As a photographer and a mother, I am always using my children as subjects.

I love candid shots, but I also like to pose them from time-to-time.    I recently got some studio lights and backdrops.  A few days ago my husband set them up  to play with and–of course–used the kids as subjects.

Benjamin, our eight year old, is the hardest to capture.  He gets stiff and his smiles get very goofy if he smiles at all.    It’s frustrating.  The most frustrating thing is that he’s so photogenic!

The solution? It’s so simple. I try to get posed, portrait-type, pictures of Benjamin when he’s not aware it.  It’s really the only way for me to get a really great shot of my handsome boy.

The following picture was taken a few minutes after he received a haircut. It’s quite possibly my favorite picture of him.  I know it’s my husband’s favorite!