It’s never been harder to get a good photo of my toddler. At 17 months, he is so active, so curious, and so fast, that 75% of my shots are of his back. 10% of them show him looking at something other than the camera. The remaining 5% may show his eyes, but whether the rest of the photo is up to par is another matter. He is always interested in something other than the camera. It’s probably because he sees it in front of my face all the time. Lately I have been trying to come up with ideas to get him to look into the lens, even if it is only for a brief moment. I have resorted to holding up distractions just above my camera. It has to be something that is interesting enough to him to grab his attention, but not so interesting that he runs up to the camera to grab it. A nostril shot is almost as bad as a back shot!
Sometimes I can get him to look at me if I make a complete fool of myself. I’ll make goofy faces or chirp like a bird. Farting noises occasionally get a look and a smile. Tapping the top of the camera works sometimes, but it is hit or miss. Calling his name used to work, but now he’s on to my antics. Having someone stand behind me and prance around like a clown is probably the easiest method, but how often do I have a volunteer photo assistant? Most of the time, it’s just me and the little guy.
I suppose the back shots are a more accurate portrait of who my son is right now anyway. He really is always running this way or that way. I know that it is just a phase and pretty soon he is going to learn that boys who say cheese get a mini marshmallow. Hey… I’m not above bribery. If it means I can catch a clear view of those baby blues, I’m willing to bring out the treats.