 Kristi Eckberg |
in need of advice This is my first year of doing portrait photography (as a business) I love photographing children and that is what I have mainly done and want to continue to grow and improve my skills on. As we all know kids can be difficult to photograph.. I just did a photo shoot.. ages 1,3,5 I do outdoor photography only so of course they just wanted to run and play and I could hardly get any of their faces b/c they turn away so quickly. The parents tried to make them sit for a few but kids that age just are not interested. So I feel I didn't get enough shots. But what is enough?? For those of you mainly doing children, knowing what a challenge it can be how many proofs should I be showing my clients?? I just don't know how many proofs people expect to get from their photo shoots. Even though I feel I didn't get enough shots that captured the children's spirit is it really my fault that we could not get them to look or hold still for hardly a second and should I offer another session? I'am interested in hearing what everyone else does. Thanks!!
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Christy Jackme |
Kristi- I asked this same question not long ago. And the response I got was the same across the board. It's not the quantity of what you show, but the quality. But one way to get more proofs is by taking a pic and cropping it differently. Or just by converting to b&w or sepia. So stick with your best images, just have variations of them. Besides, I think sometimes clients are overwhelmed when there are too many photos to choose from. I think as long as you can get at least 15-20 images to show you are doing great. Hope this helps.Your pics are great by the way! Best of luck to you.
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Ashley Johnson |
Keep in mind that kids will never sit still. But that's what's so great about them. They are full of energy and life. Be creative. When you have a session like that, make it more of a photojournalistic project. Or make the session a game for them. Ask them to give each other hugs and kisses. Or to doggie pile each other. Something that's fun and silly. That's how you will capture the children's spirit. Not by making them sit still. I love pictures where the kids aren't looking at the camera. It's a lot more natural. Those are the kinds of pictures that will catch a parents eye.
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Debby A. Tabb |
Kristi, I know that children can be difficult but there are MANY ways to get them to sit still- Please see our thread "Studio Photography" there are a lot of tricks in the first 2 threads that will help even in out door candid photography. But fo r now as you go on to read. the things that may provide a quick fix: * HOLDING PROPS: holding props for out doors could be a bay of hay, a tractor, a playground merry go round and a table( puting small children on a sturdy table off the ground will help to settle them ,cover the table with a green fulx fur as grass an dmake sure the background is grass, trees , or the playground.) I have a book out on childrens portraits and it goes into alot of this , but if you'd like to talk about it(since I am now getting called away,lol)email me through the contact,and I will call ya . best of luck ,debby
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Christy Jackme |
Ok, I have to add my two cents in. PLEASE do not start adding props to your pics. Especially ones that will stand out as very fake. Your style of photography is very beautiful and natural. I just took a look at your whole gallery, and you are already going in the right direction. The trick with kids is just to be patient. Always keep snapping. Let them be themselves and just be ready to run after them if you must. People will go to the mall studios when they want proppy pics. They will come to you when they want to see the true spirit of their children displayed in a work of art! Best of luck to you.
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Kristi Eckberg |
Thanks for everyone's input. It's very helpful when people respond. I'am definetly not a prop person. (no offense Debby) I love the candid lifestyle shots that capture the spirit of the subject. And that is what you do see in my gallery. I'am having a hard time with digital and getting the candid shots that I love to take b/c I can't seem to get sharp focus. Even with a higher shutter speed. I'am on my 3rd digital SLR. (that goodness costco takes any returns) I just upgraded to the canon 20D and hope it'll do the job. It seems more difficult trying to get the right exposure with digital and sharp focus. I get alot of blurred pics even when I aim the focusing point right at the face and it locks. With my 35mm I could usually use auto setting or Program mode and the camera seemed to meter fairly well. With my digital it seems alot harder to get correct exposure. When I'am chasing kids around and the lighting keeps changing and trying to get candids how do I get a properly exposed shot??? I can get some beautiful posed close ups but anything further away or candid blurs. Any advice or books I need to read to help me learn the digital way?? I really need to just get some friends or family out there to practice on. Have a good all!
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Melissa L. Zavadil |
Kristi your shots are very pretty!! I really like your style! First of all digital slrs require you sharpen your images in a digital editing program. They always come out soft this is because the camera is made that way so you can control the softness (the 20D does have a control). I have to sharpen my images a lot to post on BP becasue for some reason when I post it condenses the file at BP and then it comes out blurry or soft. Don't be afraid to put that camera on automatic when doing outside portraits it can pick up the light changes very quickly. I have talked with numerous photographers out there and unless you are planning on metering every shot it is just not worth it--especially with children!
