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Older Ages

All right, we're moving on to the older ages this is where we were kind of today the movers, shakers, walkers and rulers let the games begin I think we pretty much proved that one today photographing children is twenty percent photography and eighty percent psychology so that came up was what well, I should tell them what their questions are gonna be you know what, theo? But yeah, absolutely there is something to be and I'm so glad we got to explain that already during a session because it's all about watching the emotion, the expression and the movement of the body it has very little to do with what's coming out of the mouth that applies to the newest baby all the way to the most neurotic mother in the universe. I mean, I really when a woman is like, really fussing and driving me nuts with you no touching her hair and fixing things what she's really saying is I'm very uncomfortable with my body and I'm doing everything I can to look better please help me she's not saying I'm trying to...

drive you nuts and I'm just gonna you know, make you crazy sh there's something wrong there there's something that's driving her to act like that and you have to be sympathetic to that you have to allow her to have her own fears because we all have them it's all very natural to us uh seeing through a child's eyes this is another thing that I think is really important I think you know we see things a certain way we we see the world from way up here and a child is a perfect person they have no understanding of hate and prejudice and they really, truly are an open book. They are giant sponges soaking everything so so the way they see things is totally different the way than the way we do. In fact a little below our little boy was sent to school and was told to do homework he was supposed to say what he wanted to be when he grew up. I'm sorry I was a little girl I apologize she said she said what she wanted to be when she grew up so she went home and did her homework and she brought her to this back for her teacher we'll of course ah the teacher graded the paper and send it back home chamomile mom got this and had a panic attack looking at it was horrified that her daughter had taken this to school and so she sent a letter of clarification to the teachers he said dear miss jones, I wish to clarify that I am not now nor have I ever been an exotic dancer I work at home depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit I told her we sold out of every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture does not show me dancing on a pole it's supposed to to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at home depot. From now on, I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in miss smith. Now I saw snow shovel, I want you to know, I totally my mom raised me to see a snow shovel, but but I use this exercise because I love it, and I think it is funny and I think truly makes the point how children see the world wait, they're not jaded, they do not have those kind of discretions they truly are so loving, and I think we showed it with with these babies today that they're not afraid of me, they just want to know me, they want to let me everybody lives in a bubble, and I truly believe we each have our little bubbles, our bubbles, ourselves and the people that we love, and we have smaller bubbles outside of that a connections that we make baby's bubbles air actually bigger, they're willing to let more people in to their personal space, but you have to earn the way in there and just like a bubble it's, very fragile. If you connect too hard or too fast, you could blow the bubble and never get it back. So it's all about that gentle soap coming together and I know you all can see this in your head it's taking it easy and breaking those barriers once you take that child and you touch the parents bubble, you're now connected to the child, and once the child sees that you start to link those together, and and if you haven't caught this yet by now, my job as a human is to connect bubbles it I was doing so good tio, I want as an instructor, you know, when I say that I love my students. I mean, I truly love you guys. Yes, and I truly love everybody there. So I've always had this passion for people, so seeing those connections is easy for me. Seeing a child's reaction is easy for me and understanding this is easy for me because I try to keep myself as childlike as poss izabal. I know a lot of you guys don't know me very well, but I will do anything and try anything and I have no discretion when it comes to taking a risk and really you know, making somebody smile and I'll do it and I think it's that happiness that I think draws people to me and the nice words that you say or that that I've been reading on facebook are really not about me they're about what you want to be and I think that's really cool so anyway let's get back to kids say sorry fell off that philosophical block their um I work fast anybody caught that yet? Uh I did this is just a fun exercise. I had a dad come in and we were doing some video productions for a tour and I had a dad come in that came in right after we had just shot video and you know, with all the big cameras and cool stuff around he walks in and he's like oh, you know, he's a guy he's like what's all this stuff and is this a cannon? How many mega pixels? And so of course we had this