Friday, May 30, 2014

by: Lola Elise

Photographing children can sometimes be a challenging task, since children typically do not like posing for the camera (especially when they are too busy doing something they like). Everything happens way too fast, making it extremely difficult for the photographer to capture the moment. Because of that, many of us end up with blurry and out-of-focus photographs and wonder how we can improve our photography skills to get better results. After learning much about child photography, taking pictures of my two boys and doing some work on the field, I decided to write an article and provide tips and pointers on how you can successfully photograph children.

Powerful child portraits are much different than “look at the camera and smile” pictures. A true portrait will reflect a child’s personality, energy and uniqueness that every one of the bundle of joys have.

Here is the outline of the most important factors in child photography:

1) Plan the process, know your gear and have the right equipment

Even though things might get a little out of hand while photographing children, try to plan the photo shoot as much as you can. First things first, get to know what kind of gear you need for that particular photo session. If you are planning to shoot indoors, have all the necessary photo equipment with you. The light inside of the house or the building may not be as great as outdoors and you may need extra gear to make things work. If you are using a point and shoot camera, I wouldn’t recommend shooting with it indoors, simply because point and shoot cameras produce too much noise in low-light environments. To have best quality pictures indoors, you will need a good light source to illuminate your subject. Shoot by a big window or a well-lit room. Have your external flash, shoot-through umbrella, bounce cards ready if natural light is out of reach. Try to limit or omit using your on-camera flash, as it creates very ugly and harsh shadows in the images. If you are shooting outdoors, know the basic light techniques. Shooting against the sun is not desirable, if you do not know how to manually control your camera.

What Camera Settings should I use? Since children are fast, dynamic and spontaneous, it is virtually impossible to command them to do what you wish. Set up your camera to a setting where you will be able to control the process easily. I photograph children in “Aperture Priority” mode. In this mode, you will be able to play with the depth of field by changing the aperture, letting your camera choose the right shutter speed for you. In low-light environments, you will probably need to set your aperture to the smallest number (a fast lens with a large aperture such as f/1.4 helps a lot) to have a reasonably fast shutter speed. If it gets darker and the light starts depleting, spike up the ISO a little. Even though the images will be a little grainy, you might capture an image worth the whole photo session. Remember, it is better to have a sharp image with more noise, than a blurry noise-free image! If your camera has an “Auto ISO” feature, enable Auto ISO and set your maximum ISO to 1600 on a full frame camera (FX) and ISO 800 on a non-full frame camera (DX). A little bit of noise is not a big deal, since you can get rid of it in Lightroom and Photoshop. I find that beyond ISO 800-1600, the images get too noisy for large prints. To learn more about camera settings, I highly recommend reading our article on how to take sharp photos.

What is the best camera and lens for child photography? Any camera will work fine, although using a DSLR with a fast aperture lens is highly recommended. You do not need the expensive top of the line DSLRs for this – any entry-level DSLR such as Nikon D3000/D5000 or Canon Digital Rebel series will work great for child photography. The more important part is the lens. I recommend using fast lenses, because they work very well in dim environments and do a terrific job in isolating subjects and creating a beautiful, creamy background blur, also known as “bokeh“. For low budgets (up to $250), lenses such as Nikon 35mm f/1.8, Nikon 50mm f/1.8 and Canon 50mm f/1.8 lenses deliver great results for child portraiture. If you have a medium-size budget (up to $500), you should look into the Nikon 50mm f/1.4, Nikon 85mm f/1.8 and Canon 50mm f/1.4, Canon 85mm f/1.8 lenses. Those with large budgets (up to $2,000) should definitely consider the Nikon 85mm f/1.4, Nikon 70-200mm VRII and Canon 50mm f/1.2, Canon 85mm f/1.2 and Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses. I personally tried out many different lenses, including the top of the line professional lenses, and my personal favorite is still the 50mm f/1.4 lens that I use more than any other. It is small, lightweight and very sharp for most of my lifestyle photography needs.

