Custom Fine Art Children’s Portrait Photographer in Ann Arbor, Michigan
I begged my grandmother for a camera at the age of four; since then, I've never been without a camera!
I shoot mostly young people-- children and teenagers. I try to show their spirit and energy with honesty and sensitivity and to capture some of the gestures, subtleties, and nuances that define who they are. I try to spend enough time for kids to become comfortable with me, and me with them. Nearly always, the kids I shoot are aware of the camera, but are not posing for it.
I shoot custom lifestyle portraiture in a style that is simple and honest-- natural expressions and natural poses-- in an environment that is casual, relaxed, and fun. I have a studio, but prefer to shoot using natural light in settings where children will be most comfortable and free to be themselves. I hope to capture each child's true spirit and personality along with all of the gestures, nuances, and fleeting moments that define who that child really is.
My work has been published and exhibited. I am working-- very slowly-- on a book.
Each year I participate in a the Leica User Group’s annual Yearbook project. We each get two (and only two!) pages to show off our work. Here is what I submitted this year:
- stunning pictures..where is the construction scene? Is it A2? Beautiful little girl! These are prize -winning photos!!!!
- Ah, the shot of the little girl is stunning! So light and airy!
- That black and white shot makes me sigh. Love it!
- Great shots David...the little girl is just breathtaking. I love the way you capture children!
- love the urban landscape, but that second one is ever so lovely, david! :)
- This sounds really fun! I would love to have one of those cameras - $$$! LOL
- Gorgeous shots!
- Great shots David!
I blogged last year about my tradition of sending handmade New Year’s cards. Well, I sent out this year’s cards earlier this week, most people on my list should have gotten them already, so now I’m sharing with you!
If you’ve somehow misplaced your 3-D glasses, I do have some leftover and will send a pair to anyone who leaves a comment asking for them (You can e-mail your address using the link above so that you don’t have to post your address in the comments). Like they say: “While supplies last”. And no…. the 3-D glasses you brought home from the Avatar movie won’t work!
Wishing everyone happiness and peace in the new year…. Happy 2010!
- It just so happens I have quite a few 3d glasses lying around so I had to grab a pair and try it out hehe . . . and it worked very cool, my son thought is was cool too. :-) Happy New Years!
- I got your card, and was so excited to get it! Thank you David! Quentin (2yr old) has been running around with the 3D glasses you sent since they arrived in the mail...he's so funny!
- And I forgot to add, Happy New Years!! :D
- what a great concept, love it! happy new year!
- What an awesome idea (and a great image)! And I hope you have a wonderful 2010!!!
- How fun! Happy New Year!!
She just learned to sit up, so we shamelessly took advantage of her new skill, with only a teeny bit of paranoia that she might fall and clunk her head (she didn’t!). Isn’t she a sweetie?
- This is wonderful! What a cutie, and I love that sweet smile.
- Wow, is she adorable. Just look at those eyes!
- Adorable!
- So very sweet! Great work David!
- She has amazing eyes! Super cute capture!
- What a sweet little babe! That baby smile is perfect!
- LOVE LOVE LOVE! What a fabulous shot and awesome processing too.
- So cute!! I love the softness of the image. :)
- That is ADORABLE!!!!
- she's a cutie pie. beautiful images.
- She's absolutely beautiful David, what a perfectly sweet picture. I want you to come do pictures of my baby girl!
- awwwwwwww. beautiful!
- Beautiful lihgt! You have a way of capturing so much soul!
- Absolutely lovely!!!!! Great light too, btw!
- She's beautiful and you have captured her perfectly!
So this is a kinda sorta one-year-old picture. I won’t say that she was this serene for our entire time shooting together, but we did have our moments
- Beautiful eyes and cute little piggy tails - way too cute!
- Oh, David! This is so sweet! I want to see the rest of the session!
- She is ADORABLE, love those eyes. I wanna see more too :)
- Her little face absorbs me! I adore her big blue eyes and her sweet little face! Beautiful capture David!
- What a stunning little girl! Love this one!
- Reminds me of a "whoopsie" doll :)
- BEAUTIFUL.....she pulls me in!!
- OMG, what a little honey!! She is beautiful. :)
- What a precious face!!
- BEAUTIFUL!!! Her eyes are so...just WOW!!!
- Precious! I love her eyes and her pigtails! Great shot!
- David, she is beautiful!! I love her eyes, and the intense look. Gorgeous shot!
- I love this shot! There is so much going on behind her beautiful eyes, don't you think?
It just does.
- Me too! What on earth were you doing to get such a great set of expressions?!!
- Love the sun in this -- and also love the expressions. The little guy looks like he's about to get away with something!
- Ali: You have NO idea. Lori: He did!
- As the incredibly proud mom of these kiddos, I can't resist sharing that "the little guy" waited only one day after this shot was taken to give himself a haircut, leaving a good square inch hole in his bangs. He gets away with plenty more than I'd like to admit! Kudos to David, not another in the world can get a decent group shot of these three...it's a little bit like "whack-a-mole"...one pops up and the other dives down. Thank you David for your patience, perseverance, and much-needed sense of humor.
- Love this! What fabulous natural expressions and gorgeous light.
- Lovely David. Your colour is so crisp and fresh.
- Gorgeous David!! What great expressions and personality coming from each of them!
