Behind the Capture
If you’ve gotten an email blast from me, or follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you’ll see a theme in my image captures and a repeat of the words “I love my Katie B. Kiddies”. It’s hard not to fall in love with these little faces, and even the ones of their parents, but what I really, really love is the images we capture, the moments frozen in time. Continue to scroll and read about my favorite captures over these ten years of Katie B. Photography as we enter this new decade. The Behind the Scenes of what was going on for the family being photographed, and for me, and to hear about why I love them so. And continue to check back… Like life, this page is a work in progress…
This image wasn’t completely staged, and yet it was by no means an accident. And I have no qualms in admitting it was inspired by an image in one of my favorite photography books - “Siblings”, by Nick Kelsh and Anna Quindlen. Back when I was a writer, I spent a lot of time at Strand Bookstore in New York where I discovered Anna Quindlen. After devouring her essays and fiction, I found that she wrote the text to a couple photography books. When I purchased the books, I was mainly focused on her writings, but there were a couple of photographs in each that stayed with me - one of four young sisters standing tip-toed, peeking over their new sibling’s wicker bassinet. I always loved that image and the wonder it evoked. Fast forward over 20 years, and there I was photographing these guys based on their mother request that they were photographed in their pajamas, wanting “slice of life” images as an end result. I think we had just photographed the newborn in his crib solo when I suggested the boy’s stand around him (definitely having Kelsh’s image in my mind), but then BAM - magic like I could not have staged or ever imagined happened, giving the saying “the eyes have it” new meaning… This image is full of and all about love… The best ones are…
Another favorite from a Katie B. Family that brings it every time. I was called to this family’s home days before they were moving - Mom wanted to capture the last placed they lived in Los Angeles so we went around their home and made pit stops at their favorite nooks and crannies. Stopping at this shelf in the kitchen, we captured a series of “which is your favorite piece”, and the beauty and wonder of that (because I remember as a little girl standing in the closet that housed our sets of china, serving pieces and vases and wondering when the next time we would use them would be and who would be there), but this one capture here makes my heart sing… That snuggle. The light in those eyes. Those dimples… That love…
We were at the end of our session, on our second outfit. This duo was performing perfectly and I believe at this point Mom said something to the effect of “just let them go at each other”. I loved this direction and it provided not only my favorite captures from this session, but this all time Katie B. favorite. I believe tears may have shortly followed this “action” (or the “escalated” one that came after), but I think we’d all agree it was worth it. This image, and the story behind it, takes me back to my own childhood. I am a little sister and definitely remember the words “wanna wrestle?” coming out of my mouth and then crying “he hurt me!” moments after… I hope you can look at this image, imagine back, and remember the same joys from your own childhood, and the love for the person you were sharing them with…
I can’t look at this image without smiling - not only for this family but for children in general. We had already photographed this little girl on the left solo. We had photographed her with her brother, with mother and with her new baby sister, but man… she would not let her mommy be photographed with that new baby without her. Every time we thought we had distracted her out of the frame, she would pop back in (in the most adorable way). Shortly after I captured this, I was shown images from a formal family function when I was about her age and there I am, at the adult table, clinging to my father’s leg (I can only imagine “thrilling” the photographer who was not able to get his “perfect” table shot…) All I can say to this beautiful little photo-bomber is - “well done”. You are perfect. And those looks of love… Keep ‘em coming…
Ten years into Katie B. Photography and this is still one of my most talked about images. Ten years into Katie B. Photography, I can confidently title it “Dumb Luck”. With all of the education and practice and mastering the combinations of my aperture, shutter speed and ISO (not to mention focus points), I look back, mind boggled that I was able to capture this Year One. “Let’s have everyone jump in the pool with their clothes on” used to be a cue to what was captured in the pool after - the surprise, the joy, the playfulness, but this image definitely upped my ante… Is your family next?
