Here are some samples from a couple of children portrait photography sessions I was recently commissioned to produce in South Wales. The first was taken in their family home, allowing the children to feel safe and secure in familiar surroundings. Perfect for younger children who are still crawling or on days of inclement weather. Allowing younger subjects to just be and play, really produces imagery where their natural character comes to the fore. This can also be said for the second portrait session, taken in a local park. Again the approach was to let the two boys run free and explore the area unfettered. At the end of this session once the excess energy had been burnt off, this allowed for a quick shot of the family together amongst the autumn leaves.
This type of children photography does require a bit of faith in your photographer, as you will never know what results are to be produced, but for me this is the huge benefit of the more natural documentary approach. With a little patience the results are always unique, certainly when compared to the traditional approach to children portraiture when a static posed child is placed in front of an artificially created backdrop. It is worth noting that my relationship from both families, started when I photographed the parents wedding a few years earlier and has continued with photographing their children.
