ellis-photo.com Blog » Child Portraits

Sunday fun with Delaney and Maddie

Administrator — Tue, 19 May 2009 12:24:19 +0000

These girls were super cute and weren’t camera shy at all. I had a hard time picking out my favorites and a selection to blog. I had a lot of good shots to share.

This one I love how the light dappled from lens flare. I really try and lay off with posing. I’ll fix things if they look awkward, maybe move some legs around and straighten a back, but mostly I let people do what they do naturally. I don’t focus on how they’re sitting so much but focus on the moment, that split second where everything just lines up perfectly. When she sat for me here on the boardwalk I told her which way to face but the rest was all her natural movement.

Of course sisters are for wrestling too! At the end of our session I let them just cut loose and run. You can get some fun candids of kids being themselves by just not fussing over sitting still. I like going back to these shots of my own children. Interactions are what you remember a lot of when you reflect. I like to have a few of these style shots in a session if I can to capture some of the dialogue of movement and the essence of who they are.

Thanks girls for a great session!

These girls are growing!

Administrator — Fri, 15 May 2009 21:54:17 +0000

Eddie and Lacey’s girls are getting big! You may remember them from a few posts ago. I got to shoot them over mother’s day weekend. It’s exciting with regular clients to see the families grow. I still can’t tell these twins apart but they are double cute. I noticed with my own twins once they started developing more of their distinct features I could go back to their baby shots and pick them out right away.

Working on a project…

Administrator — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:11:30 +0000

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.

Congratulations Cooch family!

Administrator — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 21:28:11 +0000

This shoot I got to go all the way to Cleveland. The Cooch’s used to live in Toledo and I got to take photos of their first born and they now reside in the Cleveland area. Well they have recently been blessed with another bundle of joy and honored me by having me take their next little pea’s photographs.

Here are some of my picks from their session. It’s a boy this time.

Don’t you want to just zerbert that little belly?

You may remember big sisters face from recent shoots. She’s such a doll. I really enjoy shooting her. She is such a character and gets me giggling:

Here she is adoring her little bro.

This here is one of the furry family members. She was very social and insisted I take her photo too. She also didn’t refrain from making sure the backdrops for baby were soft enough. Not to worry though as they passed her high standards.

The family altogether:

Thank you so much guys for having me out! It’s such an honor to be a part of your families photo history. It’s a joy to see how the munchkins grow through the years too.

Congratulations Eddie and Lacey!

Administrator — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:19:55 +0000

Well the stork came to visit a couple whose wedding I shot last year. Not only did they get one baby they were blessed with two! Twins are exciting to shoot. It’s always fun trying to figure out which one I shot as they tend to look so similar even as fraternal.

Here are some shots from our session:

Congrats on the new babies! They are adorable and I am honored to be one of their first photographers.