Take a drive in early spring in Texas and you will see parents alongside I-10 and other country roads taking pictures of their babies in the bluebonnets. Parents make it a mission to find the best patch of bluebonnets and drive way out of their way to get the beloved bluebonnet picture. For you non-Texans, the bluebonnet is our state flower and we're crazy about them!
Today, I am going to give you guys some simple tips to help you get the shot. I'll also pass along the central Houston location where I shot these images so you won't have to drive clear out to Brenham to get your image. Everyone thank my client, Diana, for the cool location and the cute baby!
Here is my location- notice the cars on either side, the telephone poles, houses, the fairly small patch of bluebonnets, the early afternoon overhead sun...
Here are 5 things that I did to give me my best shot:
1. One of the gifts that the day gave us was clouds. So, in an effort to not have harsh shadows on his face, I simply waited for the sun to go behind the clouds and give us a much softer light. I only shot when the sun was behind the clouds. If there are no clouds in sight, try shooting in the early morning or in the later afternoon and that should help quite a bit. Cloudy days are also great for photographing outdoors.
2. I placed him in a dense patch of flowers that also had flowers behind him filling the background. I also made sure to have flowers in front of him.
3. I got close (framed out the cars, poles, etc) and used shallow depth-of-field. I shot using my AV (aperture priority) setting and an f-stop of 3.5. If you shoot with a Nikon, the aperture priority setting is A. Because my depth-of-field was shallow, I made sure to focus on his eyes because I always want that part of the image to be super sharp.
3. I used a long focal length lens (85mm), which enhances depth-of-field and compresses the scene a little making the flowers seem more dense and less spread apart. You can do this if you have a zoom lens. Just back up and then zoom in. It helps to have a friend who can be close to swat away bees, reposition if needed and keep them smiling.
4. In one of the shots, I also used my rule of thirds to place him in a more compositionally interesting spot in the frame.
5. Lastly, I got down on his level.
All of these shots are straight out of my camera and have not been retouched or enhanced.
If you are a new reader of these lessons, you may want to go back and read the lessons on Depth of Field, Rule of Thirds and Focal Length. My blog was recently moved from Squarespace to here and not all of my content has made it over in one piece so be patient if you encounter some missing images. We're working on getting it all moved over. The links that I just gave you take you over to the old blog, which will be easier for you when reviewing the older lessons.
In the above left shot, you will see two very common mistakes. The shot on the left is from too high an angle and the depth of field is not shallow enough. Notice how those two things make the flowers look sparse?
In the above right shot we solve some of our problems. The depth of field is shallower and we've gotten down on his level and moved in closer. I am also shooting with an 85 mm lens, which helps compress the image and make the flowers seem more dense. The harsh sun is still a problem though. Luckily, the sun was going behind the clouds periodically so I just waited and photographed only when it was behind the clouds.
The above shot is better and we're almost there. Next, I moved in closer.
Oh, I forgot to say earlier, there were a few weeds right in front of his face like the ones on the left hand side of the picture. I just plucked those out of the ground before shooting.
I also tried a vertical version. I always say to try both because you never know what you will like most.
Just for fun, I tried playing with the Rule of Thirds and placed my subject off center.
Okay, not it's your turn! Would you like to know the spot? It's on a median off of Braeswood between Linkwood and the railroad tracks. I was shooting towards the tracks.
I would love to see your shots. Please post links to your images in the comments section below.
shawna says:
awesome examples, thanks! i just spent the week trying to figure out the best way to stage a cherry blossom shot since the trees tend to be tall. this post has definitely got me thinking! thanks!
(04.08.09 @ 07:25 PM)
Tanya says:
http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=275668421/PictureID=6983903279/a=37731577_37731577/t_=37731577
I love your work!!! I am signed up for your photography class in May. I took some pics of my munchkin at a bluebonnet patch in the Heights area....I hope you can see the picture.
(05.03.09 @ 07:51 AM)
Objective: try something new by making a simple collage of images.
My oldest son, Sayer, recently lost his first tooth. I still can't believe it by the way but then I am always shocked by how fast he's growing up. So, in an effort to capture the big moment, I brought him up to the studio this past Sunday for a little mini session. My concept was a single image on a white background that I could make into a big canvas and put in their room. I was going to put it alongside this one of Finn, which is currently a 40x40 canvas:
If you are a follower of these Monday Lessons, you might be saying..."hey! she's going into a session with her kids with defined expectations! She said not to do that last week!". I know, I'm busted. Well, so here's what happened (and it proves my point), I have this idea for a single one image thing and sure enough I am not just seeing "the one". So, I switched gears in our little session and used my new chalkboard wall. I had Sayer draw himself a little backdrop and we did a few more shots. Once I started to look at these more, I really felt like they would look best as a collage. My one shot canvas idea seemed shot. This is what I came up with:
I love making collages of images and this one is super simple to do. So, my challenge to you this week is to come up with your own 9-image collage. Here are the simple steps:
Step One: take 9 images and crop them all to 5"x5" and 300 dpi. I use photoshop. If you are using photoshop then all you have to do is grab the crop tool. Once you have that tool selected, you can set the dimensions of the crop in the tool, like this:
Step Two: Go to FILE>NEW. Make a new document that is 15 inches x15 inches by 300 dpi, RGB color, background: white.
