TIP #3.  LET THEM BE

Once you've found great light (see Tip 1) and a background that accentuates your subject (see Tip 2), your next objective is to draw out a great expression from the child.  This is very challenging, and no strategy is guaranteed to suit every child (or even every photographer).  You must be creative.

And "Say cheese!" is not my idea of an interesting interaction or a promising start to a revealing portrait.  (Just saying!)  Instead, how about inventing a little bit of action and then letting the child be?  

My idea for this Thanksgiving-inspired child's portrait was to place toddler Jax in the middle of a pile of decorative gourds and then ... just let him be.  Exploring his surroundings, he became fascinated by a fallen leaf.  That allowed me to capture a natural storytelling portrait, showing behavior typical for his age.

Did you notice how the roundness and color of the gourds echo those pudgy baby cheeks?  Absolutely adorable -- I love it!

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To start planning an indoor or outdoor portrait session for you and your child, call me at 703-729-3780.  I'd enjoy the chat! 

And, if you'd like hands-on training in photography, perhaps you'd like to join one of my classes or workshops.  

My Northern Virginia wedding and portrait photography studio is conveniently located in Ashburn, Virginia, just west of Dulles International Airport and north of the Brambleton shopping center.