There is one thing I know that we can all agree on….toddlers are challenging to capture with a camera. Film, digital, iPhone, doesn’t matter. Their movements are quick and unpredictable. I know this because I have 3 year old twin toddlers.
My daughter is a natural in front of the camera. She’s comfortable and is good with being my test subjects when working with new gear or a film stock I’m not familiar with. For the most part. My son? It’s a different story with him. It’s not his fault, it’s just how he is wired. He doesn’t have much interest and he just wants to do his own thing, whether it’s play with some recently discovered stick or play with his Hot Wheels.
Instead of spending the effort and energy into getting him to “pose” for the camera, I started a different approach. An approach that works for him and I both. What’s the approach? I observe and try to capture him when he’s doing his own thing. Sure, it takes more time to get that one frame but I feel like there’s more of an emotional connection to the photo when it is all said and done. I’m patient and it pays off. I’m going to continue this approach with him from here on out.
We must be patient with children, they see the world different than we do. Many of them are intimidated when a big camera, like the Pentax 67, is in their face. It takes understanding and patience and when that is exercised, the odds are you and I will have a better connection to what’s been captured. Maybe as my son gets older he will get more comfortable, maybe he won’t. I don’t know, but it’s something I will not try to force.
Attached below is an example of a recent moment. I recently picked up the Pentax 67 165mm 2.8 lens and I wanted to give it a run with portraits. (More on that in another post.) My son was standing around with a stick he found in the yard and I found it interesting in a way. So I took the photo and I’m glad I did. Moments like this I’ll take over any posed photo.
Pentax 67/Delta 100/Xtol-R