This post is called Feature Photography, but it could easily be, ” The Anatomy of a Hug.”
I was at the opening ceremonies of an AYSO league in Montebello yesterday.
One of the great programs they have is something called, ” VIP’s, ” which is a team comprised of challenged youths.
They have been around in this league for a dozen years.
I was following around one the originators and he pointed out one of the participants. She was so happy and alive that I happened to keep my eye on her.
I saw her calling out my main subject and decided to focus on her as she demanded a hug.
That’s the set-up to the first image and how I noticed her and made this sequence of images.
Feature photography or at least good feature photography is a lot of sitting around and waiting for what might happen.
Some of the best photographers that I have ever known were incredible at thinking about what if…and then putting themselves in a position to capture that event if it did in face occur.
That’s how this series of images happened.
I placed the VIP in the top right area of convergence and just waited.
I hoped that the main subject I was assigned to would see her and come over to say hi.

Which he did…
I was careful to keep my VIP in the right vertical to leave plenty of room for what might happen.
A hug?
A high five?
I was ready.
A made a frame. Most people wait too long to capture the hug shot.
See, when people are all mushed together, you get to see only one person’s face.
Right?
Even though I wish I was a bit more to the right, so I could see both faces, this is probably the best moment.
The moment that says, ” Look, they are going to hug.” You can see it on their faces and in their body language.
Most beginning photographers and a lot of veteran photogs, wait and miss this moment.
Here’s the actual hug…

It’s a nice feature photo and a nice moment, but a lot of the energy is gone. The subject’s face that is seen by the viewer is mostly covered and the other “hugger” is facing the other way.
Next time you are in position to capture a nice hug, be ready to capture the moment before they hug and you’ll probably document the best moment.
Look and see what’s going on and you just might be rewarded with better moments.
Be inspired!

Had the honor of photographing my banker, for the upcoming birth of first child. Such a nice person, she was super excited about having some images taken.
I suggested a nice stroll down the beach with some wispy material for the wind and the rest is now history.
My whole idea was to capture some very romanticized images that she can reflect on now and for years to come.
The beach is always windy as the sun begins to set, so she found some white gauzy material that was just about perfect.
She’s only about 3-4 weeks away from her due date, so I was glad to have the opportunity before the birth.
Before we started shooting, I just chatted about her excitement about fixing up the room and things like that and that really set the mood.
The wind started whipping and I asked my subject to start walking, to reflect and touch her tummy.
Easy!
Be inspired!