A soft centre, that’s what you need to have photographing children and families. Of course it helps if your subjects display this same emotion too. We’re pretty tactile as a family ourselves with our two young lads, so although I know it’s not necessarily a trait of all families, most of the time the soft centred nature is what I’m waiting to capture and willing to happen.
“But he’s usually such a smiler.” This is a phrase often used by parents, particularly of small children and babies mid shoot. I don’t think I have ever gone into a shoot thinking that if I don’t get a whole bunch of smiling shots, there won’t be an image I can squeeze out of the session to show for it. I would much rather come away with a photograph such as the one above displaying this much character, than have a parent spend half their time trying to coax a smile from a child. This is ‘Young Winston,’ without a doubt.