Bringing out the "Spirit & Magic" in our children

Some children are born studio friendly, they love the lights and enjoy the family togetherness, smile naturally and generally enjoy the Studio experience. I often see them exhibit their paternal preferences, either they stick to the mother or their father or sometimes to the other siblings or cousins. Of course they were some who detach themselves from everyone, and thump around the Studio floor.

Many parents are more concerned about the way how their children will look in the portrait than themselves. As a result they will keep looking at their kid during exposures. I have discovered that the best portraits created in our studio, are the ones where the kids do their own stuff. Just left alone and allowed to behave as if they are not there and the results take care of itself.

The attention span of kids is about 15 minutes. The Portrait must be captured by then, else the family has to be satisfied with one image where the kid exhibit tantrums, lying on the floor, making faces or screaming his voice out.

Many a times parents are embarrassed that their kid is not in his/her co-operative mood, they become apologetic and give up hope of a beautiful family portrait. No matter what, I keep working on them and will always surprise the parents with the news that we may have one or two pictures that they will like.

In many instances the kids become so agitated and un-cooperative that I would have got only 2 or 3 exposures of them. But, so far parents were all praise and amazement at the results that comes out of our camera. Call it luck, Call it magic, Call it fluke, or call it coincidence, Lux Me delivers consistantly.

I find that treating children like children within our studio creates the best images of them. How do they appear in the portraits?, some show their natural expressions, some show expression with their limbs, some simply look at the adults, some talk to someone else, some purposely slip their tongues out etc.

Parents are usually surprised to see their kids look so different, charming, pleasant, naughty or loving, amongst other happy family members in our portrait. This is one of those elements that makes a portrait "magical". it binds everyone in the portrait with their own interpretation and opinion of each other.

I am now learning to make more and more of these, "natural & magical portraits" i.e. the level of consistency is improving.

Given above are two kids who gave me only three exposure oppurtuntity to bring out their "spirit & magic" within them. Their parents loved it.

Yesterday I did something that no businessmen did to me for 40 years

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Yesterday three students dropped by Lux Me Images. They were bubbling with energy and excitement. They were witty and jovial. One of them has completed her accounts studies at TAR college and wanted to do a Graduation cum Family portrait. After discussing the investment involved, she asked whether I can consider a discount. After some light talk I agreed to a small one. Guess what happened next, she said that she needed to gather all her nine family members and that will be possible only during the forthcoming Chinese new year. I said no. The discounted price applies, only if the deal was done that evening. Then one of her friends threw in a surprise, she said that her mother Catherine sent them here and they expected special treatment. Guess who this Catherine was? She is a very long time colleague of mine while i was with CIMB bank. She is still a faithful employee of the bank.

This is what I did after that. I offered to fix the family portrait agreed-price till the Chinese New Year. I volunteered and took a portrait of the three friends absolutely without any make-up or hair-do, immediately. and gave them each a postcard, simply because I felt good that they are the daughter, and friends of my fellow workmate several years ago. The portrait is given above.

I felt really good, and I guess that, I must have made the mother happy and proud and win all of them over as well-wishers of Lux Me Images.

Expressing "family love"

Siblings

During the past eighteen months I have had the oppurtunity to of meeting several families of different backgrounds, ethinicity and religions. It is my job as a facilitator to get these families to express their family or sibling love so that they can help me to capture and preserve for them. Mind you it is not easy. I have learnt something that i wish to share with you.

The chinese families are relatively more open to expressing their love that exists within their family. Mothers and daughters are ready to pose voluntarily which shows that they have fun doing so, and this also applies to sons who are still studying. Grown up children who are already working seem less inclined to pose and have fun with before their families. As a result I find it easier to coax these families to be adventurous a bit to create beautiful portraits depicting spontaneous expressions.

Indian families are more conservative, restrict themselves and to some extent, their children, from expressingsuch feelings, that may be considered as inappropriate for a family portrait. It is for this reason I usually get the parents out of the camera room, before working with young-ones for their," sibling portraits"

I believe that the expression of family closeness, and love, captured will make such portraits special in that, they will aquire special qualities. They will appeal to the majority of viewers, and convey a sense of goodness and well- being to them, even inspiring them to long for similar moments within their respective families.