Objective- learning to think outside the box when it comes to photographing kids and find new ways to make them smile.
The best way to get a great picture of a child is to make them laugh. I've talked about it before, kids can't fake a smile. It just looks terrible. When a new child comes to my studio I am always trying to figure out what makes that kid (at that moment) smile. Parents know that "that thing" is often something you stumble upon. It may be weird, gross, silly or just plain out there. I've seen the weirdest things work. The other day, I had a little girl in my studio (who I have photographed a handful of times) and I could not make her smile. She was busy too and did not want to sit still. I tried all my tricks to no avail. Then, when it looked grim, Dad moo'ed like a cow and she fell out laughing. Who'd have thought?! Mooing? That's exactly how it goes.
So, what's the thing that gets your kids/subjects going? Sometimes it is a game of peek-a-boo...
Sometimes it is just giving them something to play with
Parents are the best asset in a session. They tend to know the little idosynchratic noises and gestures that get their kids laughing but sometimes even they are powerless. One of my little tricks that works a LOT is my ladder. On a side note, I really like old ladders. I know, it's sort of a weird thing to like but I really do like them. If I thought Steven (my husband) wouldn't freak out, I'd collect them. So, when a friend of mine called me and said "I found the coolest old ladder! Do you want me to buy it for you? It's the small kind that you were looking for!" I jumped at it. I thought it might be a cool thing to have at the studio and I was right! It's perfect for the busy kid who can climb but can't sit still. Sometimes it is the only thing that will get a kid to stay in one place. It's a wonderful thing.
A week or so ago, a little girl came to my studio. I had never met her and she was a little bit shy. She only wanted to be on Mom's lap. I tried everything...every puppet, every noise, every goofy trick up my sleeve! Nothing worked! We got close with the bubbles...
When it seemed like all hope was lost, I thought about the ladder. Truth be told, I had thought about it earlier in the session but I thought she might be too young and that it would be too dangerous. It's not a big ladder mind you but it is a ladder after all.
interject ladder safety tip: keep parent close by! I have the parent stand right next to the ladder if it a younger climber and tell them to be watching. I also have a carpet under the ladder. My ladder is also only about waist high.
So, back to the story, what happened you say? It worked! She took to it right away.
The trick with the ladder is that when they get to the top, you have to be all excited, clap and cheer! "You did it!" and "Look how high you are!" and so on. It's so cute to see them beaming at their daring accomplishment. It looks like this:
We all love a big smile. It's wonderful for sure and I always to try and get great smiling shots. But wait! the smile is only half the picture (so to speak). When we photograph children, we should be trying to photograph them, the real "them". Sometimes, as was true for this little one, they are a little shy. Maybe the big smile is not always so true to their personality? If your child or subject is a shy, reserved child then maybe what is more accurate is something like this:
This little girl was beautiful with and without a big smile. Meet your child where they are and you will get better pictures. So, if they need something crazy to make them laugh then do your best to deliver. If they would rather be quiet and look at you with their big baby blues then maybe that is your more accurate shot. When we put aside our preconceived notions of what we think our children's pictures should be like (what we want them to be like), let go of the idea of the perfect shot, look at who they really are and try and capture that, we become much better photographers.
So, go out there camera in hand and make some ridicuous noises, let them climb and be crazy! They will usually reward you with a big smile!
Objective: learning about using slow shutter speeds along with your flash to create some cool effects.
When you photograph at night or at parties where it is dark and you use a flash, the background will sometimes turn almost black. The flash illuminates the subject well but makes the background look like a dark cave. The way to get around this is to do something called dragging the shutter. It's a technique used a lot by wedding photographers. It creates some very cool motion blur while also freezing the main subject. Here's how it works...
Normally when you use your flash, your shutter speed is around 1/60 second or maybe 1/125th of a second. Your camera will have a set shutter speed that it uses when you use the flash. It is called the sync speed. If you have a camera that allows you to use shutter speed priority mode or manual mode, you can set your shutter speed lower than 1/60th. When you do this, the camera is able to pick up more ambient light from the background. This gives you a warmer look with bonus detail in the background.
Normally if you have a slow shutter speed you get motion blur all over the image. However, when you use the flash, that quick burst of light will light up and freeze the motion of the primary subject. This is a great technique for active party shots. I love to shoot this way when everyone is out dancing!
Many of the newer cameras have a special feature called "rear curtain sync" (flash fires at the end of the exposure). If you have yet to experiment with it, look it up in your manual and try it out. There is also the "front curtain sync" (flash fires at the beginning of the exposure). Each one has its own look so try them out and see which one you like.
You can also drag your shutter without using your flash. This is trickier because you don't have the flash to freeze the motion. Generally speaking, going below 1/60th of a second will start giving you some sort of motion blur depending on your movements and your subject's movements and whether or not you are using a tripod. You can pan while shooting to maximize the blur and produce some really cool effects. Panning the camera across a scene, while using a slow shutter speed, takes any light source (bulb, window, candle, etc.) and turns it into streaks of light. You can also twist the camera or move it in a circular motion or zoom in and out while the shutter is open. All of these methods will create various light streaks and motion blurs. The key here is lots of play and experimentation.
