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07/05/2006 04:38:47 PM · #1 |
Soon I'll have my first real paid assignment.. I have to take portraits of two kids (a boy and a girl, 2 amd 3 1/2 years old) and some of the whole family.
I'd appreciate every tip & trick for this shoot. This is really a first-timer and I just don't know where to pay attention to...
Please help me, I'm very unsure , allready shaking, and it's 2 weeks away...
Edit to add:
should I take my flash with umbrella? should I use large aperture? should I take some accesoires with me? should I...????
Message edited by author 2006-07-05 16:40:53.
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07/05/2006 04:45:32 PM · #2 |
| any idea what kinda settings you're going to be in? Environmental or studio? Outdoors, Indoors? There's a ton of things you could do but if you start with as much information as possible you'll be as prepared as possible. |
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07/05/2006 04:45:55 PM · #3 |
Run... hide... find the biggest, heaviest rock you can find and crawl as deep under it as you can. Change your phone number, website, e-mail address and promptly leave the country. You may even want to check into having your legal name changed!
I just had a maternity shoot yesterday that her daughter (16 months) and my son (13 months) were present at. Her husband and my wife were both present to help corral the kiddies (her daughter was being used for some of the shots). A two hour shoot ended up taking 3 and we're going to try another 2-3 hours this weekend to get some shots we didn't get to yesterday. My mom-to-be, her husband, my wife and I were all frickin' exhausted after this particular shoot..... and my son isn't even walking yet. Who could think that 2 mere babies would keep 4 adults so pre-occupied and BUSY!!!! Geesh, I'm getting tired again just thinking about it.... and I'm doing it again this weekend.... the horror.... the horror.....
oh... and ditto what kyebosh said!
Message edited by author 2006-07-05 16:47:13.
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07/05/2006 04:47:32 PM · #4 |
I agreed with them to go to their place.
I'm planning to shoot in the kid's bedroom, playroom, and maybe in their garden, but only if that's what the parents want to. They seemed to be very relaxed when i talked to them, so that's probably not gonna be a problem.
edit:
@ Palmetto: LOL! Should I cancel the assignment? :P Nah!
That's hell you're describing, right? ;-)
Message edited by author 2006-07-05 16:48:57.
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07/05/2006 04:47:47 PM · #5 |
first thing, calm down,
2nd, go and scope out some spots you may want to use,
look at lots of online pictures of children and family get some ideas for poses and stuff,
things i dont do are, shoot from above or to far below,
i try to get a shaddy spot if i can, if not sun to the right rear or left rear is the best your gonna get if there is no shade,
i would bring your flashes, and use them if you need them, if not oh well, better to have and not need then need and not have.
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07/05/2006 04:50:30 PM · #6 |
Submerge them in a fish tank! ;-)
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07/05/2006 04:52:05 PM · #7 |
@ Troy, I'll calm down, thank you.. ;-)
Anyway, thanks for the tips. Good idea to look at the spots in their neighbuorhood, there might be a playgarden or something like that.
Thanks!
@ Slip: YES! I bet their parents will love that! LOL!
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07/05/2006 04:56:07 PM · #8 |
also, usually, i shoot adults at 1/60th, sometimes if its really dark ill go to 1/50 (BUT IM NOT ADVISING THAT ITS JUST MY STYLE IF IN NEED MORE LIGHT AND LESS ISO )
but since you shooting children who can never sit still, i would go no less then 1/80th,
be mindfull of your crop, dont crop off at the knees or elbows,
and get some full body shots, feet to head, and be mindfull of the tip, dont give too much space from the top of the head to the top of the pic,
sometimes you can tilt your camera a little bit and add a little bit of artsy to the shot.
Message edited by author 2006-07-05 16:56:22.
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07/05/2006 04:56:37 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by biteme:
@ Palmetto: LOL! Should I cancel the assignment? :P Nah!
