KIDS PHOTOGRAPHY Jul 2013

David Handley is a multi-award-winning photographer who was given the prestigious title of 'Sony World Fashion Photographer'.

He is a renowned and established photographer who has specialised in photographing children and babies for the last 14 years.

He shoots regularly for commercial and editorial clients worldwide such as Primark, Ralph Lauren, Mothercare, M&S and Next.

He has an ability to capture the naturalness of his subjects and possesses an expansive knowledge of natural and studio lighting. His experience and patience with children are amongst his greatest assets, allowing him to capture outstanding, natural pictures.

David has also lectured at Central St Martins University of Arts in London and runs an online course teaching people how to improve their skills at photographing children and babies.

Ian Boddy photographs children of all ages, from newborns to teens.

His latest work was for Luna Magazine, Kikimora, Boden, Harrods, Mothercare and ELC.

He is represented in UK by Zara Ronchi and in Italy by VisionsPhotoAgency.

Isabel Pinto was raised in Mozambique, an experience that has given her a very special outlook on the way she captures the pulse of life in her photographs. She is currently based between Lisbon, New York and Cape Town from where she shoots fashion, lifestyle and advertising photography.

Advertising clients include Millennium BCP (2010 and 2011 campaigns with José Mourinho), Martini (Martini Rosé campaign 2010-2011 for Southern Africa), Nestlé (Cerelac 75th anniversary campaign 2011), and Sumol (2010 and 2011 campaigns).

Isabel specialises in photographing children and has helped develop some of the most prestigious children's clothing brands, including Oscar de la Renta, Petit Patapon, Papo d'Anjo and LA Kids. She has been developing the image that internationalised the brand Lanidor since 2000 and has also photographed numerous musicians and celebrities for album covers and fashion magazines including Vogue, Marie Claire and Elle.

Her 2009 book 'Família' tells the story of 41 families that she has photographed over the past 20 years. Isabel's first book on food-styling, co-authored with chef Mafalda Pinto Leite, was published in 2010, while in February 2012 the book 'Entre Gerações' (Between Generations) appeared, co-authored with Laurinda Alves and specially commissioned by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

Isabel recently began collaboration with The Wall Street Journal and Monocle Magazine.

Based in the UK, Julia Bostock is known for her natural and creative style of photography.

Specialising in the children's fashion market, she is passionate about her work. Julia loves working with babies, mums, as well as older kids and teenagers - she's always happy to take on a challenge or simply just look and capture the moment.

Recently she has been working in Italy. Her clients include McCann, Sainsbury's, Nestlé, Monsoon, Startrite, Boden, Harrods and Prenatal. She contributes to Babiekins, Vogue Bambini, Collezione and Papier Mâché.

Julia is well known in the business for her involvement in developing her clients' vision for their products and brands. Her background in art direction gives her a unique overall view of a shoot, crucial in bringing together all the elements to create powerful images. She has a distinctive visual signature which combines both a commercial and artistic aesthetic. Whether in the studio or on location, her devotion to her models, the team and to a sense of fun and purpose is always evident.

Recent projects have included Mothercare, Marie-Chantal, Sainsbury's.

Julia is interested in European representation.

Featured in this Spotlight is a range of recently completed personal and campaign work from Berlin and Hamburg-based People and Kids photographer Kristin Schnell.

Growing up in the Palatinate region of Germany, Kristin served her apprenticeship as a photographer when she was 16 years' old. She moved to Hamburg where she became an assistant photographer and stylist, working on numerous covers for Stern Magazine and a range of advertising campaigns. In 1995, when her daughter turned three, Kristin took her by-then impressive portfolio to several agencies and publishing houses, and has been working independently ever since.

Her lively pictures of people as well as her delicate, still portraits reflect her own particular character. She now specialises in childrens' photography and lives between Berlin and Hamburg.

Clients include McDonald's, Meica, NUK, Sysmex, Tchibo, Aldi, mytoys and Fitz/Jako-o /Haba Group.

Photographer Kymberly Marciano’s polished, strong, romantic images open the door to the magical and energetic inner world of children and adolescents. She creates imagery that is grounded in her own life and memories, rooted in a childhood spent exploring the natural world in Laguna; in her years as a globetrotting model; in motherhood; and in her extensive philanthropic work on behalf of children through the Every Child Foundation. Her photographs are inspired by a love of the past yet are firmly planted in the here and now.

Raised in an activist and cultured environment by her artist mother and architect father, Kymberly's innate curiosity was stimulated early on by a family with the stated goals of “seeing the world”. Her photographs blend the smells, scents and colours of the world that we see around us with an intuitive, feminine, and dynamic approach that provides the perfect platform for her gifts as a fashion insider, trend watcher and talented “discoverer” of new talent. Many of the young people she has discovered and photographed have gone on to big careers in modelling and acting.

