.jpg)
I love photographing children because their uninhibited creativity is contagious. They take my vision, mix in a little personality and together, we make magic.
This is a picture of my son Jay. Most of this image was painted in my head long before I had a camera in my hand to shoot it. I made a lot of intentional choices and styled this shoot exactly the way I envisioned it. My goal was symmetry. I knew I wanted to use the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools buses lined up down the street. I knew we needed primary colors to contrast with the bright yellow buses. Jay and I selected his red sweater, blue jeans, blue backpack and even the perfect blue baseball hat. He owns about six seasons worth of colors, so “just grab a baseball hat” wasn’t going to cut it. What I didn’t know – or honestly even see until Jay showed me – was that perfect white parking line running up the middle of the buses. I was so focused on finding symmetry along the sides of the buses that I didn’t look down. He did though. My schoolboy walked right down the middle of that imaginary tightrope – a perfectly centered leading line highlighting my subject and symmetry.
Children love to be involved in the photo-making process. I always invite them to give me ideas and most of the time, they offer great suggestions. This teamwork is why I love photographing children. Their uninhibited creativity is inspiring. You just have to listen, watch and be ready to document the moment. I love watching them do their thing and letting it elevate my work. Magic.
Abbe McCracken is an award-winning photographer serving Charlotte, NC and the surrounding areas of Matthews, Ballantyne, Weddington and beyond. She specializes in joyful family and children’s photography. Abbe is a member of the National Association of Professional Child Photographers and is the 2015 winner of Charlotte Smarty Pants’ Best Family Photographer, Hulafrog South Charlotte’s Most Loved Family Photographer and Charlotte Parent Readers’ Favorite Family Photographer.
