There is something deeply satisfying about being able to take out the right photo equipment and set it up efficiently for a quick photo op’. I’d wanted to make a new photo of Jace for a while now, but haven’t been able to due to bad timing and a child-hazardous apartment. Finally cleaned and organized for the holidays, my young subject was brought for a visit earlier this week.
Paige Marley, 2011
As the adults sank into couches and conversation, I faded to a corner of my living room and quietly prepped a simple strobist shoot–a stand, a Canon 580EX, a pair of PocketWizards and a leftover piece of white foamcore. Jace’s older sister, Paige, became very interested when I opened and set the white umbrella and fired an initial test shot, and was a cheerful stand-in as I dialed in the settings for her little brother.
Jace Morrison, 2011
With everything set, I scooped up the 4-month-old and placed him on set, and even managed some fine-tuning as he tried to eat my hand.
Messy, slobbery, and altogether wonderful stuff! I am not a child photographer, but the truth is that I find this kind of work profoundly satisfying. There are no words that can accurately convey how I feel about watching a young family growing. But I do have a camera.
Knowing that I had my hero shot in the can, I returned Jace to his mother, dismantled the set and stowed my equipment. I knew that we’d just created some of my favorite images, ever.
