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Shoot an annual ‘marker’

As any parent will tell you, children grow up very quickly. And because life is so hectic for so many people, weeks if not months can go by without you taking a portrait of your child. Many people address this by shooting annual ‘markers’. These are portraits taken of the same person on the same day of each year. By doing this, families ensure they have up-to-date images as well as a visual record of how much development a child shows after a certain period of time.

The most common days to shoot markers on are those that mean the most to the photographer and his or her family. This may be Christmas, the subject’s birthday, or that of a parent. The secret is to choose a day on which you will always remember to take the picture.

EMMA

This portrait of five-year-old Emma is the fifth to be taken on Christmas day. Her parents decided that this, along with her birthday, were memorable ‘markers’ and so each year on these days she has her picture taken by the Christmas tree or with her birthday presents.

Nikon D200, 18–55mm lens at 55mm, 1/20 sec at f/2.8, ISO 200.