Photography in 2011

Now that pretty much everyone has a digital camera these days that can take decent snapshot photos, the photographer's job has become much less appreciated? needed? valid?  Anyone can point a camera at a laughing child at the park in the magic hour, or turn the flash off using only the light from flickering birthday candles, or take a decent family reunion photo in the backyard using a tripod.  However, professional photography is more than this.  It's in the details.  Most photographers spend their whole career learning composition, lighting, posing so that they can perfect the skills necessary to take that perfect shot every time.

I'm a natural light photographer for the most part.  I make it my goal to photograph in a style that is like a snapshot, but that perfect snapshot.  I think to do this there has to be a mixture of posing the subject along with what the subject does naturally, along with a really good location, good lighting and there it is.  Creativity and thought are another ingredient to this recipe for the perfect snapshot.  I spend more time thinking about the shot than I do taking it.  Preplanning and researching the area before the shoot is always a good thing, but it never hurts to try something that you think of spur of the moment during the shoot.

So to all the mom's who a) own a nice digital camera, and b) go to corporate run portrait studios for their child's pictures, I have this to say.  You're missing out on capturing you're child's true personality and getting some incredible artistic shots.