Photo Session
Today we took Amara and Ethan to JCPenney for a photo op. Things went fine, but every time I go, I have visions of taking my own pictures at home. The photographers were great, but they couldn't get a good smile out of Ethan, who's usually a totally ham for the cameras. Plus, its often a bit of an ordeal to get everyone dressed up, arrive at the studio at a time when the kids are happy, fed and rested, and get through the photo session keep them in the aforementioned state while I pick out pictures and pay. I often find that to be the hardest part - Baby's getting grumpy after being awake for too long, while I have to make decisions about which pictures and how many....
I used to go to a different studio that will remain nameless because I'm about to criticize... they never seemed to grasp that Amara's pretty cautious and that tickling her with a gigantic feather duster wasn't going to bring our her happy giggling side. Even when she'd get freaked and cry, they'd increase the frequency of feather duster approaches in an attempt to distract her. Don't you see that she's scared of what you're doing? Using a gigantic feather duster to tickle her will not help her forget about the same gigantic feather duster that was tickling her a few seconds ago. Thankfully, after much therapy, her feather duster fears have subsided.
Anyways, the point here is that I'd like to work on taking pictures at home, where my kids are generally happy and relaxed. I don't know a whole lot about photography, but I can take 100 pictures with the digital, so my chances of getting a good shot are decent. Plus, we can do this on a more regular basis and enlarge good pictures so easily now. So, does anyone have any good tips for backdrops and such?
6 Comments:
We took E to get photos taken when he was 6 weeks old. It was our only trip. Not only did go poorly, but he got sick the next day (dirty blankets that they put him in).
We took our family portrait last fall with our digital in front of the in-laws' house. Actually, our camera can take 5 pictures in a row about 1/2 second apart, so the liklihood of getting something good is, well, good.
yeah, we are totally sold on doing it ourselves. we don't usualyl plan backdrops (except avoiding messy spots), but good choices would be outdoors in front of plants or brick walls or sitting on grass or park benches or by fireplaces or whatever.
We print at costco, under $2 for an 8x10, and no hassle of getting us all to an appointment and just hoping one of those shots is worthwhile. Instead we take our dozens and sooner or later a fabulous print comes out
I bet you could find a good website for photogrpahy tips. I do take pride in my skills and at least make sure the subject is centered, focused on, and level with the edges... :)
and google's free Picasa does a great job with any touchups and cropping.
I think you already have some great photographic skills. Myself, I tend to prefer the more spontaneous pictures, as opposed to the super posed studio shots. I think that people, and kids especially, look their best mid-play.
I like it too when I can capture my kids in the moment of play. However, this often happens with a bunch of toys or half a chair in the background. Fine for snapshots, but I want something less cluttery in the background for an enlarged shot.
I try to avoid indoor photos because the light is usually poor and the background has junk in it. I also often scoop them up spontaneously when I notice they're both grinning and just plop them in the grass on a blanket. Look for clean shade with no mottled light. I try to keep the camera out and accessible so I can grab it whenever-I usually leave it on the piano or something. When I do take indoor shots I try to zoom in really close, thereby cutting off as much excess background stuff as possible.
Another thing I've done is thumb-tack a white or navy sheet to the wall as a backdrop. But it only works well if you are a master of lighting, which I am not.
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