What lighting equipment should I use for photographing indoors in low light? Excellent question! If you do not have a large and powerful source of light (such as a large window) to lit up the room, your only option, unfortunately, will be to use an external flash/lighting. As I pointed out above, you should not use a built-in flash for any kind of portraiture. The built-in camera flash creates ugly shadows both on the face and behind your subject, so you should try not to use it. If the room ceiling is white and not too high, I find that a good way to lighten up the room is to use an external flash mounted on the top of the camera, with the flash head pointed up. What this does, is it bounces the light off the ceiling, giving softer shadows. Take a look at this example, where I bounced the light off the ceiling:

When I use a flash like that, I set the flash to “TTL” (through the lens) mode, set my camera to “Manual” mode, then set my aperture to somewhere between f/2.8 and f/5.6, my shutter speed to 1/200th-1/250th of a second and my ISO to the lowest number (ISO 100 or ISO 200). In “TTL” mode, the camera automatically determines what the flash power should be and fires the right amount to properly expose the subject. This is hassle-free, works great and delivers great results. For Nikon DSLRs, you should look into the SB-600 and SB-900 flashes, while for Canon DSLRs, check out the 430 EXII and 580 EXII external flashes.

If you want to get more serious about indoor and studio photography, you should look into off-camera flashes and lighting (we will write a separate article on this later).

2) Get to know your subject and learn how to interact and connect with the child

If you have time, try to get to know the child before the photo session. Try to determine what the child likes, find a common ground, be their friend. Do not be another adult to dictate them what to do. Stick to their level of innocence, playfulness, adopt their energy and make them laugh by being silly. There is absolutely no need to ask the child to smile for the camera. Aside from having dull and fake images, you will not obtain anything extraordinary. Let the child play and enjoy himself/herself, while you get ready for the shot. Ask the parents to stand right behind you, then when you are all set, either call the child yourself or ask the parents to do it for you. As soon as the child looks, focus instantly on the closest eye and take a picture. Remember, even without a smile or a giggle you can have some emotional, sensitive and touching images. It is important to build a bond with a child to obtain the best results.

3) Get creative, imaginative and be fun to spend time with

Storyboards – To really capture the child’s personality, keep photographing the child while he/she is in motion and playing around. You will have at least 3-4 great images just from those 15 minutes to create a series of images in one frame. These action-packed series of images tell a bigger story than a single image. It also adds a variety to your final product. Parents love these types of shots!

Try to show emotional appeal, sensitivity and spontaneity in your images. Let the child connect with you. Allow the child to touch the back of your camera and show their pictures on the LCD. Play roles, ask questions and fulfill their curiosity.

4) Have the props to entertain the child or to set the mood for the photo shoot

Just like adults, children tend to get nervous after seeing a room full of equipment or a foreign person in the family. While we already know that bonding with the child is essential, it is also useful to help them to get relaxed. Give them something to play with. One can have countless options to entertain children. The first step is to consult parents and find out what their children like doing. Make sure it is you who brings the stuff for bonding purposes. Have some toys, bubble makers, balloons, fruits, candies handy. While you can absolutely use these props in your pictures, the main purpose is to have the child relaxed and distract his/her mind from unnecessary activities.

5) Get down to their level and figure out your angles

While it is a common rule to get down to the child’s level in order to obtain killer images, you can also try a couple of things against common rules. Snap some pictures standing up, snap another laying down and snap some more sitting on child’s level. Remember, creativity is your friend. Work with it. Try different angels, shoot the details of child’s clothing and favorite toys. After-all, you are creating memories for years to come. Sensitivity is a big part of child photography.

6) Choose the right location, clothing and timing

Location is very important to create great images. Some parents let the photographer choose the location. I always scout for locations in advance. If you have time and means to travel around, I suggest to take the opportunity. This way, you will know the good spots and you can plan for your shots better.

Background and surroundings – While taking pictures, make sure that there are no distractions in the background. Ideally, the child should be isolated from the background and the background should look pleasantly soft and blurry. Watch for harsh objects and ugly colors both in the background and surroundings.

What to wear – I advise to dress the child in something that really suits their personality. It is your job to be creative and try out different things to see if one approach works better than another. Make sure to tell the parents to bring additional clothing and other items such as hats, sunglasses, etc. in advance. If you think that the clothing is not very appealing or appropriate for your environment, talk to the parents and ask them to change the clothing or spice it up.

Timing is another big factor for successful images. To avoid harsh shadows and various exposure problems, try to photograph early in the mornings or late afternoons. Outcast days work great too, because the clouds help soften up the light.

7) Make sure the parents of the child are on the same boat with you

Do not assume that the child’s parents are OK with your tactics and with how you are treating their child. Take time to explain your plans and your approach to them. Once they are comfortable and confident with your style and ideas, they can help you out a great deal. They can assist you in interacting with the child, so that you can capture more of the emotions that are usually very hard to create while standing behind the camera.

