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The tempo of a sitting may have to be
varied to suit the particular child. Little Jane is round, friendly,
amiable and lazy. Her principal hobbies are eating, sleeping, and
making friends. The key to success with her is to slow down and let her
do things at her own lazy pace. Jonathan, on the other hand is a
live-wire. He is active, excitable, likes movement and will be
difficult to keep pinned down long enough to focus. You may have to
chance him being in the picture area and take some extra shots to make
sure. Your only chance with Jonathan is to move even faster than he
does, get excited yourself and make the whole session a fast-moving
romp. A few like Jonathan in a day can have you 'on your knees'.
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If a child takes a look at you and looks
like running away do not look in a mirror to ensure that you have not
grown horns or an extra head. Nothing is more exasperating than to be
treated like a monster from outer space by a small child when your only
desire is to be friendly. Your best hope is to try and understand the
reasons underlying his behavior. To be able to identify a child's
particular temperamental type can assist you to find the approach most
likely to win his cooperation. But a further complication is the fact
that few children are entirely introvert or extrovert, most being a
mixture of the two in different proportions. The introvert child may
suddenly surprise you by allowing his curiosity for the studio to
submerge his apprehension. On the other hand, the normally extrovert
child may suddenly and unexpectedly develop a fear of the camera. But
caution, curiosity, wonder, surprise, even defiance, shown in a child's
expression, all offer wonderful picture opportunities. And with
patience, the smile the child's mother is hoping you will capture, may
eventually present itself.
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