Kymberly deeply understands brand building as she helped to expand Guess Kids into a global lifestyle brand. She continues to create images and campaigns for clients such as Vogue Bambini, Babiekins, The Mod Child, The Children’s Place, Ralph Lauren Kids and Baby Gagoo.

Marcus Renken is a Hamburg-based fashion photographer with a special affinity for kids. While many collegues find co-operation with children hard and stressful, Marcus is still curious and excited to find the keys to trust, "the essential ingredient to getting your models to feel free and be themselves," he says.

In recent years, Marcus has worked for a large number of catalogues including Jako-o, Fitz, Steiff, Otto, Bonprix, Tchibo, Whoopy, Stummer and Mills Fashion. He travels a lot but also likes to shoot from his daylight studio in Hamburg, particularly because many jobs now include elements of graphic and post production.

Marcus has the talent to shoot both with available light to achieve pure images, even under extreme conditions, and also from mobile light sources for an artificial look. "Light is always the most important thing for a photographer," he says. "Regardless whether it's natural or electric, you need to feel it before you you can deal with it."

Michela Nale learned to appreciate art at a very young age; her years in high school were filled with excitement, curiosity and experimentation with various expressive forms of art, from real life drawing to painting and different design techniques. It was only when she came across photography that she felt that she was able to express herself to her fullest potential.

Merging her passion for photography and love for fashion, Michela found her niche in fashion photography. She feels like a courageous, free spirit, never looking back and living life without bonds. Her desire to never be bound to a specific location shows in her independence and craving for unending progression.

The models she chooses have their own personal expressiveness and character: “I am always behind the camera and that’s when my job is to make their beautiful figures and features, the harmony of colours and the cleanness of their poses stand out. There is only one moment when everything is perfect, that exact moment when the finger presses the shutter release button by itself, and it’s an incontestable impulse.”

Michela is one of the LPA Futures programme winners.

Born in 1970 in Paris, Patrick Wittmann began his photography career in 1994. He spent numerous years assisting various photographers, travelling the globe on photographic assignments.

Patrick is now an award-winning photographer based in Munich, and has been shooting for more than 18 years.

For the last 12 years he has specialised in children‘s fashion for commercial, catalogue and editorial clients worldwide.

Rhea’s work speaks from an inner strength and illustrates that innocence can be found at any age. It is at times magical and spiritual in it’s purest form. It is fragile but never weak.

Rhea brings out the youthful whimsy in adults, and the wisdom of old souls and children alike. She brings togetherness to the foreground and celebrates the simplicity of life.

Rhea makes her home in Buffalo, NY with her husband and two young daughters.

Roberto Magliozzi specialises in portraiture, people, sport and fashion photography. His work is characterised by a strong concept analysis, a meticulous approach to lighting and a focus on post-production.

After the birth of his two children, Roberto concentrated on kids photography, carrying his own visual language into advertising, fashion brands and magazines. With a dedicated production team behind him Roberto believes that shoots must be a funny and entertaining moment for the kids themselves.

He works from his studio in Milan and travels for shoots in both Europe and Asia. In Milan Roberto is represented by L&A artist, while in Vietnam he is represented by Professional Image Studio.

Photographer Steve Mason brings 25 years experience delivering creative solutions to some of the world's largest advertising and branding providers. 

His creative goal is to always give back more than expected while delivering the unexpected. His personal goal is to make clients look good and to have fun doing it.

Specialising in lifestyle and active lifestyle photography, Steve's authentic and emotional images capture life in a relaxed and enjoyable way. His photography with children has produced some of his best work and he always seeks out opportunities to create more.

Visit his website to see additional examples of his work or email Steve directly.

Fun is an essential ingredient when photographing kids. Tim Platt has a natural affinity with children and a knack for keeping them positive, enthusiastic and spontaneous no matter how tricky or demanding the brief may be.

"It takes a combination of technical know-how, experience, a stimulating and exciting environment, a good team, a general willingness to make a fool of yourself and sometimes a lot of patience... to be ready for that iconic shot when it happens!"

Tim has been photographing children and babies for advertising and design clients for 20 years, working with many top brands including Sainsbury’s, Robinsons fruit drinks, McDonald's, Samsung and GlaxoSmithKline.

He also shoots and edits video. The links are for two short films for the housing charity Shelter’s online Christmas fundraising campaign. Also a 'behind the scenes' look at part of a recent kid's shoot for GSK, shooting 36 kids over seven days!