A Family Affair

Aspiring Photographer

Among a few people that I mentor, my daughter is one of my students as well.

These are her latest images:

My daughter is now 11 and has been in front of the camera as guinea pig and model. A few years back she was surprised when I handed her a camera at a wedding and said go for it! She's since learned how to shoot photo booth and is now working on more creative works. I believe in learning manual only. So while it takes a while to absorb, I set her settings while talking about it each time. Why do we need a higher ISO, how do we creatively use aperture in this situation, how low of shutter speed can you hand hold.

When approaching situations in public, it can be a little intimidating to shoot next to other photographers. So you might feel shy about getting the best angle. Lucky for Hanna, people were generally excited to see her shoot, so it was a little easier for her to get in there. Don't be intimidated by other peoples gear. Many aspiring photographers have a little more to spend on their gear, but this shouldn't hold you back from making just as good if not better images.

The one thing I love about Hanna is how thoughtful she is about her shot before taking it and the patience she has with shooting it. Wait for it... it's probably the best advice I can give in photojournalism and portraiture. Hanna knows this instinctively. Compose, Focus, Wait, Shoot.

We often talk about different angles, how can you make this shot more interesting.

Were we just lucky? The female lion was taking a nap when we arrived, but once she saw us, she got up walked over straight towards Hanna's camera. That was lucky. But, with a moving animal and glare on the window. You've got to be ready to get the shot. I'm so impressed with the portrait she took of her. And how about that yawning snake? I've never seen a snake do that. Check out the expression on the hawk and the Sun bear on his back.

Great work Hanna!