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July 11, 2006
James Levin Photographs Kids
James Levin Photographs Kids
James Levin is the consummate photographer of children. He captures their spirit and he discovers their personality. The design of his images makes them colorful, graphic and fun. What makes a child laugh, learn, grow and change? James will find this in his relationship with the camera and the child. As he laughingly states: “On the job training has given me an unofficial degree in Child Psychology.”
James’ expertise is the challenging pre-school years, which is the “age of discovery and independence.” The ability to develop instant rapport reflects his twenty years of working with kids. He stresses the importance of flexibility and being quick on one’s feet. The most important aspect of his people skills is the ability to be intuitive and to learn. “The significant thing for me in this industry has been the fact that - being a children’s photographer has made me a better parent, and being a parent has made me a better children’s photographer.”
(c)Copyright Levin
James’ skill is in working with children to bring products to life. He is best known for his award winning work with such companies as Fisher-Price, Mattel, Scholastic Publishing, Random House, and Doubleday. Some of the most interesting experiences and learning curves include working with animals and children at the same time. That constitutes, “two unpredictable forces meeting head on, and a client that wants something ‘natural’.” We’re not talking just dogs and cats. James’ studio has been populated by birds, reptiles, bunnies, a “smelly donkey”, and a llama. James can even lay claim to a shoot with the famous, Lassie, a few years ago. He says the dog was smarter than most humans, and really did understand everything that was said to him – just like on TV!
James’ next big skill is the fine art of “toy rigging.” That means incorporating kids, toys and products for the client so they all look natural, even though they are “locked in position.” Having the main elements locked and others still moving to keep the model involved requires armature wire, hot glue, sticks, shim and tape, and lots of it.
(c)Copyright Levin
His most clever shoot was aligning five and six year olds in the shapes of the alphabet letters. It was shot straight down from overhead, with all the kids in primary colors. He drew all the letters into a schematic and pre determined how the shapes would look to decide how many kids would be needed. It was a challenge to get the kids to be still for the length of time necessary to complete the shoot. As James put it: “I keep things moving quickly, and I always try to make it fun. I can behave like a kid – just ask my wife.
Posted by Pat at July 11, 2006 04:39 PM
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