Hey, Halloween is coming up! Lots of chances to take streaky, motion blurred and spooky images! I would love to see what you come up with while playing around. In the meantime, here are some shots from a wedding that I shot last fall. These were shot with a 28mm lens at about F 2.8 and 1/20th of a second. When I do this, I usually start dragging around 1/45th and see how that looks and go lower from there depending on how much blur I want.
In this image, she was still so there isn't any real motion blur but, as you can see, the background has a nice warm, open feel vs. the black cave look.
What I really love about this technique is that it gives the images a more lively feel. You can see the movement instead of people looking frozen and static.
So, what's your assignment? The next time you are shooting at night or at a party, try dragging the shutter! Before you do it, grab your camera manual and see if you have the rear curtain setting and how to use it. Everyone's camera has its own little quirks and settings. On mine, I just set it at shutter speed priority. I then use my flash in ETTL mode and play around with my shutter by moving it faster and slower depending on what I am trying to get.
I hope that you will post links to your images in the comments! Happy Monday everyone!
Objective: learn about buying lenses, lens descriptions, and how lenses are priced.
I was shooting at a party yesterday and a woman comes up to me and the first thing she asks me was, "what lens are you using?". I get asked about lenses a lot. Purchasing lenses is very confusing for most people. Today, I am going to talk about what I use, what I suggest for new photographers and how to shop for lenses.
Lenses are priced according to their focal length and their widest f-stop or aperture opening. Prices also change according to brand. You can buy a lens that has variable focal lengths or a fixed focal length lens. When you buy a digital SLR camera kit, you usually get a lens included. It is normally a variable focal length lens. Common lenses in a kit would be something that ranged from 17-100mm or 24-70 or something like that. The idea behind it is that this gives you a lot of flexibility. The biggest problem with "kit lenses" is that the widest aperture opening is usually 3.5-5.6. This is not very wide and limits you quite a bit when it comes to your depth-of-field.
If you are just now reading these lessons and you have no idea what focal length is or what apertures are, please take a second and go back to the earlier lesson and you'll be way less confused.
When I teach classes at my studio, one of the first things we learn about is how to use the f-stop / aperture setting to create shallow depth-of-field (DOF). This makes the background of your images soft and is great for portraits. If you are using one of the kit lenses, you will be very limited on how much DOF you can get because you can only go down to 3.5 or 5.6. To really blur out your background you want to be able to go below that.
Lens prices change radically as the aperture changes. Here's an example:
Canon EF 50mm F1.2L, BH photo video price $1400
Canon EF 50mm F1.4, BH photo video price $325
Canon EF 50 mm F2.5 compact macro, BH photo video price $239
Canon EF 50 mm F1.8, BH photo video price $89
I think adding a fixed 35 or 50 mm lens to your collection is a great experiment. This is especially true for those of you using the kit lens and nothing else. Most pros will have a 50 mm in their collection already. If you are a hobby shooter, you really don't need the F1.2 at $1400. You would be very pleased with the F1.8 for $89. If you want a macro so you can get close-ups of baby toes and the like, then try out the F2.5 macro for $239. I use that lens all the time and love how close I can get with it. So, in this example, you see that the lesser priced lens would do just fine and make a world of difference in your images.
If you want a variable focal length lens, you cannot get away cheap and also be happy. In this case, you want to buy something with an aperture of at least F2.8 or 2. Depending on the focal length range and your brand, this generally puts you up over $1000.
If the over $1000 price tag is too high for you (I totally get that by the way and grit my teeth whenever I have to buy a new lens), you might consider buying a Tamron or Sigma lens. These brands can be used with Nikon or Canon (make sure and check the compatibility with your specific camera). These brands are cheaper. Everyone has a different opinion about whether or not they "as good" as the Canon or the Nikon lenses. A friend of mine (a pro) uses some of these, swears by them and loves them. Check out the reviews online and decide for yourself if they will work for you. The good news is that they come at a lower price than the Canon or Nikon lenses so it may be a great choice for you.
One other thing to make sure and find out about is that certain lenses work on certain cameras! Obviously Canon works on Canon and Nikon on Nikon but within the brand there are certain lenses that only work on certain model cameras. Be sure and speak with someone who knows the specifics before buying something. This is especially true if you are buying off ebay or somewhere without a customer service support line. I buy all of my gear from BH photo video or from one of the local shops here in Houston. I like the people at Houston Camera Exchange or Camera Co-op. Chris is the manager at camera Co-op and he'll answer all of your questions. One of the other perks to buying locally is that, if you have a problem, you just go over there and they should be willing to help you out (no more frustrating support lines and long hold times!).