conversation with him and we were explaining that we were shooting video for some a production he's like, oh, you should do a video of my daughter every parent says that and I was like, oh, I said, well, actually we're looking for babies in a different age range and he's like yeah, but and I said what what we need the baby to do today honestly, I don't think your baby's a little too young. I don't think we could put her through the wringer and he's like, oh, she could do it, I guarantee you I was like, oh, all right, here's a game on you can guarantee your baby's going to be perfect so we decided the goal was I was gonna do it with an older child, but the goal was to do ten different looks in less in twenty minutes basically so we're on in ten complete sets that's ten outfit changes ten background changes, ten everything in twenty minutes I might let you take a look at the video and you can see what happened. E o way just no way. Just wait. Just wait now the first recommendation I have with that one is never do that to a child. She hated my guts on that last elf it and there's. One other thing we technically did not make it in twenty minutes. That's twenty minutes and forty seconds and I'll tell you what you missed. Remember the little monkey off it there's a part where she goes crawling out of the real fast. Well, you didn't see his dad grab we were in such a hurry, dad grabbed her legs and pull their backs went right down on her face and so of course she looked up and big tears and started to pound I'm like oh no no no no no no no and of course I grabbed the toys and a little treat and gave her a little treat we were back in business, but technically I lost forty seconds dropping on her face so I you know didn't quite make the cut, but you can see that that was an example of just trying to be creative and show people that it really can be done I wouldn't recommend ten different looks, but you should open your minds and allow yourself to do different things don't get into that cookie cutter right? You don't have to spend all day just have to have fun doing it kids are really tough, I promise you and when I say tough I mean they are tough not only are they strong, but they can really take a lot I mean, they're they're at this age they're called toddlers for a reason because they toddle toddle toddle and then they fall flat on their face, so I'm gonna show you a little video and show you what I mean don't panic there's a good ending e for yeah, you guys didn't hear it as well that is the loudest knock on the head you've ever heard and literally when he hits were all like wait for it. Wait. I mean, we expect that a full scream out of that one, but he was a little hard headed monster. He was able to pull out of that real quick, but the reason I could show that is a new had a happy ending. But the point to that video is this safety is paramount. Correct? There were six adults standing less than two feet from that child. Honestly, and we still managed to ram his head into the wall so it's not that you can control everything. They're moving all the time. They kans if all they can get hurt keeping the studio environment clean and safe is important, but they're going to fall anyway. It comes with the territory. There is not a time that I get a toddler that comes into my studio that does not have a bruise on its face somewhere, period. So the next question's going to be how do you take care of bumps and bruises? It's coming? Wait for it there yet I told you, how do you take care of bumps and bruises? Do you retouch them or you do not retouch them? Uh, at that age, we believe that normally there's a charge for retouching major distractions like that, but that we don't have a choice, we have to retouch it because it's not fair to the parents they they can't perfect that child they're never going to get them in the studio without that now if they ran their head into your wall you definitely want to mention that you will take care of the giant you know lob they have on their head for the rest of day make sure because mom's gonna be looking at the whole time going I had him perfect that you wrecked him so just assure her that it's covered it won't be there when she comes in to see it so or at least when she orders it it will be removed so don't worry too much babies are constantly in motion I probably don't even have to show this video but since because we've seen that today but it's very short clip but watch this little boy um couple things listen to the tone ality of my voice it's you've heard it so much the oh no oh should I throw it you know it's how I'm using those elections in fluctuations in my voice to make it work hang on come and see you stay there oh guess what guess what I think my camera's broken can you put your head is it can you hear it light little less right there okay ready? I let's see if it's let's see if it's working okay one don't take it off oh it's broken oh no uh oh it's working that means I can come go ahead and slide his hat back a little bit those group guess what your income actually I'm gonna give it to mommy malcolm stand right by me uh who's gonna get you now bye you got your uh now just bring that there you go just bring that tickle her all the way up by me and guess what you don't have a lot of there there know don't tickle me he's out of there so uh and that's how it is my sessions or no easier in the years I'm constantly in motion constantly