Buzz
Elena Shumilova, a renowned photographer, believes that consistency is crucial when photographing your children.
By snapping photos of them every day, your kids will grow more at ease with the camera, leading to more authentic and natural shots. She even shares the story of nearly missing her most iconic photo:
...because she almost forgot to bring her camera and was feeling disheartened by past unsuccessful attempts:
Before capturing this image, I was at a low point in my confidence. I had attempted to take a picture of my son and dog 14 times before — not 14 different shots, but 14 complete photo sessions, all of them unsuccessful.
I felt like my hands were too awkward, or maybe my dog wasn’t the right one for this, or my kid wasn’t the right fit either. I was completely frustrated that day and didn’t even want to bother with my camera.
But something inside urged me to bring it along. On that fifteenth attempt, everything finally clicked into place.
This dog of ours has since gained fame — though he’s not exactly photogenic from every angle. He’s actually quite a challenging dog to photograph. From those previous 14 attempts, I figured out which angles and compositions worked best for him and my son.
It’s easy to get discouraged. It’s tempting to think, “Why bother, it’s never going to work.” And maybe it won’t after the first 14 tries. But those 14 sessions weren’t failures. They were lessons, and they made that fifteenth shot possible.
Although most of us may not capture photos as stunning as these, it serves as a powerful reminder to keep going, no matter what.
