That may seems strange advice from a photographer, but that is what I say to parents when they ask me how to take better pictures of their children. Put your camera down. Take the time to watch your children, know your children. Be able to predict what your children are going to do and say. Understand every aspect of your child. As professional photographers know, you can always take a better photograph of someone you know. That is why I don’t hesitate to take assignments from my friends. I know when I have taken THE image that I am looking for in a session of a friend or family.
I think parents today are so busy taking pictures of their children, they don’t experience “being with” their children. Much like Susan Sontag says in her book, On Photography, “A photograph passes for incontrovertible proof that a given thing happened.” Parents have this compulsion to prove a certain thing happened with their children, so they take hundreds of pictures, or hours of video, to prove it. So much so, that moms and dads don’t really experience what they are so busy taking pictures of. So often, they may have pictures of their child graduating pre-school, in the school play, or blowing out the candles at their own birthday party with their friends, but they don’t remember it. They never experienced it, they were working.
You see professionals understand, if you are really busy taking pictures of something, you don’t really get to experience it fully like a guest would. People comment to me all the time, it must be fun going to weddings week in and week out; gorgeous venues, beautifully dressed people, wonderful food, it all must add up to a wonderful experience. Well the truth is, it is work. When you are working at capturing the images you promised the bride and groom, you are not going to get to experience the wedding. As a photographer, you are going to experience, the experience of capturing the experience other people are experiencing. Understand? You are just too busy getting the images from the day to take the time to experience the wedding. These days I am afraid parents are so busy taking pictures, uploading them to their social networks, and really acting like a professional photographer instead of acting like parents.
So, yes, take a few pictures, but then put your camera down and watch your child. Take in every detail, soak in the moment, experience the experience. Then when your child talks about a given experience, you will have a shared experience. If it is really that important to take a lot of pictures, then hire a professional.
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