dant egos, rival the difficulty of small children. Small chil-
dren are by far the most difficult subjects to photograph
and your level of success depends on how much energy
and expertise you bring to the session.
Having shot more that 2500 baby portraits over the
years, photographer Stacy Bratton, has acquired volumes
of information on sensory input and integration, a key-
stone of understanding child development and, conse-
quently, the key to successfully photographing children.
Her insights are unique and, to my knowledge, have
never been included in any photography book before
now.
Sensory Input and Children’s Portraiture.
According to Stacy, the majority of the population
processes and integrates sensory stimulation uncon-
sciously. Sensory input comes at all of us through a com-
plex system of receptors: vision, hearing, smell, touch,
taste, and a kinesthetic sense (an awareness and response
to movement or physical activity). Other senses involved
are coordination and equilibrium, which provide infor-
mation about a body’s position in space.
It is believed that sensory awareness is one of the first
areas to fully develop in an infant’s brain. As adults, we
rarely think of how important our five senses are in terms
of providing us with information about our world. We
take for granted what it feels like to have wind blowing
through your hair. Adults have forgotten the amazing vi-
sual delight of bubbles dancing across a room, nor do we
remember the feel of popping that bubble and getting
our hands sticky. Our sensory experiences have been
bombarded for years upon years, so it is no wonder we do
not appreciate the magic of simple stimuli around us. In
fact, as we grow and mature both physically and mentally,
we must learn to filter out most of the incoming stimuli70 CHILDREN’S PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY HANDBOOK
T
echnical skills are certainly required to be a top photographer
in any field, but in the unusual world of children’s portraiture,
a savvy sense of developmental psychology is required to outsmart
the subject. Not even actors or professional models, with their abun-
7. STACY BRATTON’S INSIGHTS..
A GUARANTEE
Stacy guarantees her photo sessions. If the parents do not like the
photos for any reason—including disliking something they them-
selves choose, such as clothing, Stacy and company will reshoot for
free. This seems to help many families feel at ease. Stacy suggests
being very honest about any problems you perceive before spend-
ing too much time on a session. She says, “If Mom really likes a
certain outfit and you know it will not photograph well, tell her!”
She also suggests showing her a test image before committing to
a mistake in the finished images. Stacy continues, “I have had
moms come in—many times actually—and complain about the
child’s haircut they just had this past week. If she does not like the
haircut, she will not like the photos. It’s as simple as that; you need
to reschedule.”