Family photography, especially that involving the under 5s, throws up a set of challenges even physicists couldn’t solve. There’s randomness, and then there’s the directions a 3-year-old will run in. Trying to follow a toddler on a mission is perfect training for a wannabe sports photographer. Usain Bolt might be quick, but at least he’s likely to go in a predictable direction.
And so it was with this miss, who followed what was the least logical route between playground obstacles on our shoot. But we all need the exercise, and she had a huge grin on her face the whole time. And who cares about anything else if the main subject is happy?
On the times she stayed still long enough (or with a shutter speed long enough) to grab a photograph, she was radiating the kind of enjoyment only a child lost in the moment can (and, to be fair, mischief; her poor sheep probably needed a long cycle in the wash after the acrobatic punishment he took) - and I think that shows in the images.
This is also the reason I like family photoshoots so much. Unpredictability is a good thing. It keeps me on my toes. It means that photographs won’t be forced or staged. And a happy child is the goal of any shoot!