Setting: An extended Family Session. Goal: After an hour of photographing the “extended family”, capture the individual units. Subject: A one-year-old who just wanted to run around the yard and play with his older cousins. Person of Interest: A mother, wanting a Holiday Card. I’m sure if you’re reading this, you can empathize and at Katie B. Photography, we believe in missions accomplished. So there we all were. Adults that were in some ways over it, but in others not willing to give up. An adorable little boy who’d just learned to run (and was fast)… So we ran after him (and when I write “we”, I mean Mom and Dad)… And boy did they… and they did it again… And again… And again… And when they finally caught him, we captured this… The looks… The love… if there was ever a Holiday Greeting…
Beautiful girl, perfectly posed. You may think “what more to the story is there?” I started photographing this beauty before she was even born. Before Katie B. Photography was even born. Her mother and I wrote on the same TV show together. I photographed her mommy, pregnant belly and all... I photographed her as a baby and for almost every year after that. I photographed her for LA Parent Magazine… And as of this past holiday season, she’s decided that that beautiful hair will be pulled back for photos. She takes a little more time to warm up for photos as a pre-teen. She still gets into it, but it takes coaxing. So this image was from our session before that… When she was pre-pre-teen. When her hair was in pig-tails with holders that matched her dress. When she was just a little bit more innocent… I’ve heard parents say that kids grow and change the most in the first five years. I look at the this image, and then the one we took the year following, and I whole heartedly disagree… Love this girl… Every year, every change, every version…
Once again, you might look at this image and think “beautiful kids, beautifully dressed, in a beautiful setting… we get it, already…” Here’s what I see - We are Over the Hump… I started photographing this family when their oldest was just a year and a half old. In the questionnaire I send to new families, Mom wrote that her tot was “very active and busy”. I loved that description which fit her so well then, now (and every year between). Just when she’d started slowed down and we didn’t have to chase her as much, her little brother had arrived and presented his own sense of busyness - places to go, things to touch, play with, catch me if you can, photos be _____ (and I can honestly say I love every minute of this game). And then… Fall 2019. A session to go down in history. I saw it happening right before me. I turned to mom and declared “I think we’re over the hump…” Look at what we captured…
This image was taken Year Seven of photographing these siblings. Our first year together, the twins were just three years old. I routinely assure moms and dads of toddlers that photo session day will get easier, praying that I am telling the truth. It definitely did for these three, but what happened at this particular session was something more monumentous. Mom and Dad stayed in their car (windows open I can imagine!) I had tried it just once before in Katie B. Photography and the strategy seemed to work and I knew these kids were ripe for it. So… here’s what we got… image after image, session complete in under an hour (complete with an “are you sure?” when I re-delivered them) and then and “oh my!” and “wow” and “I can’t believe it!” from both Mom and Dad at their proofing session. We never looked back… (as me about dropping your kids off for their sessions - you might qualify too ;))
Okay so here’s an instance where a COMPLETE OUTTAKE has become one of my all time favorite images. This was a TEST shot. Just making sure that my aperture, shutter speed and ISO were correctly set while these kids were getting “last looks”. They say it takes a village to raise children and I can tell you that on a windy day at the beach, where the surf kept coming up and had me scooping up these kids between shots, I was so greatly appreciating their village to keep their shirts tucked in and hair bows straight. So part of what I love about this image is about that. But then… It’s just about the love. Look at what is happening here. I look at this image and I see six stories happening (including mine). There really could not be a more happy accident in Katie B. Photography than this image… But… if you’d like to see what came next….
Five years after this image was taken, I re-discovered it while in Quarantine and making a Through the Years Slideshow for this family and it quickly became not only a favorite from all of their sessions, but an all time for Katie B. Photography as well. If you think you are alone in dressing up your children for their session and having tears appear at some point during it, let this image assure you that you are not… The parents of these girls had forgotten about this image… it wasn’t one that at the time they were particularly interested, but now… “so true to this day” and “I was watching this desperately grateful for the moments you captured…" mom wrote to me… I have been treasuring the “out-takes” and certainly look forward to more like these …