I love working with kid’s brands!!! Love it, love it, love it. And even more so when the marketing coordinator doubles as the stylist and totally nails her vision. Commercial and editorial shoots with kids can be about as unpredictable as they come, but that’s part of the fun - thinking on your toes and getting spontaneous authentic images. This shoot was also special because we got to work with Todd and his two sons, so capturing the natural chemistry between them was easy.
There was never a dull moment at the studio, as Todd’s launch for children’s eyewear brought in a mix of fun and curious personalities. Part of the joy of working with kids is the wonder and energy they bring to a photoshoot.
They remain in constant awe of the world around them and ask questions about absolutely EVERYTHING! It makes you pause for a moment to think about how exciting it must be to experience something for the first time. Some of the most common questions revolved around my camera. How does it work? Where do the images go? Can I see them? Not only were they fascinated by my camera, but also my 7 month pregnant belly! Where is the baby? Can I see it? How does he breathe in there? (Still trying to figure that one out myself actually :)
When working with children I find it so important to speak their language and engage with them, in order to build connections. Being a bit goofy and silly can create some great expressions.
There was one point in the shoot that I had each of them scream as loud as they could, which would immediately turn into giggles and so many fun outtakes.
While the children were absolute CHAMPS, in true kid fashion, they were all falling apart by the end of the day. I always watch for indicators that they are done when working with child models, it won’t do any good to push them past their limit!
Overall this shoot was a blast! The fact that the whole family played a role made it extra memorable. Leigh, the marketing coordinator and Todd’s wife, took control over the creative directing, styling, and casting (Leigh can you organize EVERY photo shoot for us please?). And Todd got to interact with his sons, who inspired him to create the “Still” line of tween vision wear. The images captured from this shoot were honest and genuine, I just love how children feel so comfortable with themselves. Did I mention how much I love working with kids’ brands??
