Everyday Canvas

An Old Photo

Funny that I should remember when this photo was taken, since I was really little, just four years old from the date in the back of the photo. I know I hated that hat and what they did to my hair, but since the photo was being taken to be sent to my father, I endured the torture. A photographer was called to the house, and he was not much better than my mother in being unrealistic and taking phony photos. I don’t know why my mother wanted my father to see me as a young lady-child and why the photographer went along with her wishes. My true personality was far from what the photo shows. Maybe it was the times and the understanding was very different.

That hat choked me, but since I was promised to be set free on the beach afterwards, I stopped fussing. The photographer made me look into the camera. His camera was a huge box on a podium (not a tripod) and he went under a sheet behind it, becoming one with the camera. In my mind, that contraption of the camera and the photographer became the same boring animal-like being.

I have other photos taken by the same photographer. In all of them, he made me pose. I think children should be photographed as they are in life, probably without any prior notice. These photos are annoying to me even to this day, because they look so fake.

What Could Be Important in Taking Children’s Photos

1. Don’t bribe the kid with candy or outing. Let them want to be photographed.
2. The photo shoot should be fun for the child
3. Make it as natural as possible.
4. The child’s personality should be reflected in the photo.
5. The child’s present mood should show.
6. If you have to pose a child, never force her or him to do something they don’t want and are not comfortable with.
7. Don’t tell a child to smile. It will look fake or she’ll pout because of her willfulness.
8. The face is the most important thing, not the clothes.
9. Try to entertain the kid with props or jokes first.
10. If you have to take a series of shots, take small breaks. A child can get overworked easily.
11. Be aware of proper lighting.
12. Soft and light works better with small children.
13. If you want to get their eyes focused on the camera lens, use a small toy or something that would interest the child on top of the camera.
14. If the child doesn’t like posing, it may be because he or she didn’t understand your direction. Show them with your own body how to do it.



----------------------------

Prompt: Recall an old childhood photo. Narrate the events that led up to that moment that photo was taken.