This evening, I endeavored to photograph one of my favorite subjects:  My two-year-old son, Benjamin.  Naturally, everyone has the innate desire to photograph their children, but the ante’s actually upped a little in my case.  This past Christmas, we purchased a digital photo frame for my in-laws, and we promised them that we’d update their photo collection throughout the year.  So I’ve got to make with the picture takin’, or the in-laws gonna’ be pissed…

There are several inherent hazards to photographing the toddler in his natural habitat.  First and foremost: Toddlers never stand still for more than 0.03 seconds.  It makes it somewhat difficult to set up your studio strobes when your subject will happily stand everywhere except the spot you metered on.  (Why yes, I do whip out my studio strobes to take a photo of my toddler.  Doesn’t everyone?  )  And focusing?  Good luck.

Then there’s also the issue of trying to photograph him in my decidedly non-photographer-friendly apartment.  Since there’s a two-year-old living there, it’s always cluttered and messy.  Since it’s in New York City, it’s microsocopic in size, so the white walls spill my light everywhere, and I have to use real wide lenses which makes it look all fun-house-mirror-y when he comes close to the camera, which he loves to do.

And still, sometimes, it all works out: