so we can focus our minds on the overwhelming amount of data we must process each day. As a child develops, however, sensory processing takes place at the highest level. Young children cannot and do not see the need to hold back an expression of honest feelings. Because their forms of communication are limited either by their inability to speak words, an inadequate vocabulary, or because of their early physical development, they react much more expressively with their bodies and facial expressions. These expressions, according to Stacy, are what define a child’s visual (and hence, photographic) personality. Knowing how to extract them using sensory input is the key to getting great photos. JOURNAL THE EXPERIENCE
In the short span of a portrait session, how can you pull out the expressions that parents see on a daily basis? To start, the photographer must be sensitive to children’s experience of the world, understanding that children must feel safe and secure to really “act naturally” in front of the camera. Infants and toddlers tend to seek out activities that provide sensory experiences that are beneficial to them at that point in their development. They will, however, avoid being placed in environments that make them feel uncomfortable or unsafe. How quickly a child objects to a certain photo set or how loudly he screams to be taken off the set comes from his internal temperament and his coping ability on that given day. Keep in mind that, as adults, we get choices on what sensory input we would like to receive and which environmental conditions we wish to avoid—and in most cases we accommodate our own needs. Children, on the other hand, do not have the ability to choose their environment, nor do they have cognitive skills to interpret why they are uncomfortable in certain situations. That means it’s up to you (and the child’s parent) to determine what constitutes a pleasant, interesting environment for the child at that point in time. To better understand this, you may find it helpful to study and journal your experiences after each photo session. This practice allows you to collect data on what works and what doesn’t. ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE
Stacy Bratton’s friend and assistant, Maureen Mann, has been in the photography business for over twenty years,
In this priceless portrait by Stacy Bratton, the photographer had the child look back toward the open sky to produce beautiful and soft lighting. Notice, too, the very shallow band of focus created by shooting at the lens’s widest aperture.
and her children’s-portrait philosophy was that you get what you get based on the child’s mood that day—and you better get it quick! This perception changed dramatically when she began assisting for Stacy. Maureen says, “Stacy is known for the incredible variety of expressions she coaxes from children. I imagined her sessions were similar to others I had been a part of—quick and fun but frantic and with a lot of luck involved. I was wrong. She uses her knowledge of child psychology to control the situation and elicit the expressions she desires.” According to Maureen, “Sometimes it is hard to watch. The first thing I discovered is that the child is not allowed off the set unless Stacy allows it—no matter how sad the cry, emphatic the scream, or worried the parent. She allows the parent to go on to the set and comfort the child if needed, but the parents may not remove the child, nor pick them up. Maureen continues, “By using toys and distracting play methods with bubbles or feathers, Stacy changes the behavior being exhibited, and retains control of the STACY BRATTON’S INSIGHTS
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