Expressive Photography: Assurance
By: Author: J Bakken

Every picture tells a story. Photographs reveal a great deal to the viewer and they can be interpreted differently by individuals. When photographs feature people they often display a variety of emotions ranging from happiness to loneliness and every possible feeling in between. Capturing 'assurance' in a photograph takes the right photographer, the right subjects, and the right setting.
When I think of my photography where I have captured assurance I think of last fall when I photographed my friend and colleague and her two young daughters. They spent an hour or so in a local park playing, exploring, and simply enjoying a brilliant fall day while I snapped away with my camera.
The photographs look as though they could be featured on a billboard selling everything from the clothes and accessories they were wearing, to a leisure lifestyle, to the concept of 'assurance' itself. They were naturals in front of the camera and felt comfortable standing, sitting, bending down, lying down, or walking away while I was snapping photos left, right, and centre. I managed to capture a handful of extraordinary shots where the seven year old looks deep in thought and wise beyond her years.
That afternoon I captured some brilliant photographs of the three of them laughing as they all hugged each other with their eyes closed as they sat on a park bench, and the three of them sitting in the freshly fallen autumn leaves under a tree watching a ladybug crawl on the youngest daughter's hand.
When my friend looks at these pictures she is reminded that they are doing great. Assurance involves giving confidence and affirming positively, and to capture that on film is gratifying and even if you only get one great shot out of 36, you know you've got 'the one'and that's all that matters.

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