Childcare Photography

Cheese is delicious, not for the camera!

Where on earth did this expression “cheese” come from?  Really, it’s a wonderful edible delicacy that derives from dairy products – how did it end up as something we teach our children to say when they look at a camera?

Each and every year I photograph many hundreds of preschool children (I now tell people when they ask what I do “I’m a professional photographer and I specialise in photographing children under the age of 5”) it’s NOT for the feint hearted.  Working with young children is rewarding and keeps the child inside me alive.  My job requires me to get kids to relax in front of the camera and play instead of realising I’m there to photograph them, with some kids it’s easy, with others, not so much.

I’m after those genuine smiles, not the teeth grinding, stiff lipped, mum told me I HAVE to smile for the photographer today smile.  How do I achieve this?  It varies with every child, and as part of my daily workflow, I have about 1.6 seconds to work out.  Is little Jonny is excited, scared, shy or brimming with excitement to be my supermodel for a few minutes in front of my camera?  It has to be intuitive with each and every child I photograph.

My job is to capture YOUR child, give you a professional quality photograph and pay attention to the little details that can make or break a photo that is going to be with your family for many years to come. It is a momento from your child’s pre-school years, and as time goes by, these become increasingly more and more precious.  That’s something I take incredibly seriously.  Each and every child’s preschool photograph that makes the “grade” has the Mummy Test (the measure I use every time I photograph in childcare centres).  It’s one simple question:  Would I be happy receiving this photograph as a parent?  Each and every photo I prepare for parents HAS to meet this test.

After more than a decade of working with young children, I still love the daily challenge of creating great preschool portraits.  I don’t just want to record your child’s childcare and kindy photos, I want to create amazing photographs that make you smile every time you look back on this fleeting time in your families life.

I photograph in preschool centres from as far north in the Barossa, Noarlunga in the south and  Murray Bridge in the east.  Here is a little more info about Photoplay Studios Childcare Photography service.