This is Savannah! She just turned ONE! Here mom booked a newborn shoot with a baby milestone package, so not only did Savannah get newborn picture but pictures at three, six, nine and twelve months old. Yes... I added a collage for you to see how much she changed in that first month! Sadly, her mom told me this is their last baby... I have enjoy 20 milestones session with this family, 20!!
The above photo is my personal favorite from this session.
HOW I SHOT IT
It was a little after 9:00AM with clear skies, and the sun was starting to get high in the sky. So I placed Savannah on this park bench with the sun at 2 o'clock her, this gave her a nice rim light with just a touch of highlight on the left side of her face. Then took the shot with my lens pointed at 11 o'clock to limit the amount of sun coming into the lens and to fill some of the background and limit the amount that is blown out.
PHOTOGRAPHER'S TIPS
Savannah was most interested in walking and standing, so I used a variety of benches and large rocks to slow her down but still keep her happy. The one year old session can be challenging if they are walking, so choose a location that will help you slow them down an contain them a bit, or plan to bring a chair or something similar to help. (Girls are more likely to be walking at their 12 month shoot than boys, but it is always a good idea to check with mom before you settle on a location)
A stuffed animal can help to distract babies from wanting to climb or scoot down allowing you to get some really great photos. Plus photos like this will become a treasure when the child is grown and the stuffed animal is worn with years of love. So, suggest that mom bring a favorite stuffed animal.
Switch your focus mode to continuous to keep your focus sharp when taking walking photos. If you are using back button focus, just hold the button down continuously while shooting verse letting go between each shot.
The above photo was taken in filtered light, you can see some of the highlights on the bench. When shooting in filtered light be sure to place your client in an area of solid light or shadow, so you have nice even lighting across your whole client.