Step Three: drag guides to create 5" squares. (Need help with dragging guides, just email me)
Step Four: Drop your 5x5 images into the grid, flatten the document and Voila!
Optional Step Five: If you like the gray border that I put around the 9-up collage above, it is also simple to do. Go to IMAGE>CANVAS SIZE. From there you can add pixels or inches (your choice) and it will increase or decrease the size of your canvas (not the overall image). If you want a color, there is a drop down menu there that allows you to choose colors.
Here is an image that shows the canvas size menu and it also shows the guides from the earlier step:
So, what do you guys think? Would a 9-up collage printed as a 40x40 canvas look good next to Finnian's big single image? Or do I need to choose one of the blackboard ones or one of the white ones? Let me know!
If you guys make one of these, I want to see it! Post a link in the comments below! I love hearing your comments, they make my day.
Bren says:
ok. i'm going to do this. if i throw my computer out of the window while attempting to use photoshop, will you replace it?
(02.23.09 @ 08:19 PM)
Ashley st germain says:
I like the middle (or maybe even the bottom left) picture as a canvas next to Finnian's image. I think they "go" together without competing with each other. But I think it would be cool to have the whole collage on a canvas too. Why not both? And then Finnian's going to need a collage too! :)
(02.23.09 @ 09:41 PM)
CARLY Filippov says:
Hi Farrah! This blog entry came just in time! I got a Nikon D90 for my bday and I've been having so much fun tinkering with it. I did an outdoor shoot with Milla and used the photos to make a collage in photoshop. I couldn't get the margins perfect, but here's a link to my collage a la milla! Thanks for the inspiration!
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1991837&l=3121c&id=515752400
(02.28.09 @ 05:32 PM)
Michelle Mustari says:
You have totally inspired me to try and put together my first composite using Photoshop. Definitely a long process for me. Please let me know how you like them. Thanks so much.
(03.16.09 @ 05:31 PM)
Objective: When it comes to taking photographs of your children, think about losing the unrealistic expectations and just go with the flow!
Every year I go all out for my holiday card. It's my business after all and so I always try and do something special. Normally it's a lot of fun coming up with my design and concept (planning my attack so to speak) and then the time comes to actually take the pictures...fun stops and frustration begins. Does it surprise you that I say that? I know you probably imagine that (of all children) my kids know how to have their picture taken right? They sit still and behave and I just snap away! It's a really nice fantasy and I like it too but that is not actually how it goes down.
Most kids (mine included) have a mind of their own when it comes to pictures. The best sessions happen when kids are happy, playing, wearing comfy clothes, are rested, not hungry and not aware that they are there for the sole purpose of being photographed. When I work in my studio or on location, there is a lot of play involved. I chase them around, make funny noises and ask off the wall questions to get them to laugh, etc. That is what makes it work- they don't really know that my main goal is their picture.
My kids are a bit immune to my charms. They know about the candy jar, they've seen my puppets and they know absolutely what we're doing at the studio. For us, I know how it has to be. It has to just flow. My kids are at their best when they are just being and I try and capture it. The problem is, sometimes I need them to do what I need them do when I need them do it, right?
I hesitate to even tell this story because I know that some of you got my card and thought how cute it was and how perfect and now here I am about to blow the "mystique" with the reality...Here goes, last year sometime in November, I take them up to the studio on a Sunday. I tell them what we're doing, the outfits were comfy, they were rested and fed and so on. Steven was with me to be my helper. They decided, for whatever reason, that they did NOT want to do what I wanted them to do when I wanted them to do it. I would tell them to sit together and one would stand up. I kept trying to get them to hug and they would wrestle. That was how it went. Steven finally stormed out of the room even saying something like "Damn it! It's not that hard!". Stellar parenting moment I know...I tried a save by saying, "Daddy, that's the naughty spot for you for saying a bad word!". Now when I think about it I just laugh to myself.
Finally I say, okay, let's make some silly faces. This always works for my guys. We ended on a fun note and called it a wrap but I was pissed. Here's the thing, I do this every day. I should have know that we had the shots without me being so uptight. If I had just relaxed and not had such specific expectations I would had so much more fun doing it. I know this so well but there I was trying to direct the action and getting all upset in the process.
Sayer knew I was a unhappy. Finn was oblivious- enjoying his "reward" candy ("only one piece and not two because you guys weren't super helpful!"). Sayer settles in on the floor beside my desk and starts drawing. I am downloading the cards and am pleasantly surprised that I did end up with some really fun shots. Again, not quite sure why I was so surprised. A moment later, Sayer comes up and puts this little drawing in front of me.
