After capturing this photo, I want to do so many more sister shoots because this was stunning. I’ve known these two girls for a very long time and knew that they were very docile and stoic. Usually, as a photographer, it’s awesome to know that you are going to work with a child that is very calm and still. They are easy to direct and you know you won’t be exhausted at the end of the photoshoot from having to chase them around and repeating instructions a thousand times. Instead, their seriousness made me a little nervous. It was odd to not be able to tell a silly joke or bring out my crazy laugh and crack a smile out of them.
But it only made me uncomfortable because I was so used to the chaos of a family session. I was used to rewarding good behavior with candy or trying to coax a smile out of a crying four year old. I was used to having to crazy laugh and hopefully click the shutter before they started mimicking my pretend insanity. Instead, I was able to ask for a baby smile and warmth in their eyes and they gave me this, a portrait that I believe reveals their souls.
Location: Wiscasset, Maine.