Most children are most at ease in natural environment (park, beach) where they can be free and play. Some children are best to photograph in their homes, in their own environment. We will discuss the pros and cons of each location during our initial consultation. After all, I want to exceed your expectations for the photo session. But the most important aspect of successful photo session is to have fun for both parents and children. My goal is when you look at the artwork we created to display on your wall is to remember that it was a good day.
One of the best compliments I get is when parents tell me that their child/children ask if they can see me again because they had fun during photo session.
Families come in all shapes and sizes, and the term has never been more all-inclusive or had so many different meanings than it does today. My goal is to create timeless photographs of your family to be passed on from generation to generation.
Babies grow and change in the blink of an eye. Documenting newborns and infants with timeless photography is so important in remembering this special time in their lives.
Below are some of the photographs from my backpacking and adventure travels around the world.
John Muir Trail.
Patagonia.
Pacific Crest Trail.
Nepal, including Everest Base Camp.
Southeast Asia.
To Russia with Love -- a Photographic Essay of Siberia's Orphans
Imagine growing up without a history, mementos or even a single photo to remind you of your childhood. This was the reality faced by many Russian orphans that the Children's Hope Foundation and San Francisco lifestyle photographer, Fima Gelman, set out to change.
"It was the children who first came up with the project," Fima recalls. "If we could teach them how to take photographs and provide the equipment, they could take pictures of each other, so that no childhood would be forgotten."
Braving the coldest winter in the last century, Fima spent three weeks teaching and photographing children in eight orphanages in the Tomsk region of Western Siberia. Despite average temperatures of minus 40-50 F, Fima learned that kids are kids everywhere in the world, as he photographed them playing outdoors, making snowballs and going for a hike.
Fima, who is himself a Russian immigrant, captured more than a childhood moment for these children -- he captured their hearts and souls as they shared their stories, their hopes and their fears during his visit. "These children were all well-fed, bathed and educated," Fima said, "but what was missing was the love and security of a family and home of their own."
"I wanted to give something back to my mother country," continues Fima, "and promoting the cause of Russian adoption was a wonderful opportunity to do that. Most importantly, I wanted to help these kids remember who they are, so that when they grow up, they have at least one photograph of their childhood."
If you would like more information about Children's Hope International, here is the link to their web site:
http://www.childrenshopeint.org/
