The Peekaboo

How to set up The Peekaboo

1. Set the frame before anyone moves. The Peekaboo wants a close frame filled with faces, with 1 person already close enough to touch. A young child covers then reveals their face. Simple game that produces authentic surprise and laughter.
2. Get them into the standing shape, then say this once and stop directing: "Hide your face... where did you go? There you are!"
3. While they hold it, make one flatter change and shoot again. Wait for the reveal moment, not the hiding moment, and keep the focus on the eyes.
4. If the first frame feels stiff, do not rebuild the group. Try this next: Peek through fingers.

Who it suits

The Peekaboo is built for children. It is not an adult pose made smaller. It suits 1 person and a standing shape. It is beginner: one clear sentence is enough direction. Because the frame is tight, a small lean changes the picture more than a new backdrop would.

Where to shoot and how to light it

Shoot The Peekaboo indoors (indoor). A sofa, bed, table, window or step you already have is the set. Clear the background directly behind the heads so the kids photo poses subject stays the subject. You do not need a studio wall.

For The Peekaboo, face a window and turn the ceiling light off. Light from the side sculpts faces. Overhead light puts eyes in shadow and flattens the standing shape. If the window is behind them, they will be silhouettes, which is only right when the pose is meant to be a silhouette.

The usual miss on The Peekaboo is a gap, a straight line of heads, or a face waiting for the next instruction. Wait for the reveal moment, not the hiding moment, and keep the focus on the eyes. Then take the frame before anyone resets.

Variations

• Peek through fingers
• Peek from behind a curtain
• Peek around a door frame