February 16, 2011
Child’s Play
How many in your class today? Okay, come on guys, right up to the top. File in. Whoa, slow down. Please stay where I put you. We’re going to hold your hands behind you like this. Everybody say MONKIES on the count of three … nice smiles … 1. Guys, hands behind your backs. 2. Please, you on the end move back in. 3.
Silly Pic (protecting the innocent)
Please don’t make that face. You know your Principal will see it when it’s printed and you’ll be stuck like that forever.
Okay boys and girls say MONEY on three … 1. 2. 3.
I’ve been shooting still photos for about a year now, professionally. I’ve always found it super scary. How do you capture one moment of someone’s life in a way they want to keep forever? As a videographer I capture thousands of moments and edit them together to tell a story. Good still photographers can tell a story in just a photo. I have an amazing appreciation for the profession. I used to love to see what my newspaper counterparts were up to when I was shooting video along side of them. I never understood the still camera’s exposure thing, F-stops, lens lengths or flashes. Give me gain, an iris, an extender lens and an Anton Bauer top light any day!
But I’ve been learning more about these smaller memory-makers since January of 2010. It is yet another job I do to get by in this crazy economy. I applied for a job with one of the largest distributors of picture promises in the country and they apparently thought I had enough talent and sense that they could make a still photographer out of me. So here I am, getting up early and traveling to schools all over the area to take children’s classroom/group photos.
Working as a school and Senior Portrait photographer has increased my patience and understanding of how to shoot a proper pic. Not only that, but it is educating me in how to shoot all of my pregnant friends and setting up good habits that I can use in my Wedding videos. After a day in an elementary school, I realize that my friends and wedding clients make my days look like (sorry) child’s play. The kids are fun, but challenging … they are constantly in motion! They don’t want to smile, or they do – and way too much. Gotta watch out for hands signs, gestures, glass glare and wardrobe malfunctions all day long. By the time I get to my little moms-to-be, I am super thankful
To Be Awed
there are only 2 people and one-on-the-way to keep track of. Whew.
Tomorrow morning I’m off to another school. Not sure what the day will bring, but I hope to be on my A-game and send the kids off with thoughts of a super-fun picture day. Now, to plan my attack on the carpool lane!
