 Noelle Rosenberg |
Photographing Four Kids Hi There, I'm shooting four kids for the first time (ages 9, 5 and two 3 year-olds, so they won't be sitting still, I'm sure). Is it better to use a 50mm or 85mm lens? What are the best settings? Lower aperture and higher ISO to compensate for shutter speed? Pics will be taken both outside and inside. Also, the position of the sun is not optimal at this location. Sun is behind me when looking at the house. Suggestions for positioning would also be appreciated. I'm not a professional but hope to be some day. :-) Thank you!
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- Carlton Ward Contact Carlton Ward Carlton Ward's Gallery |
Hi Noelle, I would get the 9-year-old to stand and hold a white balance card so that you can get your exposure settings adjusted. Then, when you are ready, bring in the younger ones so that you can get focused and take the shots quickly when you get them all posed and looking in your direction. I prefer a longer lens because the compression of longer lenses makes portraits look a bit better, IMO. I use a 70-200mm lens for portraits. Beware of shadows if it is sunny and the direction the light is hitting the kids. If one subject is too close to the other, they often create shadows on the person next to them as well so a little space and staggered heights between them is optimal so that the light is more even. You may need to use a flash for fill light depending on the light available. If shooting under a shade tree, you often get spots of light between the leaves, and fill flash is crucial for these type shots. If they are all close to the same plane, you may shoot at f/4.5 or 5.6 but if they are not - f/7.1 or f/8 may be a safer bet to get all in focus. This also depends on your specific lens characteristics. Most of my lenses work great at f/7.1 for getting sharp subjects with a nice bokeh background, if the subjects are 8-10 feet in front of the background. Take a 4-foot ladder and shoot a few from above as they look up to the camera. Or lay on the floor with all of them laying side by side with a line of their faces next to each other. Try a few fun/creative shots as these often get the kids' attention and more emotional looks. Hope this helps.
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Noelle Rosenberg |
Thanks, Carlton. I appreciate your thoughts. The shoot went well today. Best,
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Michael McCullough |
You have both lenses take advantage of each!
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