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Debby A. Tabb |
I understand that you want a very candid look- however, your big complait was that you could not get the children to hld still or get enough of what you concidered good shots for the sitting- holding props do not have to be "propy" to help. just some food for though ,as I bow out of this thread.
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Melissa L. Zavadil |
Debby I understand what you said. Don't be offended. Sometimes just handing a child a leaf you can talk to the child and get the child engaged so they don't even know your trying to take their photos. Don't be offended we welcome your expertise!! :)
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Andrea Tuft |
I am not a professional (yet!)lol. But here are my thoughts, I have the same style as you. I want a really cute picture that captures the sweet (hopefully sweet) personality of the kids. I'm not into the really posed shots but some people are hopefully the parents have seen your work and don't expect shots of 3 little angels. I like to use natural props like Mellissa said, like a stick and tell a little boy it's very special and only for superheros. Just get there attention but don't let them know you are doing it. I've also tried bribing with smarties or little white marshmellows, they hide in their teeth and don't get them real messy. Or if you think they might give them to them after the shoot. The sharpness I have had problems with too the one thing that has helped is my image stablizer on my lense. Hope this helps!
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Michelle Ross |
Kristi . .you aren't alone when it comes to sharp focus. . like you I can get great sharp images when doing close ups or in the studio with lights . . .but outdoors if I'm very far away at all then everything wants to be almost blurry even though I have focused . . and most of the time I even use manual focus(for family shots and such) so you aren't alone and I also welcome any suggestions on this . .. I already sharpen in PS and as long as it's just not totally a blur that helps tremendously .. . I just did a shoot of two little girls in their fairy costumes for Halloween . . . the 4yo was so sweet and wanted to take pics all day long . . .the 2 yo wanted NO part of it . .. I tried coaxing, the mom tried bribing . .. NOTHING . . . we also did family pics and she did better but just wasn't into this adventure. The mom was okay with it and said she's always been that way . .. I didn't want to be too persistent with her because I was afraid she would remember if they try to come back . .. we couldn't even get her to "play" with dolls, flowers, NOTHING while sitting in the "spot" she needed. . . In this case I don't think even holding props would have worked because she would have just screamed and cried. . . sooooo any suggestions . . . I would really like to try again with her because she's as cute as bug on a rug . . . and her sister's turned out very nice. . . soooo any suggestions when 2yo dont' have photographs on the agenda for the day??
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Kristi Eckberg |
I'am so glad to hear that I'am not the only one with the blurry pictures with the digital. I would like to know why this happens and have never gotten an answer. These camera's are not cheap.. I know they are not considered true pro cameras but still for $900 and up. I just upgraded to a Canon 20D which in my book is not cheap. I've only used it a couple times and still getting the blur when it's not a close up. Doesn't matter if it's on a tripod or shutter is high still happens. you would think they could produce a sharp picture no matter if it's a close up or far away. Especially when the focus point is locked on the eyes and the focus indicator is lit. When doing kids I don't have time to keep checking if it's in focus and have to re shoot but I HAVE to b/c of this focus problem in these camera. It's frustrating. My little cheap canon powershot 2mp takes sharper pictures. not good quality of course but what is the deal with the sharpness thing? I'am hoping someday I will get a real answer as to why. Hey by the way I need to invest in an external flash b/c I have and older 200E that doesn't work with the digital. Thinking about the 420ex. I assume that is good enough for me just starting? Any input on it? Thanks again for all of your comments and ideas. It really helps.
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Pat Worster |
I just had to respond about your problem getting good kids shots. First of all I always use sports mode for when I am outside doing pictures. I have a day care and there is one child who always has been hard to get posed shots of, So I started doing all of the other kids first and about halfway through he wants his done. This will work when you have more than one child to do because they don't like to be left out. I also have a treasure chest full of goodies and toys from Oriental Trading Post. I let the kids see what I have in there before the shoot and tell them if they do good they can choose something from it. I have even gone so far as to let the child who did good have her reward but the other child did not get one. Two hours later the mom called and asked if I could reshoot them, the little one sat there just as good and got her reward when she was done. Hope this helps.
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Melissa L. Zavadil |
What a great lesson that you taught that child! Great job for sticking to your guns Pat and not giving in and giving the treat when it was not deserved. :) Great parental figures follow through! :)
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Michelle Ross |
That is a good idea Pat.. . I had thought about have something like this for the younger kids. . . I did the treasure chest when I had a daycare too(I didn't do photos though). We did have the big sister go first and thought she might warm up but she never would . .. if I had a treasure chest that might definitely be a persuasion .. .
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