To answer the common question of what I use and what I like, these are the lenses that I use all the time at the studio:
Canon EF 85mm F1.8, (BH photo video price $355.00)
Canon EF 50 mm F2.5 compact macro (BH photo video price $239.00)
Canon EF 70-200 F2.8L (BH photo video price $1699.00)
This is the lens I use when shooting my kids at the park, at parties, etc. It is a fantastic all-purpose lens. If I am going to be moving around a lot and don't have time for lens changes, I use this one.
Canon EF 24-70 F2.8L (BH photo video price $1190.00)
If I were shooting sports or something far away and needed to zoom in closer, I would take my:
Canon EF 70-200 F2.8L (BH photo video price $1699.00)
The 70-200mm lens is such an amazing lens. I can't say enough about it. It is not an everyday shooting lens for most people but, in the right circumstances, it is the best thing going. The pros all love it because you get amazing soft backgrounds and the long focal length is very flattering for people's faces. I also love, love, love my 85mm. I use those two lenses in the studio all the time. When I need to be up close and personal, I use the 50mm compact macro.
Because I can't imagine posting without including a few images, I thought I would share this set from a session last week. These were shot using the 85mm at about F5.0.
These next ones were shot using the 70-200mm, at 120 and 200mm and F4.0
Buying a lens is a little scary when you aren't sure what all the numbers mean. If you still feel unsure, go to the camera store and try different lenses on your camera and ask questions.
Do you have a lens that you love? Tell us about it and leave a comment.
This past weekend I had a class here at the studio. It was a basic digital photography class. Hopefully a few of my students came online today to check out The Monday Lessons. Looking for the handouts from the class? Email me and I'll send you a link to download them.
For those of you who may be new to The Monday Lesson, I wanted to point out a few highlights. The following lessons are some of the most important ones and everyone who is learning would benefit from reviewing these a few times. To browse all of the lessons easily, go to the left column and look for the category "The Monday Lesson". Click on that it will pull up all the lessons that I have posted here.
Next week, I will be answering one of your questions as my Monday Lesson for the week. Please email me (farrah@farrahbraniff.com) with your questions and I'll get to work. This lesson is for you guys! Let me know what your struggling with and I'll do my best to help clarify things.
Thanks for all of your comments and positive feedback. It means a lot. If you would like feedback on some of your images, please post them into the Monday Lesson Flickr group and I'll take a look!
Have a great week!
It's holiday card time everyone! More than any other time of year, the fall (and the holiday season) inspires people to get family portraits done. One of the biggest questions that clients ask is about what to wear. Today I am going to show you guys some images and give examples of clothing choices that work well.
One of the big questions that you have to answer, especially if you are talking about a holiday picture, is what do you want to have on your wall? Or are these images just for a card? For example, Santa hats and reindeer antlers may look really, really cute on your card but probably not as cute as the main 2008 image in your family gallery. This can even be true with Christmas inspired dresses or sweaters. There's no right answer except what your taste dictates. If you want to have a holiday feel but don't want the image to be strictly a holiday picture, you might just do it with fall colors or holiday colors. You can also do a few shots with the cute hat or sweater vest and then take it off for something less seasonal.
If the images are destined for the front of a holiday card, keep in mind that you can have the card background reflect the holidays and keep the clothing more universal. For example, like the pictures above and below, use a holiday inspired color in your clothing choice and then finish it off with a great card design that reinforces the holiday feel. The image below would look great on a holiday card but would also look timeless in someone's family gallery.
When it comes to family shots, it gets a little more complicated because you have more people to dress. Here I think the first question is whether or not you are a formal or casual family and which of those looks you want to put forth. Here the family dressed up and gave a nod to their heritage by choosing the kilts. The other thing to note here is that, although they do not all match, they are coordinated. There is a theme and it makes it so much easier on your eye.
If you consider yourself more casual, then the next image may be more your style.
With new babies I think it helps focus the attention onto the baby if the parents wear simple and uncomplicated clothing.
When photographing a newborn, keep in mind how small they are. It's hard to find clothes that fit when they are brand new and often the clothes overwhelm the baby. Watch out for collars that will stick up and block their faces. For example, button down shirts with collars are terrible on babies who have no head control because the collar covers them up. Personally, I think brand new babies look best in solids or clothes with very little pattern. For the most part, they also look better with only a diaper cover, swaddled in fabric or with nothing at all. Hey, when else can you parade around naked and everyone just looks on thinking, "oh how cute!"?
When you do pick out outfits for your kids, always have them fit! As parents, we always buy a little big so they can wear it longer but big in a photo just looks weird. It will make them look too skinny and small if they are a newborn and just slouchy as they get older.
If fashion is part of who you are as people and as a family then you may want to go a different route. If you love bright colors and funky clothes then that is probably what you should have in your images. In this case, you still need to coordinate but you can be more bold in your choices. Always remember, this is a picture of you and your family. It should reflect who you really are.
The main thing I want to say is that you do have to think about clothing choices. It will make a huge difference in the pictures that you are taking and the ones that the pros take as well. Think about keeping the images simple, think about colors and plan what you will wear and you'll be much happier with your results.