London BarMitzvah Photographer : Alfie's BarMitizvah Portraits

April 11, 2014

Way back in January I had the immense pleasure of taking portraits for Alfie and the rest of his family. Early on the morning before the day unfolded I arrived to a house hot with the tension of what the weekend had to offer.

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I set up in the lounge, all the time facing the questions of Alfie's younger brother. I love the inquisitive mind and always try to give a valuable answer but when time is pressing and there is a full portrait session to be completed with grandparents to follow I was forced to keep my answers brief.

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As is frequently the case I got set up, and asked for the man of the weekend to join me in front of the backdrop whilst I balanced lights. It's a neat little trick to get nerves out of the way, offer a few tips on posing and generally warm everyone up. I rarely need to alter flash or camera settings following the first few shots once I'm up and running but those 5 minutes of 'balancing' just help to get everyone in the right frame of mind.

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It's no mean feat taking individual, and group pictures whilst preparations are still happening all around you, but I managed to get all the permutations asked for and had time for grandparents once they arrived. When I finished the family went out leaving me to pack up and lock up. First thing I did was put the kettle on, take a seat and a deep breath. It's often that way, when I'm taking the pictures time just races past a sure sign that not only me but the people in front of the lens are enjoying themselves too.

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Keywords: BatMitzvah, London, Photographer, Photography, Pinner, Portrait