ellis-photo.com Blog

I worked on an art project for an upcoming gallery show I’m collaborating on the other day. I was invited last minute and I had a specific assignment I was supposed to participate in. I chose to use a child as part of the theme of the piece and since I have some running around here in the house I thought I’d use my son. It can be funny working with children. They always set the pace. I try and not ever force them into things too much as then they get cranky. I refer shooting them as to wild animals. You can’t make a wild thing do what you will it to do. You can coerce and train and perhaps coax it with cookies but mostly they do what they want. When you will them for things I notice shoots really go downhill from there especially if the parent gets agitated. It’s best it seems to watch, interact at their pace. They open up when they’re ready to. When you try and force them it’s like the door shuts and it’s almost impossible to find that good place again. People often wonder about my own children. “Oh they must be so used to having the camera in their face!” Actually no, they are really no different then other people’s kids. I don’t take my children to anybody to be photographed and since anytime I have the camera out it’s for work, I don’t shoot them very much. They get goofy and make funny faces or pose silly just like some of my clients do. They’ll stick their tongues out or put their fingers up. It’s just their nature to perform this way when the spotlight of a lens is pointed at them.

Anyway, back to my point. I got one snap off that I thought cute. It didn’t work for my assignment but I’ll have it in my private collection. Here he is waiting for me and he was doing something funny with his lips. Giving me a kiss I guess.

My other son at the time was having a total meltdown but I had to take one of him too so he wouldn’t feel left out. You can kind of tell he’s not looking so thrilled at me.

Anyway, the photographers kids aren’t any better than yours so don’t feel bad if during your shoot it doesn’t go as planned.

As far as the art piece goes one of the other frames ended working perfectly but I won’t share it till later after the show. I believe it’s starts April 1st down at Downtown Latte. It’s a collaborate show featuring some other local photographers. We all have pieces focusing on one theme then some of our other work as well. When I get more information on it I’ll try and post the information so you can come out. Downtown Latte (http://downtownlatte.com/) is a great little coffee house just a few store fronts away from Fricker’s at the Mud Hens field.

I have some new frames to blog about but haven’t had the chance yet. Just when I think I have some free time it gets sucked up by the time eating monster. I suppose that’s the life in a young family.