6 small children in small studio....

10/12/2006 09:38:02 PM · #1

Ok, this sunday we have a shoot....6 children aged from 7yrs to 12 mths coming to our studio. At this point I have never photograhed this many children in the studio and I am quite unsure how to seat/pose them all.. The client likes the fact that alot of my photos are not mega posed so I have to try and keep that in mind aswell. I am looking at purchasing something for the children to sit on but not really sure what?? Maybe a small bench seat or some low kiddie stools?? I would really love to see any examples/pics that you may have...Any suggestions?

Thanks heaps
Bec

10/12/2006 09:40:23 PM · #2

Milk crates are just the right size for kids, cheap, and hide easily under your bg fabric. You'll have a bugger of a time trying to get that many still at the same time. Probably be better off getting individual posed shots and group shots of them playing together on the studio floor, or talking, or telling jokes to each other.

10/13/2006 12:18:37 AM · #3

Bump for my other half!

She's out shopping and came across some milk crates on the side of the road so she grabbed them! Thanks for the tip Cindi! :)

10/13/2006 09:40:57 AM · #4

Oooooooh good job salvaging, Bec!! :D

Pentax DA 70mm f/2.4 Limited

10/13/2006 09:48:21 AM · #5

Set up a TV off to the side (elevated a little) of your camera with a kids video on it. Pick something that will work with the youngest ones, the oldest ones will watch it out of habit. Heck, even adults will watch Barney for a minute or two just because it's on the TV.

Try the Wiggles, Veggie Tales, Elmo, or Barney...should do the trick. :)

Qiki

Fujifilm X100T

10/13/2006 09:52:33 AM · #6

Originally posted by Makka:

Bump for my other half!

She's out shopping and came across some milk crates on the side of the road so she grabbed them! Thanks for the tip Cindi! :)

You do of course realise Bec that milk crates remain the property of the milk suppliers? :)

10/13/2006 10:04:07 AM · #7

Originally posted by Qiki:

You do of course realise Bec that milk crates remain the property of the milk suppliers? :)

...and YOU realise that you just caused gasps of horror in college dorm rooms everywhere! :)

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

10/13/2006 10:19:59 AM · #8

My sister found some at a yard sale, that's where mine came from. I used left-over peel & stick vinyl floor tiles to cover the sides & top of mine so they match my studio floor!! *grinning silly*

neophyte

Nikon D810

10/13/2006 10:20:11 AM · #9

Originally posted by glad2badad:

Originally posted by Qiki:
You do of course realise Bec that milk crates remain the property of the milk suppliers? :)

...and YOU realise that you just caused gasps of horror in college dorm rooms everywhere! :)

Yoou can purchase these rather inexpensively in any office supply store or walmart type store if concience is an issue.....

10/13/2006 10:31:07 AM · #10

Originally posted by neophyte:

... Yoou can purchase these rather inexpensively in any office supply store or walmart type store if concience is an issue.....

Ahhh. The voice of reason. You're no fun. :P I'm kidding...

10/13/2006 10:42:00 AM · #11

Originally posted by glad2badad:

Heck, even adults will watch Barney for a minute or two just because it's on the TV.

OK...I draw the line at Barney...we may have lots of kids but that damn purple dinosaur just craps me.....grrrrr! ;)

10/13/2006 10:48:00 AM · #12

Originally posted by Makka:

Originally posted by glad2badad:
Heck, even adults will watch Barney for a minute or two just because it's on the TV.

OK...I draw the line at Barney...we may have lots of kids but that damn purple dinosaur just craps me.....grrrrr! ;)

I love you, you love me... He-he.

10/13/2006 10:48:36 AM · #13

Originally posted by glad2badad:

Originally posted by Makka:

Originally posted by glad2badad:
Heck, even adults will watch Barney for a minute or two just because it's on the TV.

OK...I draw the line at Barney...we may have lots of kids but that damn purple dinosaur just craps me.....grrrrr! ;)

I love you, you love me... He-he.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

10/13/2006 10:51:04 AM · #14

We've actually also got access to some backless chairs which might work instead of the crates. We'll have to see which are going to be the best!

10/13/2006 10:53:16 AM · #15

Handy tip when posing people of vastly different heights: Have the tall people sit and the short people stand, then they're much easier to arrange within the frame.

10/13/2006 10:54:57 AM · #16

Originally posted by idnic:

Handy tip when posing people of vastly different heights: Have the tall people sit and the short people stand, then they're much easier to arrange within the frame.

Need something for the baby. One is 12mths old?

10/13/2006 10:56:21 AM · #17

Originally posted by glad2badad:

Originally posted by idnic:
Handy tip when posing people of vastly different heights: Have the tall people sit and the short people stand, then they're much easier to arrange within the frame.

Need something for the baby. One is 12mths old?

at 12 months they stand well, but may be best to have someone holding him/her cause they'll wander off too! lol

10/13/2006 10:57:43 AM · #18

Originally posted by glad2badad:

We can always have one of the chairs with the back on perhaps for the young one....maybe find a way to conceal the back.

That's a great idea too Cindi. May have to try that!

10/13/2006 11:01:27 AM · #19

Originally posted by Makka:

We can always have one of the chairs with the back on perhaps for the young one....maybe find a way to conceal the back. ...

Beanbag chair? Just a thought.

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

10/13/2006 11:11:12 AM · #20

Thanks for all the tips guys.. I think we'll just have to a few different ideas and different props on standby...The lady that made the booking said that they have tried a few times with different photographers and have never been able to get a group shot of the 6 children together! I'm sure we'll be fine, just really want to be prepared...dont want to be another photographer that cant get the group shot!

dassilem

Nikon D90

10/13/2006 12:11:07 PM · #21

great tips on here...love the 'tv' one...
be sure to post your success!

Skip

Canon EOS-1D X

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

10/13/2006 12:33:50 PM · #22

you could try something like this

,

or have them all laydown head-to-head and shoot down on them

10/13/2006 11:08:27 PM · #23

Originally posted by skiprow:

you could try something like this
,

or have them all laydown head-to-head and shoot down on them

Thanks Skip..Will have to try with them laying down.

10/15/2006 08:00:30 PM · #24

Posting a couple of photos from the shoot yesterday.. The children had to travel quite a while to get to our studio so a couple of them had fallen asleep in the car and were not very happy at all about being woken up, having their clothes changed and being sat infront of bright lights.. It was difficult, when one child was happy another wasn't(but thats the way it goes with kids ha!).. but it wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be. Only tried a few attempts at the group shots and then went for individual and sibling shots(3 lots of 2 siblings, they are all cousins)..The parents were pretty happy to do it this way as they thought it was going to be totally impossible to get any kind of group shot..Got a few nice group shots, would have been nice to seat/pose them a little more but ended up going with them on the floor playing so everyone was happy.

and this is my fave, maybe coz it reminds me of my kids :)The little bubba on the floor was so not happy in the first place and this just topped it off..He got over it in about 2 seconds though..

Thanks for looking and thanks for the tips..oh, we ended up buying some little kiddie chairs from ikea,none of the kids would sit on them, they just wanted to push them around the studio, but least we have them for other shoots.

Message edited by author 2006-10-15 20:17:38.

jfwolpert