8) Be patient and be ready for mood swings

Mood Swings – Being a child photographer is not an easy task. Children are very unpredictable. I cannot even predict the behavior of my two boys, not to mention the reaction of a child that will be seeing me for the first time. Be patient, give them some time to get used to you and your presence. Put the parents’ minds at ease that you will not take off once your time is up. Rushing will get you nowhere.

Children might get very moody if they are tired of being photographed. They might want to do something different, like play another game or move to a different location. If you feel that you haven’t gotten enough of good pictures, talk to the parents and see what other approaches you can take. Act a little silly to cheer the child up. That last giggle you capture could be the best photo of the day.

9) Take lots of pictures

And yes, take LOTS of pictures. Do not just sit there, waiting for the best moment, because you might not ever see it. Take lots of pictures, change angles, take more pictures. Get closer, then get further away and keep firing! Most likely, you will have plenty of blurry pictures and it’s OK, as long as you have some good pictures that are acceptably sharp.

10) Post-processing and image retouching

Generally, I do not do much post-processing on my images. Well-composed images rarely need to be post-processed. Especially with children, there is really no need to edit images – for the most part, they do not have blemishes or imperfections. Try to keep the image natural. Too much work on the picture will change the personality of the person embossed in them. I mostly do minor editing in Lightroom and use very minimal Photoshop if there is a need for it. You might also need to crop the image, fix the angle and add some vignetting to highlight the subject in the center. Pay special attention to the eyes and make sure that they have a catchlight.

5 Reasons I Love Film Photography

Jason D. Little

Jason Little is a photographer (shooting macros, portraits, candids, and the occasional landscape), part time writer, and full time lover of music. You can see Jason’s photography on his photography blog or on Flickr

They say that everything old becomes new again. Indeed, life does tend to unfold around us in a cyclical fashion. Many of the so-called retro and vintage trends that rise to popularity often vanish as quickly as they appeared. But the fact that these things enter popular consciousness at all says something about our connection to — or, more likely, our curiosity about — the styles and ways of doing things that preceded some of us. The retro stylings of cameras like the Nikon Df or the Fujifilm X100S certainly bear this out in the realm of photography.

El Charco by Jason Devaun, on Flickr

But what about film photography? There surely seems to be a growing interest in film photography but, for many, the idea that film photography is “new again” doesn’t really fit, as they never completely gave up film even after the digital revolution took firm hold.

Dark Amber by Jason Devaun, on Flickr

I, like most of my peers, was introduced to photography via a film camera — one of those old Polaroid One Step cameras that I managed to wrestle from my aunt’s hands whenever she brought it around. But I am very much a product of the digital age and I jumped at my first opportunity to a digital point-and-shoot camera. I weaned myself from film and never looked back. For a while.

Night Ride by Jason Devaun, on Flickr

I’m not entirely sure what sparked the desire to return to film, but I’m glad it happened. Sure, I’m also reminded of the downsides, but I consider them relatively insignificant. To be sure, this isn’t a manifesto about abandoning digital photography or a screed about why film is ostensibly better than digital. No, I’m just sharing a few reasons why I love shooting film and why film photography will continue to play a small but important role in my growth as a photographer.

The Space Between by Jason Devaun, on Flickr

Hopefully, one or two of you reading this will be inspired to return to film or to try it out for the first time. Or, all this might serve as a reminder of why you happily kicked film to the curb and will never go back. Either way, it’s food for thought. Here are five reasons why I love shooting film, in no particular order.

1. Happy Accidents and Unexpected Treasures

I tend to approach film photography with somewhat of an “art project” mindset, so I’m far more tolerant of imperfections as opposed to when I’m shooting digital. I don’t consider light leaks and lens flare to be problems, even when I’m not expecting to see them in a photo. And since I’m admittedly bad at reading manuals (I just don’t do it), I’ve made my fair share of accidental double exposures. Turns out I’ve enjoyed the results of most of those accidents.

Shadowfall by Jason Devaun, on Flickr

2. The Challenge

I would never go so far as to say digital photography is easy. But film photography sure isn’t convenient. Film photography forces me to be much more deliberate and thoughtful when I’m working. There are no do-overs. No delete button. If I don’t get it right the first time — get it right in camera — then I’ve just wasted a frame. As noted above, it doesn’t always go right but I am ever cognizant of the fact I have a limited number of frames to work with. Not all of my film cameras have working light meters, so getting the exposure I want (rather than a “correct” exposure) has become second nature.

Come Close by Jason Devaun, on Flickr

3. No Post Post-Processing

Once I get my film developed and scanned, that’s it. The images remain untouched. I simply feel no compulsion to alter or “improve” my film shots in any way — even when they’re not very good. It’s a nice break from Lightroom’s develop module.

