So when she greeted my proposal with enthusiasm, I was really happy and excited, but a little, ok, a lot anxious, too. I mean, I might get there and totally lose it. Maybe there will be poor natural light, or the kids won't like me, or I won't know what to do with them, and end up with a whole bunch of same looking, badly exposed, boring photographs. All of this was running through my head.
The night before I slept very little, but once morning came, I felt as ready as I would ever be. I would give it my very best, and that is all I could ask for, really.
When I arrived, and Drea introduced me to her two sons,A & M, they were a little apprehensive. Little did they know, they were making me shake in my boots. We decided to have them show me their room. Mom followed us because although the kids knew why I was there, you have to admit, it is a little weird. However, after a few minutes I realized her presence was freaking me out, so I told Drea we wouldn't need her, and she left us alone. Anyway, we just hung out for a bit. They mostly talked with each other, and I slowly started clicking away.
Prior to the day of the shoot, I had asked Drea to answer a few short questions about her boys. Since I had never met them except for her oldest on the day he was born, I thought it was a good way to get a little insight into each of their personalities since our time together would be limited. One of the questions I asked her was what made them laugh. Her response was "anything related to butts, farts, puke, etc." When she initially gave me that response,little did I realize how that would be the key to getting them to open up to me. Up until that point, they were playing pretty quietly, hardly looking at me, and talking very little. Then, M came across something with a strong odor, and declared :"Uhh, it smells like puke." There was a pause, as both boys looked straight at me as if to gauge my reaction. I burst out laughing. And sudddenly, just like that, I was in the club.
Suddenly, the entire energy shifted. They relaxed, started playing, laughing, looking and interacting with me, posing for me. It all started to come together. It was a blast. They are two amazing little men, one quite energetic, and the other a little more reserved. The idea of photographing two boys ages 6 and 4 at the same time sounds quite challenging, but really, I could not have asked for better models. They were awesome.
Thank you A & M for a fun-filled morning. You have no idea how much you taught me during our short time together.
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