That's hell you're describing, right? ;-) |
Well, at the very least, jack yourself up on caffeine or sugar and keep the sweets away from the kiddies. You're going to need energy! How big are the rooms? Will you have room for the flash? I agree with Troy and think you should have it for just in case. Bring reflectors for if you can't fit an umbrella into the room and need to bounce around some light. I would schedule for early morning or late afternoon if you're planning on doing outside garden shots. Avoid midday like the plague. Depending on your climate, early morning in a garden can give you some very nice shots (mist, dew, etc).
If you're shooting at their house, you should be OK on props since they'll have a lot of stuff themselves. It just really depends on the "look" the parents are going for. If all else fails, follow Slippys advice
Originally posted by Strikeslip:
Submerge them in a fish tank! ;-) |
After all he does have a ribbon now and he knows what he's talking about!
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07/05/2006 04:58:37 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by Palmetto_Pixels:
Originally posted by Strikeslip:
Submerge them in a fish tank! ;-) |
After all he does have a ribbon now and he knows what he's talking about! |
Nuff said. ;-)
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07/05/2006 05:02:15 PM · #11 |
Damn, you guys are the best, thank you so much!
Setting shutterspeed up to 1/80 was a thing I didn't think of.
I have a small umbrella, so that would work, I think (I don't have very fashionable Bowens or something like that, just a small 150 Falcon eyes flash. I don't have reflectors either, but I'll think of that, to buy one)
Should I call them and prepare myself a little more, you know, ask what style they want, or how big the rooms are? Or is that a stupid thing? They know I'm not experienced yet.
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07/05/2006 05:20:34 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by biteme:
Soon I'll have my first real paid assignment.. I have to take portraits of two kids (a boy and a girl, 2 amd 3 1/2 years old) and some of the whole family.
I'd appreciate every tip & trick for this shoot. This is really a first-timer and I just don't know where to pay attention to...
Please help me, I'm very unsure , allready shaking, and it's 2 weeks away...
Edit to add:
should I take my flash with umbrella? should I use large aperture? should I take some accesoires with me? should I...???? |
_____________________
Looking at your profile, I see you have a good sense of photography...
When we have our first assignment, we always feel quite nervous.... (its normal)....
First tip, meet the people before the photoshoot... You'll find out that you will (you and them) feel comfortable with each other.... Find out what they expect from you... if they don't know, make them some suggestions...
The day of shooting, bring everything (accessories) you have...
start slowly with them... ideas will soon come.... don't rush.... and have fun.... I mean all of you...
I had my first assignment recently (family shots before a wedding) ... I was also nervous.... the results where beyong their expectations and mine...
After this session I've been asked by the wife to be for a personnal photo album that she wanted to offer at her husband at the night of the wedding.. that was also very interesting... she was pleased and he was pleasantly surprise....
Let you heart and feeling talk and good luck....
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07/05/2006 05:49:20 PM · #13 |
Thanks Simpa!
"Let you heart and feeling talk and good luck..."
I'll surely try. The problem is that I'm pretty good with things that are standing still (stationary ;-)) but moving things are pretty hard for me...
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07/05/2006 06:06:04 PM · #14 |
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07/05/2006 06:07:23 PM · #15 |
Because kids move faster and more sudden (?) then adults ;)
or unsudden? :S
Message edited by author 2006-07-05 18:07:39.
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07/05/2006 06:09:54 PM · #16 |
Lots of Duct tape and Valium, for the children. They are worse than photographing dogs.
Patience is the number one issue to deal with. It's okay to walk away from the camera from time to time if you have to get a handle on things.
Prayer is a good thing if that's what you believe in, if it's not start now.
Motivation of the great experience you are receiving and the excitement you will see on the parents faces when they get the images back.
Don't hesitate to take charge of the entire situation, use the parents as distractions, sometimes it helps to have one of them standing close by. Tell the parents exactly what you are wanting them to do and to keep this from becoming an all day event they have to do exactly what you say. This also gives you a big head since you are the big dog...
Did I mention valium? Save some for youself too. |
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07/05/2006 06:10:55 PM · #17 |
Ah, thanks. I'm going to be shooting tomorrow in pretty bright sunlight at the end of the day, but the days are really long here. So I was wondering if I should be using a slower than usual shutter speed in those conditions. But kids aren't involved in my shoot.