Rising Down by Jason Devaun, on Flickr

4. Grain Versus Noise

Like virtually everything else on the list, this is entirely subjective (and, perhaps, a figment of my imagination), but film grain wins the war of aesthetics over digital noise every time. I understand the semantic use of noise as an analogy for grain, but that’s where that relationship ends for me. I’m partial to real film grain.

The Way Up by Jason Devaun, on Flickr

5. The Analog Personality

Not to be overly anthropomorphic here, but I thoroughly enjoy the personality of film and old cameras. While I love my DSLRs, I don’t feel they have much personality beyond what I assign to them. My old cameras, on the other hand, each come with their own distinctive quirks that generally escape being put into words, but if you shoot film you’ll know what I mean. A similar case can be made for film. I have a particular attachment to Kodak Tri-X 400 and Kodak Portra 400 because, well, I just like the look of them and that’s all the reason I need. But I’m determined to try as many different kinds of film as I possibly can; and as I make my way through the different Fujifilm, Kodak, Agfa, Ilford, and other films (including rolls of expired film and instant film), I’m learning the many different “looks” associated with each one — looks that are rather difficult to replicate with plugins and presets.

Handiwork by Jason Devaun, on Flickr

As far as the drawbacks of film photography (such as the waiting period and costs associated with developing film, cost of buying film, etc.), they’re not significant enough to keep me away since film doesn’t account for the bulk for my photography. Digital is still my go-to medium. If you find yourself stuck in a creative rut or are in need of adding a new feature to your photographic repository, I highly encourage you to give film a try.

The Death of Film Photography?

While I profoundly disagree with the notion that film Photography is "dead", I do realize that there are some who have a different view point, and for that reason I've posted the story below.

The Death Of Film Is Felt Hardest In The City Built On Kodak's Reign

MICHAEL HESSION

Rochester, New York, is the city where George Eastman founded the company responsible for making photography an everyday part of American life. Although Kodak is still a household name, the digital age has gutted what was once a thriving industry. Traces of the film giant can be seen echoing throughout Rochester in the photography of Catherine Leutenegger.

Leutenegger’s book, Kodak City, is a tour through the sleepy upstate New York city that Eastman set up shop in circa 1880. The images provide a sober look at the Kodak facilities and the surrounding people and places that live in their shadows. Throughout the series are melancholic collisions of a dilapidated corporate culture and the grandeur of industry. Even when Leutenegger takes her camera away from the Kodak buildings, you can feel its ghost lingering.

Anyone familiar with the recent history of photography is aware of the tragic fall of Kodak — how despite being at the forefront of early digital technology, they failed to capitalise and were eventually swallowed by more forward-thinking competitors. Just as tragic is the loss that photographers who still shoot film feel as the precious materials necessary for the craft are in danger of disappearing altogether.

The problems of cities like Rochester go deeper than the plight of a single company, of course. It is not alone among neighbours like Buffalo and Syracuse whose manufacturing-dominated economies have taken hard hits in recent decades. Through the example of a giant like Kodak, a company universally recognised and even beloved, the consequences of technological shifts are brought sharply into focus.

You can purchase the book Kodak City, published by Kehrer, on Amazon.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

8 Tips for Photographing Uncooperative children

by Jennifer Dell

We’ve all had one of those shoots, whether with a client or your own children. We take the time and dream up the perfect session. Every little detail has been planned and you couldn’t be more excited. You’ve envisioned this session and the way you want to go for weeks. The day comes and the weather is gorgeous and your location is ideal. You’re ready to go. Then, the unimaginable happens…. your children (or quite possibly your client’s children) have other plans. Instead of having a super sweet and girly vintage tea party, your impeccably dressed little girl decides that rolling in the mud and throwing rocks sounds like more fun (this would be my daughter). Or perhaps your sweet children would rather run the opposite direction, away from that gorgeous, gooey setting sun that provides the perfect backlighting. Whatever the case may be, I have learned over the years (mostly from working with my own children) to go with the flow.

Here are a few tips to help you go from this:

8 tips for photographing uncooperative children photo

to this:

1. Put down the camera.

Yep, that’s right, put it down and step away from it. If you are working with props on a stylized session interact with your little subjects and have fun for a few minutes. Then, once everyone is into the activity, pick up the camera again and go for it.