- I can see why! Love it!
- Super cute one!
- I LOVE this image!! Def. put a smile on my face!!
- I think it's lovely! The varied expressions on each face....so fun. The backlight is so great!
- Too cute! Love the different expressions you captured!
- I love this photo! Takes me back to my childhood!
- It makes me smile too. :)
So one of our photo shoots was done with a carload of snakes on an Australian beach. Sounds pretty weird, but it was all in the spirit of helping us to practice the advanced lighting skills we were learning. It felt like old times to me since I spent two of my college years living in a house with six real (and wannabe) herpatologists and their many many snakes. Here are a few of the pictures….
And this last one of our incomparable instructor, the amazing JoeyL (Joey Lawrence). You can see some of his work at his website here: JoeyL’s Website . And when you are done ooh-ing and ah-ing, consider that he is right now all of 19 years old and he has already been shooting professionally for years. Seriously. And yeah…. He told us he was afraid of snakes. So maybe there is a lesson here in how confronting your fear leads to success.
- I think I just had a small panic attack. LOL Your photography is AMAZING though. LOVE the off-camera lighting!
- Wow, your lighting looks amazing!!!
- SO jealous you went to this! Must have been amazing! Love the images you got!!!
- wow! amazing.
- These are amazing! The lighting in that first image is stunning.
- LOVE the lighting!! So true about facing your fears....looks like it was worth it, great shot!
- Yeah the snakes would totally creep me out lol ...you rocked these though, I really love the first one!
- Wow that's crazy!! Couldn't get me to model like that! :) They are awesome though, great job!
- FANTASTIC work, David! You guys had so much fun, I can tell!
- Amazing! I think you are right about confronting our fears!!
I recently returned from a photography workshop in Australia organized by a fellow photographer and featuring some of the coolest photographer/instructors around. I hope you will pardon some off-the-beaten-path photos from me, but here are a few samples.
- Oh David, these are just great!!!
- these are amazing David! Wow, Australia -- did you get any landscapes and such while you was there?
- Awesome photos! I am so jealous! I would love to go to Australia.
- Beautiful work David, I especially love the last one. Great meeting you :)
- Thnx Ale! Glad to meet you too! Looking forward to seeing your pics too!
- Great photos, as usual. I especially like the girl with the brown hat.
- Great images, David. The workshoop definitely expanded your horizon!
- What an exciting trip - and you got some amazing shots!
- Can't pick a favorite.
- That first one is amazing. I want to learn how to take that!
- David these are absolutely amazing! That first image is breath-taking!! Seriously beautiful work here!
- wow, wow, WOW! these are super amazing and i am jealous of your little trip to australia to learn from joey l!
- oh my goodness..these are incredible and how cool you went to a workshop in Australia?!?
- These are so wonderful. That first image is just spectacular and always love seeing my silly kiddos!
I remember her when she was first born, and this is the first time I’ve seen her since then. It was great to meet her again, but she was definitely more interested in the squirrels than she was in me. But I DID have her attention for a few minutes. Her pictures are beautiful, mostly because she is.
I told her parents I couldn’t decide who she looked more like. But in the pictures, it’s clear that she favors her Mom!
- These are wonderful. The last one is breathtaking!
- David, those are wonderful! Such clarity! The little girl is adorable too!
- You captured her beautifully and in a fun way too! Perfect for a two year old! Awesome job David!
- love your approach to these david. i really feel like i'm inside of her world. and your processing is perfect.
- I love the 3rd one especially, totally adorable!
- What a cutie-pie. I love that last one of her.
- Amazing, especially the 3rd and 4th ones!! :)
- Nat Sci museum?
- Nope. Angel Hall. Thanks for looking!
- The pictures are fabulous !!
- So so cute, love that 3rd one!
- I am so inspired by your work! Beautiful!!!
Last fall, I had the chance to do a large permanent display of photographs. This summer, I got to do it again!
I just got finished hanging eight large canvases, even bigger than before– the large B&W photos you see are 30 x 40 inches! I hope you will excuse my poor indoor architechtural photography. Here’s what it looks like.
- Wow David, this looks really great!!!
- Awesome display! What sort of office is this?
- This is absolutely stunning!
- Love it! They look amazing!
- Absolutely wonderful! Amazing images as always!!
- Thanks for including Kate! I love it!
- wow...30x40...that is such a beautiful canvas size. oh my goodness...the walls look so amazing decorated with your amazing artwork!
Not really work at all photographing these fun kids! We had a great time!
- These are awesome, David! That little girl in #2 has amazing eyes. Love your work!
- What gorgeous kids! I've always adored your work, David...the bokeh is always delicious!
- All of the kids are adorable, but that second image is just holy-smokes-wow-AMAZING!
- David, you are just so good with the little guys. What a cute bunch!
- WOW- that second shot is amazing. beautiful work as always!!
- Wow, the clarity in those first 3 is amazing. This looks like a fun session!!
- How fun! I LOVE the 3rd shot!
- I don't know how you do it, but you can always capture the kids being themselves and I can feel the emotion! I love #3, beautiful color and comps.
- I love all of these! Your style is so unique!
© 2010 DSRs PhotoBLOG | Ann Arbor Children’s and Teen Photographer ProPhoto Photo Blog by NetRivet Blogs
by DSR
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