Photo shoot day! With an 18-month-old, I have a short window to bring this vision to life. This isn't about getting a ‘perfect’ pose but capturing something real and magical.

I came prepared with my shot list, but the best moments are always the unexpected ones—his tiny hands reaching, the way his face lights up in wonder, holding a fishing pole, laughing with delight. These raw moments are the building blocks of the final piece.

I wanted him sitting in a boat on top of a whale holding a fishing pole. So I put him in a little crate to keep him confined to one spot while I took the photos. 

I also had a vision of him sitting on a moon. This meant I needed to get light underneath him somehow! 

How can I create an image of a toddler sitting on the moon?? I needed moonlight coming from below to mimic sitting on the moon so I had to get creative! An exercise mat would be about the right height for a toddler and I strapped on some LED constant lights on to bring the light. Here's a clip of the reality behind the scenes. He didn't want to sit because he thought it might be HOT! 😀🌙

The lighting was intentionally set up to match my vision of the final pieces.