moving what you saw in two seconds on my care mom you'd take the tickler she tickled him and brought it down low I said bring that camera but I will bring that tickler back up to me I mean I am teaching them as fast as I'm shooting I didn't have time to stop and say okay now when you tickle him I need you to make sure you bring that tickler right over my camera it was just go go go go go but if you were paying attention and you've seen this already it was oh my cameras broke in and you saw his face completely dropped down to sad and then when I said it all and he said he actually says is it and I said is it I repeated it and then all the sudden I fixed it. And you saw a soon as I said that. So even as young as eighteen months, he totally understands everything that I'm saying. And once you realize that you break that baby barrier, you realize it's just a matter of them wanting to do what you're saying, not necessarily them understanding. So we went through this really quickly. The tickler, young ones, you saw me go really slow, so they didn't tip back. Super slow that's. The first way you're gonna lose them tickle mom. First older kids, we have a game where I'm gonna play it with this last little guy, which we not doing an older kid seminar. But we actually have this game where I come at them and I said, okay, I'm gonna come get you. You stay where are and scare me away, which is the exact same reaction as they gave me five that you did see today, that hole out out hotel challenge creates that same. When they say roar and I go and I run away, it creates the same reaction the chicken already explained that to you. You do have to know the history of the chicken because it is one of those stories that I think it really in honor of this man, because I think it's incredible. When I was growing up on dh, he is still alive to this day there and I just found that out I met his daughter in law actually is a photographer. When I was growing up, there was a man called the chicken man and he was the school photographer and you know how school photography works? They lined you up in the gym way back when and they have a stool, they literally sichuan to still take a picture and take you off, so I am very believe it or not, I'm an extreme introvert I'm actually extremely nervous around individuals and things and photography I've never like this, so as a young person we would line up in this gym and even an elementary school, I can remember the feeling of being so intimidated of getting my picture taken while this guy, the chicken man he was so funny because he his whole stick and I'm going to stand up and show you was that he would put the child on a stool, he would run back to his camera, had a stupid chicken and he would go don't leave me mr chicken and hit himself in the head, I swear to you, I'm not kidding you and so and then he would take a picture and then the next kid run back and don't miss chicken hit himself in the head ten a thousand times a day this man would ram this chicken to his head so I did not like this man. I mean, I wasn't he was probably a very nice man, but I was very I mean, he just kind of freaked me out a little bit so I would be walking up there getting close and the closer I get, the more nervous that I would get and I would get fidgety and I wouldn't want to be there and I would get teary eyed I got was very, very emotional, so by the time I was almost up to this guy, I was about crying and I remember feeling really disturbed by this whole thing. Well, of course he would pick me up, put me on the stool, run back to his chicken and run back to his camera and he looked at me and go don't have mr chicken and himself in the head. And, you know, the really funny thing is, if you saw every school picture of my entire elementary school, you would think I was the most happy, delightful child in the world because everyone is a perfect smile, and yet I remember feeling so nervous and uncomfortable taking my pictures so the man had magic, he knew something and that chicken was great well, I started my career young never thought about such a good man and one time my oldest daughter, she's, now twenty, was probably around thirteen fourteen and we were at the mall and out of the corner of my eye, I see this chicken and so of course, some the whole memory came flooding back like this whole emotional thing about the chicken man. And so I ran into the store and grab me like, oh my gosh, look at this chicken you don't understand when I was a little girl, this guy's come up and you go tell him this chicken and I was like being on this chicken and she's like mom, knock it off and I was like, no, seriously, this is like, so cool, you don't even understand this is like, I know what a working she's like mom seriously, knock it off and I was like, what? She looks like musicals look and I turn and look at all this that I realize we're standing in the not so nice part of spencer's. Um, inappropriate section. So, to be honest to you, to this day, I don't know what this chicken is full or I had to have it. So if you know what for honestly shame on you because I don't want to know I have no idea I know where I got it I don't get in other places but I don't know what it's for but it's a cool chicken now I learned something about this chicken because I you saw that squeak loud and it's crazy so of course I had this vision in my head and I run home in the very first day but the first