Audrey Woulard - Professional Photographer Magazine

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‘‘ portraits. Other I would put kids in bright colors and stripes. At the time that was a popular look in editorial but not in photographers kicked me around about that. They’d say, ‘What are those kids wearing?’ But I liked it.
‘‘ I never coo-chee-coo at them or wave toys over my head. I just keep talking ’’ so they have no choice but to look at me. newborns, babies, children, tweens (children eight to 12 years old) and teens. Tweens can be self-conscious and shy, but Woulard likes photographing them most of all. “It’s one of my favorite ages because they are still young, yet old enough to relate to me,” she says. “What works well with them, especially the girls, is to show them their picture on the LCD screen. They can be stiff and uncertain about whether they should smile or not. But when they see their picture they know it’s OK and then they really get into it.” To get beyond mugging and shyness in younger children, Woulard shoos away parents and starts talking. “I never allow silence because that gives them time to pose. I don’t immediately pick up the camera. I talk to them first. And I move. The more they and I move, the less likely they are to pose. I talk and laugh with the older kids and encourage them to talk to me as I’m shooting. With the younger kids, I just act like a goofball.” She uses her non-stop talking technique with babies, too. “I never coo-chee-coo at them or wave toys over my head. I just keep talking so they have no choice but to look at me. I don’t like having parents around because kids will always look to them for approval— even babies. I try to keep it just the kids and me so they concentrate only on me.” PHOTOGRAPHY ON TOE POINT Woulard decided to get a studio in 2006 when her client base grew large and travel fatigue set in. Her 2,100-square-foot studio is awash in natural light, even during the bleak Midwestern winters. In warmer months, the ratio of studio to location work is 50-50. “I still prefer location work because I like the challenge it presents,” she admits. “I never know if I’m going to a small apartment or a mansion because I never scout locations. It keeps me on my toes.” Not being able to predict shooting situations necessitated investing in many camera
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Audrey Woulard - Professional Photographer Magazine

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