She wasn't entirely sure about me

Today, I have two photoshoots.  The first was with a wonderful family, and their little girl, E, reminded me of something that I *used to* know.

It's hard to earn a smile from a small child.

Sometimes, I walk into photoshoots, shake hands with some new, interesting people, make a bit of small talk, and then I expect to start shooting. I expect everyone to relax, to smile, to let me peek into their lives for a little bit with a big camera.

That's silly.  Especially when there are toddlers involved.  Becuase I get a lot of pictures that are guarded--that look like this:

Why should these people smile for me?  Why should they relax in my presence, feel trusting that I am here, I am doing a good job, and that they will be happy with the outcome?

Well, many of the adults have seen my portfolio.  Many have had a strong recommendation from a friend, so they know that others have been happy with my work.  So those are reasons for adults to be confident, to be relaxed, to smile and let themselves be genuine.

Four year olds have no understanding of strong recommendations and positive reviews.  I know this.

So, what would compel a small child to give me a sunny smile?

I need to slow down for a second.  Be quieter for a second.  Maybe let the child take a picture of me.  Maybe let the child see a picture of themselves.  Maybe I need to hand out a lot--a WHOLE LOT--of stickers.  I need to just stop, wait, and let them warm to me.  Because after I do, I get this:

Happy, open, smiling faces.  I think I won them over.  And thank you, C family, for trusting me and choosing me to photograph your beautiful, smart, interesting family.

WeeCycle Interview!

I have been volunteering as WeeCycle's photographer for the past year, and through that time, I have learned so much about the ways that WeeCycle makes a deep and lasting impact on families.  So, I asked one of WeeCycle's founders, Jayme Ship-Ritchie, to tell my readers a little bit more about WeeCycle and all of the wonderful work they do.  Now, enough from me--let's get to the good stuff!

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What inspired you to start WeeCycle?

I had a newborn and wanted to volunteer but couldn't find the right opportunity that I could bring the baby with me and I couldn't afford a babysitter while I was volunteering.   I couldn't carry the hot food and the baby to deliver for meals on wheels, wasn't permitted to bring an infant with me for other organizationss.  So, I decided to create my own non-profit that would focus on helping kids but would also be kid friendly so that other parents could get their children involved.  I did some reseach on infant and tolddler focused organizations and found several orgs like weecycle in other parts of the country but nothing local.

How does WeeCycle impact the lives of Colorado children?

WeeCycle impacts the lives of Colorado children by providing them with safe, educational and age appropriate baby gear that they would not otherwise have access to.  Each month, WeeCycle distributes over 100 items of new and gently used baby gear to its network of partner organizations.  These partner organizations serve Denver metro area families with infants and toddlers who are coping with poverty, homelessness, teen pregnancy, domestic violence and unemployment or under-employment.  Each partner agency screens the families to make sure that they truly need resources from WeeCycle upon initiating requests for baby gear.  A majority of WeeCycle gear recipients are single mothers and minorities (including African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans).  WeeCycle works closely with its partner agencies to better understand the family’s needs, and their current circumstances. When planning to distribute gear, WeeCycle also factors in the ages of children, size of family, and any specific needs.  For example, WeeCycle provides portable gear to families who are living in a temporary situation, breast pumps, nursing pillows, and milk storage items for moms who are breast feeding and extra toys for siblings.    

Do you think that starting WeeCycle has made you a better parent? A better consumer of baby and kid gear? A better mom?

WeeCycle has definitely made me a better parent by enabling me to teach my daughter, first hand, the importance of helping others.  Even at 3 years old, I think that is such an important lesson.  She helps me sort and clean the baby gear every week!    WeeCycle has also made me a smarter consumer about baby gear.  I am always in the know about current recalls and I get lots of feedback regarding the ease of use of products. 

If you would like to support WeeCycle, why don't you check them out more at their AWESOME fundraiser in May--Blues, Brews, and BBQs!  It's going to be a great time, and you can even bid on a chance to take a photography class with me... :) fun times!

Kind words

A client just posted this to my Facebook page:

I cannot recommend Little O Photography enough! Working with Brianna and being influenced by her positive energy was a great experience. The huge number of usable portraits from our session speak for themselves. Thank you for your great and professional work. I look forward to promoting my self with the images you captured. If you need more details, please contact me so I can tell you, personally, how much I recommend Brianna.

I'm so happy that my clients are so happy!  Thanks, Lindsay.  You made my day.

9 days

He's so new to this world. Soft and lovely and new.

Cautious

Love his expression.