Photographing children can be a tough job, but last evening it was a breeze! Eight cousins from three families were in the studio. Two babies, one just a month old, and the most well behaved, mature group of youngsters I've seen in a long time. They made the evening fly by effortlessly. Their parents and I mixed up our signals, so they were a bit late. That was a good thing, though, since it gave me time to finish setting up and testing my photography plan.

I used a key light modified with a waffle baffle, 45 degrees on the left. On the opposite side, I used a fill light modified with a bounce umbrella, also positioned at 45 degrees. Also on the right I placed a large white reflector. I didn't want shadows to be cast on faces if the children moved around, but I wanted to maintain enough light ratio so that there would be good modeling on the faces. Finally, above and behind them, I used a separation/hair light so that their dark shirts and hair would have detail.

Needless to say, getting ready for the photo session took longer than the actual photography took. We were finished in about 30 minutes. Then the real fun began. Because children WILL be children, I had to combine body parts from about four images to get the final one presented here. I appreciate being trusted to preserve precious moments-in-time for families. It is an honor I take seriously!