Your Best Portraits

This portrait came together during a chaotic Easter weekend at home. My four-year-old and his nine-year-old half-brother were deep in their usual cycle of constant bickering and momentary alliances, fuelled by Easter eggs (so extra feral). I suggested taking a photo, mostly to redirect their energy from murdering the couch cushions, and surprisingly, they were keen. I told them they could choose any spot in the backyard, and they headed straight for the fence. They planted themselves back-to-back unprompted, arms folded and scowls locked in. It made me laugh because they suddenly looked less like tiny rivals and more like a moody little gang. Classic siblings. I just framed it and hit the shutter. No reflectors, no flashes. Just two kids, one fed-up parent with a camera, and some decent light.
I love that this image captures the complicated, honest mix of push-and-pull that defines brotherhood.
I shot this on a Canon R6 with an 85mm lens at f/2.5. I processed the image in Lightroom, converting to black and white early on, their expressions and the symmetry needed that tonal punch. I layered a few custom presets, sharpened the subjects, and subtly darkened the background to help their outline hold against the fence. Selective adjustments added clarity and brightness where needed. I edited out a few too many distracting cobwebs from the fence (the garden needs a tidy!). A minor crop to level the frame, and that was it.
The challenges were keeping the energy grounded just long enough to capture something still. Between the sugar highs and the general chaos of the long weekend, they weren’t exactly in portrait mode. It’s not polished, but it’s honest.