The Rewards.
George Eastman, the great grandfather of the Eastman
Kodak Company, once said that there are about 160
things that can go wrong in the taking of a picture.
Clearly, he wasn’t talking about child’s portraiture—be-
cause there are easily double that number of things that
can go wrong in the typical child’s sitting. But if chil-
dren’s portraiture were that impossible, then there
wouldn’t be so many children’s photographers in the
world. There are many rewards for excelling at this spe-
cial skill. One successful children’s photographer says that
photographing children gives him an opportunity to be
a kid himself, almost as if the process were an extension
of his not yet being grown up. There is no doubt that the
opportunity to enjoy the innocence of children—over
and over again—is appealing.
Australian photographer Suzette Nesire, who is ex-
tremely well regarded at home and now abroad, says
about her work on her website, “I remember years ago
Mum saying you don’t own your children, they’re only
on loan. As a photographer I feel there is nothing more
important than capturing your little ones and their early
years—their faces, their expressions, their little hands and
their habits that constantly change. A portrait of your
young child is a priceless reminder of a time that once
passed and will never return again. Choose to make an
investment in a portrait of your child, as pictures convey
so much more than words can ever express.”Portraits like this transcend the
parents’ historical record of a
child’s growth and are, instead,
works of art. This image conveys
universal truths about a child’s
innate innocence and beauty and
should represent the level to
which all children’s portrait pho-
tographers aspire. Photograph by
Drake Busath.