Good luck, biteme! I'm sure you'll all have a great time and the pictures will be amazing. Hope you can post some when you're done. |
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07/05/2006 08:24:35 PM · #18 |
when i shoot in direcet sunlight, i look for shade, but if not possible, i use atleast f/11-16 and whatever shutterspeed accomidates that,
when using a big dof, it helps pull in the color from the sky and keeps it from being tottaly washed out.
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07/05/2006 11:04:32 PM · #19 |
Here is one way I got "real", natural smiles or laughs from young kids.
1) First I tell to say "cheese"
2) Then question them as to why they want to eat cheese now, can't they wait till I take a picture first.
3) Okay say, "cheese"
4) Not again? I repeat, I don't have any cheese for you!
The better shots are sometimes on my comeback responses, #'s 2 and 4. |
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07/05/2006 11:13:38 PM · #20 |
A good trick for blinking is make everyone close there eyes and tell them to open their eyes on three. (and then count 1 - 2 - 3). This is for the family shots... with only one or two, it shouldn't be to much of a problem
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07/05/2006 11:16:12 PM · #21 |
| Remember that little ones have the attention span of a flea on steroids, so don't expect them to do ANYTHING for more than a minute or two. Change things often and shoot fast! :) |
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07/05/2006 11:17:18 PM · #22 |
| Oh! And I always have kids say "hehehehe" because it lasts longer than "cheese" and gives a more natural looking smile .... and often causes giggling! :) |
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07/05/2006 11:17:54 PM · #23 |
Originally posted by landcamera:
Lots of Duct tape and Valium, for the children. They are worse than photographing dogs.
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Well...you tell them it's for the children...but take them all for yourself....hahahaha!!
In cases of photographing children I always make sure there is someone with me that is brilliant with children which frees me up to concentrate on the settings and angles....we all end up laughing and most of the time the children forget I am there...!
Result - natural happy, fun images. |
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07/05/2006 11:44:56 PM · #24 |
My advice would be to let the kids run wild, let them do what THEY want. then shoot shoot shoot. in the end you'll end up with some great natural shots with lots of laughing and playing..you'll be buggered, but the end result will be worth it... i just did my nephew at my house a few months back, he's 3 and DID NOT want his photos taken, we ended up with the most gorgeous photos of him and his mother, he was running and playing and in and out of the house, and hiding in the bean bag... you name it he did it. i just followed him pretending i was taking photos of other things.... he did finally settle down to watch the TV, and WOW did we get some gorgeous shots of him then, ( mainly facial close up) he honestly didn't even realise i was there, he was way too engrossed with the television...
OH and make sure you have a fast lens.. that always helps with little kids...!
ps if you want to see the slideshow of it, pm me and i will give you the password..
Message edited by author 2006-07-05 23:45:56.
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07/06/2006 01:35:44 AM · #25 |
Originally posted by biteme:
Damn, you guys are the best, thank you so much!
Setting shutterspeed up to 1/80 was a thing I didn't think of.
I have a small umbrella, so that would work, I think (I don't have very fashionable Bowens or something like that, just a small 150 Falcon eyes flash. I don't have reflectors either, but I'll think of that, to buy one)
Should I call them and prepare myself a little more, you know, ask what style they want, or how big the rooms are? Or is that a stupid thing? They know I'm not experienced yet. |
It's not a matter of them knowing your limited experience, it's a matter of you being prepared. If you have to ask the size of each room and need it in cubic meters, then ask. This will help you to determine where you are shooting and what you are shooting so you will know how to approach the session. If you were shooting in your own studio you would already know your environment, any time you go some place else you now are at a disadvantage. The only stupid thing you could do is not ask questions that will help you be better prepared before your session starts.
You seem to be wrapped around the axle on this whole photo shoot, I think everyone here will agree the best thing to do is just relax, and do what you do best with the camera. Take great images. Take a few test shots to get a feel of your surroundings then grab the bull by the horns. Oh ya, don't forget to have a good time, that's what photography is all about... |
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