Start with the kid! This sounds obvious when photographing children, but many images start with a couch in a field, or a tutu the size of Montana. What do these props have to do with the child you are photographing?
In this funny and beautifully illustrated guide, photographer Allison Tyler Jones provides inspiration and practical techniques for photographers to effectively capture kids in beautiful light. She challenges readers to go a little deeper in their thought processes and to be more personal, more thought provoking, more humorous, and more real.

From a practical, photographer’s perspective, this guide approaches studio and on location lighting with a mix of technical information and advise on how to apply these ideas while working with subjects that are shy, sulking, showing off, or constantly in motion.

Readers will learn about:

• Five Ms lighting concept–mood, main, measure, modify, and move–and how to include them into a decision-making process.
• Selecting a light source, setting the camera to sync, and triggering the flash.
• White seamless backgrounds and practical considerations for hanging and using them in your studio.
• Directing the shoot and how to work with kids, clients, and even pets.
• Choosing props with integrity, clothing suggestions, and styling the shoot.
• Decisions about setting and lighting on location.
• Finishing the job you started with presentation of your product to your clients.