Keeping It Real

Lifestyle photographer Annie Tao captures the story and emotions behind each subject.

Article By Jennifer Gidman

Images by Annie Tao

The inspiration for her work comes from the most heartfelt source: her dad. "Photography and art were always a constant in my life, but I started my photography business after my dad passed away unexpectedly," she says. "His passing gave me the insight and strength to do what I feel passionately about every day."

Tao has several lenses in her arsenal, including what she calls her "specialty lenses": the Tamron SP 90mm F/2.8 macro and SP 200-500mm. "For business, I use the 90mm macro mainly for capturing 'baby parts' during newborn shoots, close-up product shots, and event details, such as wedding rings and décor," she says. "For fun, I love using the 90mm to shoot nature and the everyday details of life. Macro photography can make ordinary things look extraordinary."

Her Tamron 200-500mm lens is, as she puts it, "the lens in my camera bag that makes my heart beat faster. It's best for wildlife photography when I need to keep my distance and be stealthy when photographing animals that don't like to be disturbed. To capture remarkable details, such as a giraffe's eyelashes, is so exciting!"

Capturing Emotions by Building Rapport

Tao's artistic goal is to capture real moments, emotions, and stories. "I give my subjects room to be themselves," she says. "Everything I do is to help them feel comfortable. I shoot at their home or another favorite location, and I don't ask them to hold poses or to smile. Too much 'guidance' makes poses and expressions look saccharine."

She also establishes rapport with her subjects by talking to them throughout the shoot. "This builds trust and a relationship, which is important in helping people let their guard down so they can reveal their emotional side, romantic side, or silly side," Tao explains. "It's easy for people to become stiff in front of the camera or act rehearsed because they think they need to perform a certain way. As a professional photographer, it's my job to help them get to a place mentally where magic can happen."

This is especially true with children (Tao's favorite subjects), but there are other considerations as well. "When you're photographing younger children - from the time babies are mobile at about 7 or 8 months old to about 4 years old - there are a unique set of challenges that you don't have when you're photographing young babies, teens, and adults," she says. "Sometimes kids will do the opposite of what they think you or their parents want them to do. There are diapers and potty training and teething drool that you have to consider during the shoot as well. Some of the kids may be overly aware of the camera and look away, freeze, or say 'Cheese!' when they see you pointing a camera in their direction. They can also be extremely fast, and they all have short attention spans."

What powers Tao through these types of shoots: the way she feels about her young subjects. "I love kids and I love playing with them; I genuinely enjoy being with them," she says. "I'm mindful of how they're feeling during the shoot and know when they need to take a break or move on to another activity. Also, I shoot quickly to get fresh, emotive images. I don't ask kids to hold poses or do anything they don't want to do. My goal is to never let their time with me actually feel like a photo shoot. It's about having fun so they can be themselves."

Nailing the Angles, Composition, and Lighting

Tao thinks and acts fast during a shoot so she doesn't miss those fleeting moments, but she also pushes herself to create unique images. "During my shoots, I'll ask myself, 'How else can I capture this scene?'" she says. "One way is by shooting from different angles. If I'm shooting babies, for instance, I may take a tight shot from ground level to tell a story from the baby's perspective. Or I may take a wider shot from above to show how tiny the baby is compared to the bed or the blanket he's on."

Remaining fluid in terms of framing and composition also helps Tao achieve her signature style. "I don't follow photography rules," she says. "I compose my shots based on how I interpret what's unfolding in front of me, not what the books say I should do."

Tao mainly shoots in natural light but will use any available light - whether it's sunlight streaming through a window, candlelight, or light from an iPad in a dark room. "Other than for commercial shoots, I prefer my images to have a raw component to them, so I try to minimize the use of flash," she explains. "Even in low light, I prefer the graininess and richness of images shot with a high ISO than images that used flash."

When she needs to shoot in bright sunlight, Tao first searches for a shaded area to get out of the direct sun. As an alternative, she may also shoot her subjects with the sun in front of her rather than behind her. "This allows my subjects to keep their eyes wide open rather than squinting from the sunlight and gives me beautiful backlighting that outlines my subjects," she says. "That backlighting also gets rid of harsh shadows on their faces."

Even with the behind-the-lens expertise that allows her to capture such stunning shots, Tao looks beyond the technical to craft truly compelling images. "For me, photography is beyond composition, focus, and exposure," she says. "It's about capturing an emotion that makes you cry when you look at the photo, showing someone's personality so you can remember it years later, and telling a story that brings you into the moment, even if you weren't there when it happened."

To see Annie Tao's work or for more photography tips, go to www.annietaophotography.com or www.facebook.com/annietaophotography.