This was such a fun photo shoot! Jolanta, Zoya’s mom had approached me that she wanted some professional photos taken of her daughter. There was no special occasion, no birthday or christening or communion. She just wanted some lovely photos to look back on in the future; capturing Zoya’s rapid growth. Soon she’ll be going to school and before you know it she’s a teenager! I totally understand why someone would like to just have some nice photos for the photo album. We don’t always need a special occasion, we can do a photo shoot at any time!
I suggested a day in the park. More specifically; Fitzgerald’s Park in Cork city. A fantastically tried and tested spot for Cork photographers like me! The great benefit for choosing Fitzgerald’s Park, besides the lovely gardens and the green surroundings, is that it almost guarantees that kids will have fun there. That’s the most important ingredient for a photo shoot like this; fun. It usually is a place they already go to regularly. That means that they are already accustomed to this space and already associate it with fun. You never want to do a photo shoot with children where they aren’t given a fun activity. This makes the whole photographing session not only a more positive and joyful experience, but also results in genuine and happy pictures, full of emotions. And I wholeheartedly encourage that. After all, who wouldn’t want that? As I always say, no matter if it’s a wedding I’m photographing or a birthday party or even a christening or communion, “Let’s all have fun together and I’ll just happen to be taking some pictures along the way.”
Photographing children is always bound to a sudden interruption. Suddenly there’s a noise over there that’s more important! A flower needs smelling here! An escape route towards the southern gate! It is this curiosity and sense of adventure that make these photos fantastically original to her. In between those photos, you can squeeze in the more staged portrait photos. In those moments of quiet and calm, is the perfect time to get those family portraits, and the portrait photos of just Zoya herself. Looking back on these photos, I really like the energy that comes across in them though. Even if she did run away once or twice, determined to just disappear, like kids just sometimes have the urge to!
“An escape route towards the southern gate!”
Jolanta was also great in bringing with some props, in the form of a blanket and Zoya’s favourite teddy bear, as well as having loads of snacks and extras with for Zoya. Just to ensure she would be less likely to get cranky.
I am also lucky that kids tend to get on with me rather well. This is a big bonus for me, because I really enjoy doing these types (of sometimes chaotic) photo shoots. They’re just a lot of fun!
Zoya was also keen to impress me throughout our photo shoot by handing me freshly picked flowers. I was told by Jolanta, after the photo shoot, that Zoya is usually quite shy towards strangers, and she couldn’t believe how sociable she was the whole afternoon!
Thanks for reading! If you are looking for a photographer in Cork city or County Cork, feel free to contact me here. Alternatively, if you would like to keep reading, have a look at my post here, when I photographed a wedding with an interesting twist. Or for something completely different, the time we all stood up for the boys in green!