you get four people to laugh candidly during a family photograph at the same time? ("I'm a photographer, Jim, not a clown!")

Adults have long been trained to smile on command, but this can be a bizarre directive to give to a child.  They have not yet gained enough experience in their life to understand what a "real" fake smile should look like.  Yeah, I know how they feel.  When did smiling become the status quo pose of portraits, anyways?  I bet that we can nail down the moment almost exactly, probably around the 1950s or '60s, when cameras and film became faster, and we were able to get those candid smiles.  But photography sessions are rarely ever un-staged.  Imagine, photographers, showing up to a scheduled photo session and telling the family, "alright, I'm gonna stand over here for about an hour, and you guys are gonna run around while I take your photos. Ready? Go."  

Usually, what happens during a session is that the kids force their smiles until they just simply can't anymore, and then as soon as they are released they run around laughing freely.  I've tried gathering them back in again to capture some of that, but the minute I say "smile," their foreheads furrow, their eyes glaze and their smiles get stony.  What to do?

Often times, I'll just let the kids be themselves, and lavish them with compliments.  Photographs, we must remember, strongly profit from the confidence level of the subject.  If the person in front of the camera feels empowered, their positive emotions will flow through the camera.  Good, strong eye contact enhances that feeling.  The smile no longer becomes as relevant, because the person has engaged with the viewer.  I've noticed that when I do this, it is actually the tone of the session that will set the mood for the photos later on, regardless of how the kids look.  During this session, when the whole family was laughing and carrying on, even the "serious" photos come across as mild and light-tempered.  This morning, I photographed a challenging young boy whose mother was thoroughly distressed by the session.  When she glanced at the photos of the child without a forced smile on his face, she said she didn't enjoy them because the child looked "sad."  It was interesting, because these specific photos were ones I had taken after the session had officially ended, and the child asked if he had to smile anymore, and I said no.  He promptly told me, "well, can you take a couple more? I feel more relaxed now that I don't have to pretend anymore."  His words, not mine.

Food for thought. 

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

K.A.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Annie Liebovitz on Professional Photography Today


From The Guardian on Tuesday, June 18th, 2013:  
"Annie Leibovitz discusses the role of the professional photographer in an era dominated by smartphone cameras and image-sharing sites. Speaking at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Leibovitz argues that there is no reason to suppose that there will be any let-up in demand for high-quality stills photography."




Thursday, June 6, 2013

Baby on the Move


Babies go through a few unnamed phases: immobile, roly poly, sitting up, mobile, and catch-me-if-you-can.  Last night I had a little catch-me-if-you-can, a genuine sweetheart, but completely unwilling to sit still.  To boot, the trade winds were howling at twenty miles per hour, and all the stuff blowing around was certainly more interesting than me and my camera.  Useless were my trusty standbys, such as whistles, rude noises, keys, and toys.  The wind took my squeaker out of commission, too.  If you have patient and good-humored parents, sometimes the best course of action is to just let the little ones do what they do, and click away, knowing that in the editing process a few guaranteed gems will pop up.  As an added bonus, as they tire out and get bored (the kid, not the parents),  you might get a perfect photo at the end of the shoot.  Here's my selected favorites from the session:

On the move!
© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

Baby photobomb!
© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

Is there anything cuter than a happy baby covered in sand?
© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

The sun may have been totally gone, but there was definitely sunshine in that smile!
© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

For further information on successfully photographing toddlers, I found these great articles which might be of some help to other photographers:



Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Soon-to-be-Weds on the Beach

Here's a little sampling of a sunset session I did earlier this month.  He'd successfully popped the question right before coming here, so the trip ended up being sort of a "pre-wedding"-moon!  We had a beautiful evening with soft light and only a light breeze, all the right ingredients for magical moment-capturing...

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

© Katherine Agurcia 2013 - All Rights Reserved, Reproduction Prohibited

Wishing them all the best, and hoping they come back for all their anniversaries!!

K.A.