Working with children & animals p2

There sometimes is a confusion about different types of child photography.

In my case I am working with mainly performers, who happen to be children.

This is a major difference from the studio who shoots family portraits of children.

In my work they dress up, shout, maybe get a bit cheeky, but know the limits - anyone who has worked on a "family" style shoot knows both the frustrating limitions

and the demand for "little Miss or Mr " perfect in the final image. Whilst this is all fine it can and often does take the charactor away from the child.

There is a refreshing trend today in this digital age for portraits and child photography to become less staid and formal, I certainly welcome that - but honestly thats the way I have always tried to work. The key point I maintain with working with children is mutual respect - don't talk at them, don't talk down to them, and remember they often have good idea's too...so let them free to express them. Any "portrait/charactor" photographer has to understand that it is the subject [s] and not the photographer who take an average picture to an outstanding one.

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