kid on the chair and I'm like I run back to camera don't have mr chicken and I well myself in the head that man did not use this chicken thiss chicken is hard as a rock and if you hit yourself in the head you're going to know it so in fact I found that he actually uses a like a fabric chick and so the cool thing is and kudos out to him he is actually I believe in his late nineties um he is the chicken man his guy I wish I had the pictures you would just cry with me because his father was the chicken men in the eighteen hundreds earlier late eighteen hundreds his son was the chicken man and his grandson is now the chicken man so the chicken man lives on sea woop utah and the chicken man wherever you are out there kudos to you so there's an entire generation of chicken men and and one that profoundly affected mike career because what I found about this chicken is this particular chicken is not that it that worked the way he used it I found a new use for it and you saw it today in the startling technique we actually use this chicken to scare children to stop them in their tracks it works every time but it's a technique whenever we use the chicken and you'll see it this is really kind of funny and hopefully my clients never hear this but whenever I'm in a session that's really difficult if you ever hear me and they're in the videos you'll see him all the time like when I'm doing video shoots that are on you can do if you're watching them you'll see me at the end if I'm struggling a little bit you'll say okay I think it's about time for the chicken let's all say usually go ok let's go ahead and get the chicken now that's a signal to my staff meeting this is over she's going to get this kid out of here right now she's done so if you hear me ever say okay let's go out to get the chicken with a smile it's really all right kid I've had it with you and we're finishing this and so you're gonna watch this little video of his gorgeous little boy mom came in he's about eighteen months mom came in with the idea that she wanted the shot it's mom's legs and then the baby shyly holding onto the legs that was the vision she had seen it now she's also got all holy moving eighteen month old that does not have the same vision we had so listen to the tone ality the words that I use and the exact chicken technique and he wouldn't go for it huh let's go the other leg go just because I wanna get light on his face yeah the best leg there you go that's beautiful just keep your hand on the side of his head right there hey ready ok do you ready oh oh no what happened? What happened? I'll fix it oh, look I found another one israel just found another one stay there I'll fix it ready? I'm gonna fix it right there beautiful hold on a mommy hold mommy oh one I'm gonna get you I'm getting kids to write could you throw it? Throw it one, two, three catch oh, I got it and actually just holding hands like a caring and throat again stay there stay there one good job go hold mommy's hand case what happens? You know what? Hang on one second I'm gonna grab a chicken go ahead, let go first I'm gonna get something to keep him still hanging on getting the chicken and right here is gonna finish this right now all right, ready? I want to get going behind my back. Still what's that. Okay, go ahead and stand up. What is it? Oh, becoming just hold this and come. What is it that I always will? Beautiful. One more that's children shot. So that is a chicken shot. But there's a technique there I hide the chicken and keep it behind my back and make the noise. Now, if you heard me, I'm really kind of cruel because I'm like, is it coming? Did you hear that? And he could understand. And that's why you gotta stop? It was like I don't know, is it? And so then it's a quick squeak behind my back that startled him to look up. And then, of course, I pull it out. One of two things is gonna happen, they don't like it and they pulled back and it's over or that usually they want it. And if I would've kept going, you would see he would start reaching out for it. And it would be over so it's a one shot technique and I literally mean that sometimes two sometimes when I pull out there, smile at it and then they want it, but every beautiful shot of every eighteen month old, you know that little stoic baby that's like holding something you just softly look into camera I can assure you that's a child that's been moving one hundred thousand miles an hour and I pulled the chicken move on and I promise that is a chicken shot. So keep that in mind. Now, obviously changing techniques, the faster you change, the longer you're goingto win confusion is your best weapon. I'm sure at this point you're completely understanding that I just moved so fast and talk so fast they have no idea what's going on. They are trying to figure out where I'm going next and they keep their eyes locked on me. You could learn many things from working with children how much patients who have, for instance, and I think that's important to remember now we're going to go. I think we're right at lunch, so we're going to take a break now, which is good because we're about to go into booking this session. We're also going to go into pricing and sales, and I believe we have enough time to finish that not with a ton of q and a, but I will make that happen and then there's a piece on charity that I'd like to share as well. Ah, very nice, happy, joyful or going to hav e v er piece