Child/Family Photography info

This might be a little boring to my viewers--but this is where I log this kind of stuff.  I want to write it down before I forget.  Yesterday I watched an archived webinar from a photographer in Texas.  It was interesting because she gave lots of tips for posing, interacting, etc but one thing stood out.  She mentioned that there is such a trend among newer photographers these days to shoot wide open but sacrifice sharpness in the images as they are striving for the creamy background.  I was amazed to hear that she rarely shoots below 5.6!! She sets her aperature and her shutter speed, and then just bumps the ISO either up or down to get the correct exposure.  SO interesting! Her reasoning is that she doesn't want to risk not having tic-tac sharp images and you never know which portrait a family would want to enlarge to a huge size.  How unprofessional to say they can't because that one picture isn't up to par technically.  I admired her passion in learning this craft well-- the math and the science behind it.  It's where I kind of was in the beginning but was getting overwhelmed by those details.  When I took the community college portrait class I asked the teacher about some exposure formula and she looked at me like I had two heads! haha!  Well, I know that I am sometimes..okay, most of the time, a little too detail oriented or try so hard to go by the book on things so I thought, 'ok, Dawn, just calm down about this and have fun with it.  She doesn't get all worried about the math in this thing-- just works by trial and error.'  That line of thought was helpful at that time because it gave me the guts to keep trying, to go into manual mode without knowing what I was doing, to venture out and experiment.  But, now, as I so badly want perfection and excellence in the technical side of things, it was encouraging to hear a photographer promote that learning.  It does help!! For instance, by doing the math  you can figure out exactly how much focus you can have.  She showed this comparison of shooting at F1.8 vs F5.6 from 18 inches away:  at F1.8 you only have a .25 inch depth of field!! (or amount in focus)  But with F5.6 you had almost a full inch.  Doesn't it make sense that one eye might be crystal clear and the other softly focused? 1/4 of an inch!! No WONDER I had so many rough, unfocused images with my family of 6! So anyway, it encourages me to continue to work on understanding the why and how of this stuff.  I don't want to be mediocre.

Here's a link to her work: http://kimberlywylie.com/

ok, and one other learning point from recently.  I was reading an article and the photographer was saying how so many times people overshoot just trying to catch a lucky shot.  It takes sooo much more time to process that many images.  She suggests pretending you are shooting with film, to limit yourself.  Wait for the right moment and get it right on camera.  I agree with that.  I am no where close to being there, though.  I think that's why I don't feel awesome when people compliment my photography - especially with portraits.  It was just lucky shooting, ya know?  I didn't KNOW I was nailing that shot (and honestly, I'm not sure if there is a single picture I have truly thought I "nailed" even in reviewing them.)

I want to improve technically.  I want to grow in confidence, shoot with purpose and skill.  But, how do I get there from here? That's what I don't know.

Picture pusher

Today I did a whole pile of editing of my niece.  My children are sick and don't want to eat, and sadly, I think I am getting sick again, too!! I shouldn't be too surprised--it's not rocket science that you get sick when you end up in your sick child's bed several nights with them coughing in your face! So anyway--I am trying to rest and be still but I can't actually sleep since I have 3 needy little people around me.  Editing is the perfect choice! However, I am trying to get my sister to narrow down some choices because there are sooo many that she picked!  She's lucky she is my sister!  It's taking me HOURS.  I will share a few of my favs from today.

I pushed my photographs onto my children :) by ordering them each a 2014 Journal through Costco.  I uploaded a picture that I thought they would like respectively.  We'll see how they turn out.

more K

Popsicle Photographer

I just had a mini photo shoot for my husband's supervisor.  The one location suggested was horrible-- I might post a picture to show it later.  I had my husband pose ahead of time and I didn't like it.  The purpose of the photo shoot was for the subject's LinkedIn account.  He wants to look thinner than he is at this point and my husband told him about what I can do in Photoshop.  Still, super intimidating!  And today, 35 degrees- my fingers were numb.  I moved us over in front of the roll up door at the fire station.  I liked it but wish I could have had time to play more.  I have a bazillion things to do today, and should not be blogging or taking pictures! But, I want to write this down before I forget..plus, I'm thawing.

Anyway, my goal was to try to get a decent image: in focus, light in the eyes, no weird shadows, AND in as flattering of a pose as possible.  He just wanted a head shot.  I had no idea what he looked like before the shoot.  I tried to be above him a tad and tried to have him turn toward me to give more angle on the face.  I was trying to keep only the door in the background.  I was trying to keep light in his eyes by having his face up and toward the direction of the light, while not emerging into sunlight.  It was freezing.  My husband and my son were watching me-- and everyone was wanting me to hurry! (including me) :)  Challenging.  I wish I could upload and get to work to see if I got anything to work with- but no, gotta vacuum and mop and clean bedrooms. :)

One last note-- I  am a little worried about his expectations.  I can only do a little improvement ya know? I can't revert a person back to their 20s!  Secondly, with the last subject, it was easier because since she is one of my little sister's best friends, I have known her most of her life.  I KNEW what she looked like before the weight came on and was able to correct without distorting reality.  What she sees in those pictures is probably what she THINKS she looks like.  Isn't that right? That's how it is with me anyway!  I see a picture of myself and I think, 'Oh my goodness, do I really look that bad?!'  Many days the mirror gets that reaction out of me, too-- that's when I start working really hard on my attitude and character! But, on camera, it always seems worse for me.

Alrighty- better get to work.  Hopefully a little editing fun late tonight or tomorrow!

Last one, I think

I think this is it for this shoot-- there are a couple more I COULD do, but I think I have given her enough and what's left isn't anything amazing so I am going to call it done.  My poor little sister-- I still haven't finished editing my niece's pictures from almost 2 months ago! How rude to edit her friend's photos first! ;) I guess family gets 2nd priority!

Edited- on here it looks like I might have brought up the exposure a little too much? I might be losing some detail on the face.  

a few more

  This one bothers me a little as his eyes are not sharp, nor his mouth.

A Christmas Kiss-- I had meant to pick up mistletoe for this shot, but forgot.

edited-