He says in a low, sad voice, "Mommy, I am really sorry. Here's a picture of me and Finn. I'm sorry Mommy that we weren't helpful". I froze, immediately feeling guilty. He says, "this is a picture of me and Finn doing the hugging thing you wanted us to do...sorry Mommy". My eyes pricked with tears and I felt terrible but at the same time I was just so proud and so touched that he had done this. Steven and I just looked at each other and we both hugged him. I had this empty silver frame sitting there and I put the drawing in it right away and put it on the window sill next to my desk. It's still there.
So, what's the lesson? Today it is not a technical one but something more important. My lesson was this, meet them where they are. It's just a photograph. Photographs are hugely important to me obviously but it's not the one image. It's all of them combined. It's the experience of taking them and the story that they tell as a whole. For me it reinforced that when I go in to a photo session with them and have specific ideas in mind for what I want to capture, I risk missing what they actually have to offer that day. That day it was this:
I had the shot that I wanted all along as well as a bunch of other ones but I wasn't really paying attention to what was there. I was too worried about what might not be there. Yes they were misbehaving and yes they were acting crazy but in the midst of it they were also being themselves.
I see it with my clients sometimes. If they come in with a set ideas of what they want they run the risk of being disappointed whereas if they come in with some general ideas, an outfit and a great attitude, they usually end up happier. A shy kid may not give me huge toothy grins when they first meet me and an active kid is not likely to sit still on command. We need to meet them where they are, especially if we want the photograph to be honest.
How about you guys? Does this ring true for you? I love hearing your comments so please share.
Happy Monday my friends!
Bren says:
this is why I love the pictures you take of my kids. I can see their spirit. as much as i know what you are saying (and have heard you say it many times), I still have to resist the urge to say "sit down and smile, dammit." i think it's hardwired into parents. we can really get in the way!
(02.16.09 @ 07:33 AM)
Pamela Powell says:
Thank you for this post! I just found this blog the other day and am slowly reading it backwards. This is what I needed! A gentle reminder to just have fun, with my clients as well as, and most importantly, with my own kids.
(02.21.10 @ 02:50 PM)
Objective: Find new ways to get your subjects excited about being photographed.
People ask me all the time whether or not my kids get tired of being photographed. While I wish I could say "NO! They love it every time!", That just wouldn't be true. They do get tired of having their picture taken so I do my best to make the picture taking a fun thing or something they don't really notice. One of the sure fire ways to get my kids excited about having their picture taken is to get some new costumes and take pictures in those.
It's not just my kids either. I have a dress up box at my studio filled with funky hats and tutus. Sometimes when a session is almost over and the child is getting a little bored with it all, I'll try to break out something new and fun like the costumes. Girls, especially, are all over the costume idea. I tell that they we're going to play dress-up and they love it.
My boys love superhero costumes and animal costumes. What do your kids like?
Here' how it works for us...would you like to meet the baby bats?
The tips that I have for making the costume idea work out well are as follows...
- let the kids pick the costume
- let the kids pose however they want
- let them be weird, silly and totally crazy
- shoot fast and keep the session short
- have fun and try and just let if flow stress-free
I'd love to hear your idea for how you keep photography fun with your children and subjects. Any other great ideas, please comment!
Hope you guys all have a great holiday and enjoy some time with your family.
Objective: to approach photography with one thing in mind- the hunt for spirit.
There are a lot of reasons why we photograph our children. You want to document their milestones, the progress and the growth. You want to remember what they looked like and the places you went to. You want to capture the birthday parties and the graduations- in essence, the history of it all. More than that though, I think we are trying to capture their spirit. We want to remember what they sounded like when they laughed, how they made that one amazing expression, how their eyes looked, what they felt like...THAT is all much harder to capture.
When I was in art school, I remember someone telling me that when you shot a roll of film, you should be happy if there was a single ONE magical shot per roll. The idea was that photography was a bit of a chase and that every shot was not going to be "the one". It is still like that today. I may shoot a hundred images during a session. I'll cull that down to 30-40 that I really, really like and show that to my client. Out of that 30-40 there may be 1 or 2 or maybe even 2-3 that I love. I will like a lot of them and a lot of them will be good but there will be a smaller percentage that I really connect to.
That smaller set of images are the soul and spirit images. For me that means that I captured what I experienced as the heart of that small moment with my subject. Who they were to me during that photo session. I love those images. It is why I do what I do.
Here's a few from a session last week. I love these because this was exactly how these two siblings were.
There were about 4 images in front of this one and behind it but this one just caught a certain something in their eyes and their bodies that makes it special.
Mom loved both of these. That is always a big validation for me too. And, of course, you have to have one like this...
Forget the "cheese!" and the perfect pose...go try and catch the spirit! It's the image that you will cherish most of all.