Photos Even Annie Leibovitz Would Approve Of

Sure, you can take photos of your kids with your point-and-shoot, but

Photo: Sheena Sippy.

chances are they’ll be less than wall-worthy. And if you’re against the idea of posing your offspring in a stuffy studio, then Sheena Sippy might be a more charming option. The acclaimed photographer (sister to Rohan, daughter of Ramesh), who has shot everyone from Naomi Campbell to Imran Khan and for publications like Time and Vogue UK, has launched a new photo service for kids.

“It started with photographing my kids,” says Sippy, who also shoots family portraits. “Friends said I couldn’t just keep it to myself and that I should do that professionally.” Sippy, who has two children of her own, is adroit at dealing with recalcitrant kids, whom she chats with about “everything from fairies to dragons” so she can get into their world. Though many of her shots are candid and in black-and-white, Sippy is open to photographing the kids anywhere, “as long as it makes them comfortable”. Her photos of gurgling babies, little boys caught mid-jump, and even sulking girls, have a, dare we say it, certain Annie Leibovitz sensibility to them.

As for her admittedly hefty fee—prices start at Rs50,000 for two kids—Sippy says it’s an investment. “Diamond necklaces, fancy bottles of champagne, lavish dinners, they don’t figure,” she says. “Once they’ve grown up and flown the coop, these photos are one of things they have to look back on.” Contact Sheena Sippy on sheenasippy@gmail.com.