I did another How I Got the Shot from this session and said how this little girl and her brother were not really interested in this session. B was actually very interactive and helpful. She wanted to help me with my blanket and gear, and was eager to show me things. So I used that to my advantage to help get some shots of her relaxing in the grass.
The “Trick”
As I’m sure I’ll state multiple times, these aren’t really “tricks” so much as tools, or ways to reframe “problems.” By taking what I learn from kids in these short sessions, I can often coax them into getting some fun shots here or there, or motivate them to interact with their family, resulting in adorable family shots.
Here I knew that B really wanted to share things with me and show things to me. I took that and ran with it. Just like with her brother, I found her a prop. Quickly, I looked around and found a flower. I picked it, walked to where I wanted B to sit, and then showed it to her. I asked her to sit on the ground, to hold the flower gently in front of her, and tell me about it. We discussed the flower a little bit, and that conversation brought out some fun and genuine smiles for individual portraits.
Mission accomplished.
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