The Art of Children's Portrait Photography

Tamara Lackey's warmth and connection to children really shine through her writing. In her book, Tamara describes what contemporary children's photography is and how to achieve it.The chapters are packed full of ideas and techniques on how to interact with children to get them engaged and how to deal with their different personalities. The section on posing is rather skimpy, but that seems to be exactly the goal of Tamara's style of photography. Instead of placing the children into poses, she directs them to be themselves and to play. While they talk, play, and laugh, she catches their authentic expressions and their naturally dynamic, beautiful poses.I was particularly thankful for Tamara's acknowledgment that everyone does not naturally have an amazing talent with children. All hope not is not lost for such people, though, because she provides advice on how to draw children in and get connected with them in order to get the shots.The sections on lighting, equipment, and business management and marketing were somewhat typical for a children's photography book. Her business advice is geared toward creating a boutique-style photography business. However, I appreciated that the advice was given with the newbie in mind. Tamara provides advice on establishing a workflow for a photographer (who is actually three people in one--entrepreneur, manager, and technician) so that he is not left with more and more work and no time for family or the rest of life.The many gems of knowledge in Tamara's book make it well worth the first, second, and third reads.

The reason I gave it four stars is I felt like the first half was a little bit of a teaser. It could have been it's own book if there were more detail. Several times I kept thinking, "okay, then what?" Specifically I would have liked more depth with the lighting, although it does set you up for going out an getting more info. Her writing is very personable and flows well making is very easy to read. I read it in only a couple of sittings. I didn't enjoy seeing the same child multiple times for examples - I was a little disappointed in this b/c I know her work is stunning and she has an amazing portfolio to pull from. I am assuming the little blond is her daughter.The absolutely best part of the book for me (already shooting professionally) was the back-end client relations detail. Here I felt like she went in depth. Step by step. It was very helpful that she listed out her own personal experiences and didn't just leave you with 'ideals.'Very much worth the money. I will keep this one and re-read it in a few months for a refresher and a little kick in the pants.

I am a big fan of Tamara Lackey, and I enjoyed this book. I really like how her personality comes through in her writing and her photographs. She understands children and explains how to deal with various (sometimes difficult) situations that arise when photographing them. She also shows how to tell a story and bring out personalities with your photographs. If you like to get children outside in a fun environment and create life-style photographs and memories for clients, then this is a great book for you. It could also be helpful in studio situations too I guess, even though those photos are seem posed and stiff sometimes. Tamara's approach to photographing children is practical and she comes across as relatable. She explains how to connect with children, make them feel at ease, and draw out their little personalities. She explains how to do this, and at the same time, remain professional throughout the entire process. I think this book is great for anyone who expects to photograph children in their photography business. She offers very practical advice.

The book gives a general overview of what to expect and how to go about pursuing this genre of photography. Currently in my first year pursuing my own path as a children's photographer, I was hoping for some more in-depth material related to the title but as stated earlier it's all very general. I figure if one is just starting out this information would be useful in helping to guide them. If you've had a good few months of effort with test shoots and actual sessions along with having gone through the process of defining your business plan and structuring yourself for success the information here may not be as informative.

I checked this book out from the local library and knew within the first chapter it's a book that would be one to own. Tamara's writing style is humorous and educated. She knows what she's writing about and writes in a way that makes you want to keep reading. This book is not filled with tons of technical terms and jargon, and instead constains countless examples of beautiful kiddos with an explanation of how each shot was created. I love that at the end of the book she includes some of her worst mistakes and what she wishes she would have done different. After reading this book in about an hour, I came here to Amazon and bought this one and one more by the same author. This is a welcomed addition to my photography collection.

The author did a very nice job in providing information and sharing her experience in the business. If you are looking for technical tips, or how to start on photography, this is NOT the book for you. If you are looking for tips about what is the best way to approach and handle your little clients -from a personality point of view- or add to your own knowledge, this is definitely a valid source of information. I was very pleased with the book and learned lots of aspects I ignored at the time. By the way: If you are in the STUDIO portrait business or thinking of it, this is NOT a book for you either. Content is mostly related to outdoor photography.