Click Magazine (July/August 2019)

Among the bevy of technical, artistic and organizational tips we present on photographing sets of multiple siblings, perhaps the most valuable comes from photographer and mother of twins, Brooke Hamilton: “Get to know the kids as individuals.” No matter how much they resemble each another, agrees photographer Sunny Mays, the mother of identical twin girls, try to highlight twins’ often wildly different approaches to the same tasks.

Our story on how to photograph and manage sessions with twins, triplets and more covers a lot of important information, but Brooke’s advice touches the core of every successful portrait: Photography is a person-to-person experience. Connect with your subject; see your subject.

We heard a similarly powerful message when we had the chance to talk with photographer and author Kate Parker, whose series of kid-empowering books have created no less than an international sensation. Kate wrote and photographed her first book, “Strong is the New Pretty,” to teach her daughters never to make themselves smaller or different to fulfill society’s restrictive gender expectations. In Kate’s latest book, “The Heart of a Boy,” already a New York Times bestseller, she explores themes of vulnerability and emotionality for boys. “The message of my work is that you, just as you are, are worthy,” says Kate. “I am imploring children (and parents) to celebrate themselves as they are.”