Archive for the ‘Kid photography’ Category

Nancy and John on assignment circa 1972, photo by Robert King

I’ve been meaning to write this for a bit, but I thought today would be the most appropriate:

I’ve been taking photos for about as long as I can remember.  Growing up, my mother always had her Leica or Rollei in tow while my sister and I trailed  along with our little  Kodak  126 Instamatics.   Photography was a way that we played together. It was a creative outlet that brought us together from time to time.    Both of my parents were journalists, but I always thought my mother had the cooler job as the photographer.   A newspaper photographer was always  on the move looking for that next story.  I remember the nights listening to the police scanner with my mom.  Watching the red lights zip by as it scanned the frequencies and then all of a sudden it would freeze and  there would be chatter “car 34 we need your 10-20.”  I would look to my mom with excitement and she would relay the bad news, “they’re just requesting his location.”  Yep, that was the life a of photojournalist in a small town.  In the years to come my mother became an English teacher at the local high school, but still followed her passion for photography.   I remember countless conversations about photo composition and subject matter.   Most vividly I remember our conversations regarding portraits and the need to connect with the people.   She had the gift of gab and truly enjoyed people; not to mention she had a big heart.   What I respected most about her as I grew older was her honesty.   She was incredibly blunt (think Simon Cowell) and she didn’t waste time making her point.   “John, it’s a good thing you’re cute because you can’t spell cat!”  To this day I double check all my spellings!  While I love my dad and all that he’s done to support my work and writing, it’s truly my mother that I credit for my passion for photography.   She would have turned 73 today if it hadn’t been for a stroke that took her some 12 years ago.  So, happy B-day mom and thanks for all your guidance throughout the years.

p.s. I broke your Rollei, but it’s in the shop and I should have it back in a week or so…;)

Travel Buds

I’ve been busy getting ready for my trip to Mexico tomorrow. Departures are getting rougher as I get older. Yep, it’s true. The reason quite simply is I hate leaving my little girl for any period of time. Ironically, I think the older I get the easier it gets on her and the harder it gets on me. So, I thought I would share a few things I tend to do while traveling so I don’t feel so damn lost without her. I always make arrangements that I’ll be calling everyday at a set time (give or take a few min).  I use services like Skype and MSN Messenger for those times when internet is more readily available than a simple phone. I added an inexpensive phone on my plan so that I can text her because often times it’s easier to send a text than make a call. And, when all else fails I resort to the good old fashion postcard. I’ve had a lot of people ask me if I ever feel guilty when I leave. Truth be told, no. When I’m home she has 120% of my attention and not a percent less. I try to take her on as many of my travels as possible, but you know that school thing has a tendency to get in the way. Truthfully, leaving her behind never feels right because it’s like I’m leaving my best travel bud behind. I can’t wait until the day she can travel with me whenever/wherever I go, but until then I’ll have to rely upon phones, internet and postcards.

The toolio shed....;)

I’ve often been asked why I shoot with a Canon.  I could give you many reasons, but I think the hard, cold fact is because it was one of the first cameras I was ever given (a hand me down.)  So when people ask me what camera would I recommend to a child, I simply state, “something they’re going to use.”  I’ve gone through three “inexpensive” cameras with my daughter.   Ok, not so inexpensive when you add them all up!   Only to have her really start to use one of my older point and shoots (a Nikon for the record).   She’s older now, and I’m sure that’s part of the equation, but I think the results she gets with it also play a big part.  Those cheaper “Barbie” or “Mattel” models don’t provide you with the instant gratification of a nice LCD screen,  nor do they provide the quality our kids are used to seeing.   I recommend a simple to use, low to mid level compact camera.  Children are much like adults, or maybe it’s the other way around?  We want instant gratification (LCD screen), ease of use (zoom in/out and push a button) and bragging rights (easy to make prints).    Make it an enjoyable process.  Spend time teaching your kid the simple things such as zoom in and out.  How to hold the camera, what button to push, and so on.  Making it a fun event can bring the whole family together, because there’s nothing more fun that taking goofy family shots.   Today’s photo was taken with my camera by my buddy’s daughter, who is 9 years old.   I call it the tool shed shot…but in this case the tools are in front of the shed!