I just learned that this image I captured of my daughter, Karson from September 2012 has been sold to Parents Magazine!  This is very exciting news since it has a *huge* circulation.

I've been asked a couple of times what the circumstances were behind this photo and why Karson was so upset.

When this image was taken, I was preparing for my first photo shoot after a 3-month maternity break.  I got out my studio strobes and umbrellas and was testing them to make sure they were all in perfect working order.  I had hoped to capture a couple frames of Karson with artificial lights since I had a million "opportunistic" photos of her in natural light, which in its simplicity had allowed me to get photos of her with minimal effort on my part.

I learned an important lesson that day: Large flashy light sources are VERY SCARY for 3-month-old babies.  Not one photo was pleasant, but I did get a single frame of this HUGE pout before she burst into tears.  Since then, I've stuck with natural light and the occasional reflector when photographing young children.  Most clients want to buy photos of their kids looking happy or at least pleasant, so a less-imposing light source keeps the mood light.  :-)

There is absolutely nothing beautiful or artistic about this image - not the lighting, the positioning, the background, or the wardrobe. But sometimes the out-takes make excellent stock photos.  In this case, it was all about the expression.