DSC_7910-1
Mar, 2015Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at a local memorial garden in my home town. The always sunny sky here in Arizona was an unusually moody that day. I had to grab my camera and my lovely subject and head out to make some magic!Time
I got this photo about two hours before sunset, it was a beautifully cloudy day and we were in a secluded garden so there was no harsh light or shadows. In Arizona a shoot mid day or even late afternoon can be difficult with sunny skies over 300 days a year. I always take advantage of a cloudy day!Lighting
Children are notorious for not wanting to look at the camera! But even without her eyes aimed at me the light on her lovely face made me take the shot. We had had several bright cheery smiles early in the shoot, but I wanted this one to feel more dreamy and calm. I just waited for her to become "lost" in the garden and then fired away with the camera.Equipment
I am a Nikon girl all the way! This photos was taken with my D750 using a 50mm 1.4 lens. I always attempt to focus on the eye in a portrait, and then let the background drift away in a lovely wash. I rarely shoot with a tripod, for some reason kids don't like to stay in one place for long!! One thing I always remember is a step stool, at only 5'2" my client are often taller than me! If I don't want a camera full of up the nose shots I need to get up a bit higher!Inspiration
The day started with an unusual moody cloud set and I just knew I had to take advantage, in Arizona not many days come along where shooting outside all day is an option. This little girl was just so adorable and curious, I had to try and get a photo that showed what I saw when I looked at her. Of course the lovely dress and headband only added to the fairy tale scene.Editing
Yes, I do post process my images. I like to use clone and heal brushes to fix distracting spots on the skin and surrounding area. I also warmed this up with a rose brush from Pretty Presets in Lightroom CC. I like to get the photo right in the camera and then use post processing the enhance the photo, not fix it.In my camera bag
Nikon D750 is my camera of choice, 90% of the time I have my 50mm1.4 attached. I shoot children and I find it to work great for my job. I also will be adding a 85mm 1.8 and 70-200 2.8 this month. I do like to carry along a flash diffuser, but rarely need to use it. Tripods and children aren't the best combination with all the movement that comes with tiny feet, so I do some extra pushups to keep those arms strong and steady while shooting in hand!Feedback
I always try to go into a shoot without specific set rules or rigid ideas. While being prepared is key, stressing about exact posing or camera setting is futile. Just stay in the moment with your client and adjust as needed. Get out everyday and shoot something, the more comfortable you are with your camera and using the Manual mode that better and more relaxed you will be when to comes to the actual paid shoot. Try and think outside the box with creative poisoning yourself instead of over-directing your model (especially children) the more you pose them the more stiff and un-natural they appear. Get low, get high, back up, you can do all these things for a large array of photos without ever having to adjust your client or model, and get a workout at the same time! If your looking to get a shot where the child is distracted or looking away, try just pretending to fiddle with your camera or talk with another adult. As soon as the child thinks your not paying attention they relax and start behaving like a child... then SNAP get the shot!
