With as many times as I’ve photographed little Carlyn (see previously here and here), you’d think that she would be used to me by now. But that’s not quite the case. Every time I opened my mouth she would look at me with a shocked expression. I couldn’t quite tell if it was shyness induced by an unfamiliar voice or indignation that I would speak; it was probably the former. Nevertheless, she still was a great subject to photograph.
I was hired by Carlyn’s parents, Branden and Laura, to take some new portraits of their daughter to commemorate her 1st birthday. We set up a session at their home in Fairfax before Carlyn’s afternoon nap time. With my gear in tow, I showed up ready to create a mini home studio at their place.
In their dining area, I moved (with permission, of course) their table and chair sets out of the way to make some room. From there I rolled out some seamless white paper and affixed the edge to their breakfast bar counter with some gaffer’s tape. On my left I set up my Lumopro LP160 speedlight and on my right I set up my Nikon SB600 speedlight.
For these portraits I decided to leave the lights bare, allowing the light to cross each other. This allowed each light to fill in the shadows created by the other light. I decided to use this because I knew with a one-year-old as my subject (a moving target), the lighting had to be simple to keep Carlyn lit without having to take time adjusting the lights themselves.
Enjoy this selection of my favorite photos from this session. Also, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