2. Show your children/clients the images you are taking.

Let them chimp after a few shots, this typically gets kids excited to be part of the shoot instead of just your subject. Yes, I know that your camera was not cheap, but you can even let them hold the camera and show them what you are doing (obviously you can only show them if you're using a digital camera. If you're using film you'll have to get creative) It gets their interest and they are much more apt to working with you and not against you.

3. Engage with them.

If you find that you are losing their interests, engage them: ask questions, tell jokes, talk to them. Get them to engage with you. If you do this you will also get more genuine photos too (a bonus!). My daughter had on her mermaid costume and when I wanted to take a photo, she quickly clammed up and gave me this face:

After I asked her to tell me some Ariel facts I got this along with a story about how Ariel sleeps at the bottom of the sea:

4. Breathe.

I tell all of my clients to be prepared for any kind of silly behavior from their children. The worst thing you can do is yell or get frustrated. So like I tell my clients, just breathe. Don’t let the obstacle at hand ruffle your feathers.

5. Try distraction.

If your little one is having a meltdown try to distract them to focus on something else, point out something interesting or introduce something new.

My son was so not happy about me wanting to capture him in his crib but once I reminded him that he had some really great airplanes on the ceiling I got this:

6. Bribe.

I don’t typically like to bribe, but I have been guilty of this from time to time when I’m really, really, really desperate. Only with my own children, never my clients. I’ve promised an M&M or cookie here or there in exchange for some cooperation.

7. Try something different.

If what you had planned really and truly is not working at all… try something different. It isn’t the end of the world. Take these photos for example. These are of my sweet (albeit a little crazy) kiddos. I had planned the perfect valentine’s day themed session… hand made props even. Then when we got to the location my daughter had a meltdown and would not participate and my son picked up a dead mouse. Yep, you read that right a dead rodent. Oh it was so bad. This was all I able to get prior to regrouping…

So we re-grouped, took him inside to wash him and disinfect and her inside to chill. Then, 30 minutes later, we went back out, just with my daughter at that point and I was able to get this and it’s now one of my favorite photos of her.

8. Embrace it.

If all else fails, you can always just embrace the chaos, and call it documentary.

Thank you Jennifer for sharing these amazing tips with us! What are your favorite tricks when your sessions aren’t going as planned? Let us know in the comments below!

Jennifer Dell, Texas

CMU Instructor | CM Mentor
website | blog | facebook | twitter | pinterest | ask a proArmed with a Nikon D4 and an assortment of prime lenses, Jennifer enjoys photographing children and families in her own style, candid and full of natural expressions. When asked how she got her start in photography she explains, “I got started in photography in high school for photojournalism when we still used film and had to develop it in a darkroom. I never really pursued it until in college working on my degree in graphic design. We had several classes that required original photography and this re-sparked my interest in the craft! From there, photography was just another extension of creativity and art to me. Once we had our daughter, I knew I had to document her and all the details that I loved so much. It was my way of preserving her babyhood.” Other than photography Jennifer loves to read and finds cooking an elaborate meal relaxing. She also enjoys the show Friends, coffee, a nice bottle of wine, and spending time with her family including her two children and three stinky english bulldogs. Jennifer is also the instructor of CMU’s Business 101: Building a Successful Business

A day at the Coffee House

Posted in: Agfa, Film, Food Photography, Fujifilm, Kodak, Photography, Project. Tagged: film photography, food photography, Mamiya 645 Pro, nikon f100. Leave a comment

Few months back my friend and I had an opportunity to do food photography at my another friend’s newly opened cafe, Standing Theory. It was my first attempt on food photography by using film camera, in both full frame and medium format. It was also my first time taking it seriously, by putting more effort in preparing the photo shooting session. We prepared some props such as DIY wooden platforms, black matte cardboard, bamboo mat, plants, and books. We also had a silver reflector, a flash, a tripod, and a dozens of film to be expendable. Knowing the risk of film photography, my friend prepared a digital camera as backup throughout the whole photo shooting session. (Probably will be shown in his blog)

We were given a spot near the entrance of the shop, so that we can utilize the natural light. The reflector and black cardboard seemed work well in controlling the lighting. We tried to avoid using flash with the film camera as neither of us had experience in it. I took a lot of photos, and these are just a small selection of my favorites from the day.

Nikon F100, Sigma AF 28-70mm f/2.8
Agfa Vista 400
Kodak Portra 160
Mamiya 645 Pro, Sekor-C 80mm f/2.8
Fujifilm Pro160NS
Kodak Portra 400
Developed and scanned by BangBangGeng

DarrylT