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As a photographer, I've seen and honored it all - from tantrums to tears to epic meltdowns. But one of my most memorable recent shoots was with a little boy who took his role as a pterodactyl very, very seriously.

It all started innocently enough. I was setting up my equipment when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. There was the little boy, with the most beautiful curls, and a dinosaur bow tie, flapping his arms and making screeching noises, pretending to be a pterodactyl.

At first, I thought it was just a passing phase, a little bit of childhood whimsy. But as the shoot went on, he kept it up - screeching, flapping, and generally being the most authentic pterodactyl I've ever seen.

This was a child fully committed to his role as a prehistoric bird, and he was not about to break character. But here's the thing - as a photographer, I love nothing more than authenticity. I want to capture real, genuine moments that tell a story and capture the essence of my subjects. And in that moment, with that little boy flapping his arms and screeching like a pterodactyl, I knew that I had something truly special.

So I leaned into it. I started screeching back, taking photos of him in action, capturing his wild, untamed spirit and his love for all things prehistoric. And you know what? The photos turned out amazing. They were funny, clever, and most importantly, authentic.

In the end, I was reminded about a very important truth that day - sometimes the best photos come from unexpected places. All you need is a safe space, a little bit of childhood whimsy, a lot of imagination, and a commitment to authenticity to capture something truly magical.

So here's to all the little pterodactyls out there - keep flapping those wings and never stop being authentic.

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