I have been taking a photography class. It is on storytelling with photography. Using photos to capture not just a moment or an expression or a connection, but a meaningful moment. A photo that breathes. That immediately comes alive in the mind of the viewer. Maybe it is something they can relate to-like a child trying to skip rope for the first time. Or maybe it isn't. Maybe it's just a photo of the storm rolling in but there is a sense of anticipation.
This is harder to do than it looks. I am great at portraits. I know how to to get a child beautifully in focus with a stunning background that is out of focus and dreamy. I know how to pull the sweetest expressions out of a baby. I know how easy it is to tell a mother to just interact with her child like she would at home and then stand back and let that moment speak for itself. But capturing things as they are occurring... Every day things, like training the new puppy or struggling over homework or my baby taking her first steps. That is a little harder.
But I am beginning to see there are lots of moments in any activity that could clearly tell a story. That moment an egg is cracked for the first time and both children are puzzled over why it didn't shatter as neatly as it does when mama cracks it. We all understand that. The moment my children walk into the living room and find that the puppy is laying down sheepishly among a pile of throw pillow stuffing. Even simple things, like that moment when your child is biting her lower lip, and her brow is furrowed in concentration at the words she is pointing to in a learn-to-read book.
The moments are all there, every day. All day and all night long.
So it should be easy, right?
But alas, children are so so freaking fast. And any photo worth taking is worth being composed properly, otherwise I might as well just take it with my phone for posterity.
Yes, there is a lot of wishing right now that I could instantly teleport myself to a different viewpoint in the room. Or that I had the ability to see just a few seconds into the future so that I would know when that perfect moment would occur, and be there to capture a uniquely beautiful photo.
So, for now, I am just taking like 600 photos a day and hoping ONE of them will tell a story that breathes. I will be posting more of these storytelling photos each day. Hopefully each one will be better than the last. Here are a couple photos that I love because they are of my own child (and her best friend and of course the new puppy). I followed them around for this class because I thought that, yes, 2 six year old children and a little dog are probably going to do something interesting. And they did. Also, I will be posting more about my spring mini sessions in Boulder, Colorado some time soon. xoxostacey
Starting her photography career in Boulder, Colorado in 2008, Stacey Potter is a baby and child photographer in Camden, Maine. She has been best recognized for her work with newborns and children. To inquire about a photo session for your family, please contact her at staceypotterphotography@gmail.com
