Iwona Podlasińska Recreates a Moment of Perfect Childhood Innocence
Sometimes, a spontaneous capture can provide a photographer with the inspiration they need to set up the perfect shoot.
Originally published October 3, 2018, by Jessi Gowan. Updated October 16, 2026, by PHLEARN Staff: Iwona Podlasinska shot her son with a wooden plane in a poppy field in 2015, then recreated the moment with a young model at a workshop in May 2018. Here is how she lit, shot and edited it, in a new layout with section headings, a shot box and photo pairs.
For fine art and children photographer Iwona Podlasinska, a quick shot of her son playing with a wooden plane in a poppy field near her parents’ home did exactly that.
“It was all I wanted in my photos – childhood dreams, freedom, a little bit of nostalgia,” she said. “I love taking photos of young children because they are unpredictable. You can’t expect them to pose for you, exactly how you want. They can’t fake emotions.”
They can’t fake emotions.
Iwona Podlasinska
The Original Moment
Often, she said, the people who attend her workshops are interested in seeing how she created some of her classic images – including this intimate moment between Iwona, her son, and a simple wooden toy back in 2015. So, with the help of a new, young model, Iwona recreated this magical capture during a photography workshop she hosted in May 2018.
How Iwona Podlasinska Recreated It
“Originally, I didn’t ask my son to pose for me, I just captured a genuine moment,” Iwona said. “In the workshop, I gave the boy the plane. He actually liked it and started pretending the plane was flying over the rapeseed flowers.”
To achieve the soft, golden light she was looking for, Iwona said she waited until the sun was dipping below the horizon before giving her new model the toy. According to Iwona, the light that falls just after sunset provides the perfect opportunity to capture a beautifully backlit image while still retaining sufficient detail in the sky and foreground.
Camera and Settings
- CameraSony A7II
- LensSony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM
- Settings1/250, f/2, ISO 160
The photo was shot with a Sony A7II and an 85mm f/1.4 Sony GM lens – perfect for capturing a crisp portrait with a creamy, blurred background. Iwona used an exposure of 1/250, with an aperture of f/2 and an ISO of 160.
“In both photos, I wanted to see more sky than I was able to put in a single shot,” Iwona admitted. “Sky, in this case, represents his dreams and makes the viewer understand the story.”
Sky, in this case, represents his dreams and makes the viewer understand the story.
Iwona Podlasinska
Two Frames, One Sky
To achieve this, Iwona said she combined two horizontal shots – one of the boy playing with the airplane, and an image she’d shot of some beautiful clouds several days earlier. After using a simple mask to cover the edges and put the two images together in Lightroom, she said she decided to add a swirl of blur to add a touch of whimsy to the corners, which was done using radial blur with the middle of the photo masked out.
2015: her son in the poppy field
2018 workshop: the final imageCatching the Moment
In the end, Iwona’s photo perfectly embodies the innocence and freedom of childhood – exactly what she’d hoped to recreate when she revisited her 2015 shot. It captures a moment, which is something Iwona said she tries to do every time she picks up her camera.
“My job, whenever I shoot, is all about making those kids enjoy the moment,” she said. “You can show them how they can play, and then observe, waiting for a good time to take a photo. Every good photo is a treasure, because it’s difficult to get it the same way twice – you have to be a little lucky.”
Every good photo is a treasure, because it’s difficult to get it the same way twice – you have to be a little lucky.
Iwona Podlasinska
To see more of Iwona’s photography, visit her website. Or follow her on one of her many social media pages: Instagram, Flickr, Facebook.
Common Questions About Iwona Podlasinska
Who is Iwona Podlasinska? A fine art and children photographer who also hosts photography workshops. She says she loves photographing young children because they are unpredictable: you can’t expect them to pose exactly how you want, and they can’t fake emotions. Her work is on her website and on Instagram, Flickr and Facebook.
How did Iwona Podlasinska make this photo? She gave the boy the plane just after the sun dipped below the horizon, when the light is golden and backlit but the sky and foreground still hold detail. She shot with a Sony A7II and a Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM lens at 1/250, f/2 and ISO 160.
How did she edit it? She wanted more sky than one frame could hold, so she combined two horizontal shots: the boy with the plane and clouds she had photographed several days earlier, joined with a simple mask in Lightroom. A radial blur on the corners, with the middle of the photo masked out, adds the swirl.
How do you capture childhood innocence in a photo? Iwona’s approach is to let children play rather than pose. Her original shot was a genuine moment she didn’t ask her son to pose for. With other children, she shows them how they can play, then watches and waits for a good time to take the photo. She adds that you have to be a little lucky, because a good photo is hard to get the same way twice.
