Shanghai Stroll in the Dance of Light and Shadow

When the mother contacted me, she mentioned that she was coming to Shanghai for a trip in mid-September and wanted a photoshoot. Initially, she was thinking of a typical tourist-style shoot at landmarks like The Bund, but after some advice, we decided on the
Former French Concession District. A few days before the shoot, the weather was gloomy, and I worried it might rain. To my surprise, the day of the shoot turned out to be sunny. We spent two hours roaming the old Shanghai streets, surrounded by the play of light and shadow, and everything was just perfect.

This mom had great taste and had carefully prepared outfits for the whole family. When I met her, she looked stunning (later I found out she was of Korean descent, haha). However, when I pointed the camera at her, I realized she, like me, is a bit introverted and felt awkward in front of the camera. What do you do when you’re working with someone who’s not comfortable being photographed?

The simplest approach is to help them forget about the camera. Instead of posing her, I encouraged her to do what she normally does, like playing with her daughter and husband. I captured their natural interactions, and when I saw something particularly interesting, I asked them to repeat it. Along the way, we chatted, strolled, and took photos, and by the end, we were so comfortable with each other that the “awkwardness” was long gone. The final photos were exactly what the mom wanted, and she was thrilled with the results.

Shoot Type: Outdoor Family Documentary
Location: Former French Concession District 
Subjects: 6-year-old child, mom, and dad
Time: 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM
Equipment: Canon R62 + RF 24-70mm F2.8

I’m Dora, a family photographer based in Shanghai. If you prefer natural, documentary-style photos over staged shots, feel free to reach out to me and let me capture warm, heartfelt family memories for you.