(Above shot with a regular 50mm lens; trying not to publish recognizable photos.)

There is a turning point that I’m imagining all parents go through. Babies, so oblivious,  have no idea that you have a camera in hand to capture their every adorable expressions and puzzlement over the cat. You take photos nearly constantly. Toddlers, though, have figured out The Camera and your days of spontaneously photographing your kids is practically over. Preschoolers and older kids become self-conscious, either running out of frame or smiling dramatically before asking I WANT TO SEE THE PICTURE NOW.

My photos of Toddler Bean are all wide-eyed stares, seconds before she got up and ran over to grab the camera. I have many photos of the palm of her hand. My photos of Preschool Bean are all demanding, scrunched faces as she asks to use the camera BY MYSELF. IS MY TURN.

Adults are difficult too, with a nearly radar-like awareness if someone is holding a camera within a 10 foot radius. If someone senses a camera is present, they move differently: some people freeze up, others ham it up. I’m sure everyone knows this ACT NATURAL feeling. (My friends have noted that I tend to get good photos of people because I take so very many photos that people start ignoring me. Good job, me? You’re welcome?)

This weekend, I was making my way through Ansel Adams’ Camera when I noted he shot all of his portraits with long lenses — 80mm or larger. Later on in the book, he explained that in portraiture, a photographer is “likely to move in to fill the frame with the subject, creating a feeling of closeness” and so we use a long lens in order to capture a person’s features at “a comfortable working distance.”

Here, “a comfortable working distance” means “not smothering them with a camera.” Basically, we can use a telephoto lens (just like the paparazzi!) to capture an intimate portrait without having to get all up in someone’s personal space.

Yesterday, I packed up my telephoto lens for a family hike. It is so bulky and heavy and awkward to photograph with, that I rarely use it. Before yesterday, I assumed a telephoto lens was for capturing birds, far-away animals, or maybe to zoom in on raindrops on a leaf.

But, that Ansel Adams was right, it is extremely useful for capturing portraits.

I watched yesterday as Dave and Bean sat in a field, nearly 30 to 40 feet away from me. I grabbed my telephoto lens, zoomed it into 250mm and started taking photos of their sweet interactions. Now, I’m sure they could see me, camera in hand, but they didn’t feel awkward by sensing how close in I actually was. They acted as they normally do, no one stared at the camera. I’m going to have to do more of this.