sunday game of chess

 
These brothers are avid chess players and mom had the idea that taking a few shots of them playing would make for a memorable portrait. So we deliberately set the scene, enticed the boys over, positioned them in open shade, and there we had our manufactured moment in time.

At first the boys kept looking in my direction, intentionally making super silly faces so as not to make my job too easy. So I turned my attention to their little sister for a while to throw them off my trail. When I could see they were no longer interested in what I was up to I got down on the grass across from them, at first a good distance away, and then did my best commando crawl to move in closer in hopes they wouldn’t notice me and give the goofy faces again. (Evidently I have fairly decent sniper skills because they never suspected my presence…..I will add this to my resume.)

I’d only shot a few frames when one brother accused the other of cheating, which quickly erupted into a not so portrait worthy moment complete with accusations of deceit, and chessmen being thrown at the offending brother. Mom rushed in to settle the dispute, informing them this wasn’t a real game, but was only for a few pictures. Both brothers’ eyes filled with passionate outrage when they looked at her as if she were mad and yelled, “This is real, Mom……the game is real”.

I’ve had many people ask me why I choose to specialize in children’s portraiture. Parents will shake their heads while I’m in the midst of a rather difficult shoot and question my sanity for doing this day in and day out. But the chess playing brothers said it best. I do it because it’s real. Oh you can dress them up, fix their hair, and come up with several contrived scenarios, but give them a little space and they will make it real most every time. Follow them and they will lead you into the present. I find this such a refreshing change from how most grownups behave, where you can never be entirely certain when someone is truly being sincere and honest or just polite.

For these brothers, right here in this moment…….the game is real.

 
~Cynthia

PS These particular types of images with all the shrubbery never translate well from print to scan to computer screen……so imagine a little bit to make it real. Ü