FaceTime family photography
VENUE
There aren't many things that are great about lockdown, but one that is has been learning how to shoot portraits via FaceTime (we did a Photography Farm workshop with Tim Dunk). It's really fun and really easy (and quite weird, which is part of what makes it so fun). For the photographer, it's a challenge to direct from a distance – you can't even look around to find the best spot in the shoot location because you're not there. And with children it's especially hilarious: their reactions to your disembodied voice coming from the phone taped to the coffee jar are… unpredictable.
It's never going to have the same connection and authenticity as a shoot in person, but in a way it's even easier than that for the people in the pictures: it's very quick, you don't need to leave the house, you don't need to tidy up, you don't need to get dressed up… or you can get as flamboyantly OTT as you fancy. THERE ARE NO RULES.
After this shoot with Yvonne, Olly, Edie and Cosmo we took the shots and printed paperback photo books for the children to send to their grandmas, to keep in touch with them over lockdown. They actually looked really good, considering they were shot on a phone strapped to a coffee jar.
at home, leyton
