I've had a few people ask of late just how I get the images I do and especially how I capture my kiddies so naturally.
Over the next four weeks I am going to share a little of my knowledge and just what I have learnt so you too can capture those natural, full of emotion images of your own kiddies.
Why am I doing this you may ask? Well I know if others hadn't have shared their knowledge I simply wouldn't be where I am today. My information is not gospel, it's not the way it has to be done and it's definitely not the only way. This is just some of the steps I take to acheive what I want out of an image.
So here goes...
Finding your backdrop.
You have to have a vision of what you want. Without a vision it's hard to know what you want to acheive. Start researching; use Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Google to get ideas of what you want and like.
Take your camera everywhere and practice If you can't. If you don't have your camera, simply use your smart phone. This can still work for your vision.
Lastly ask someone for help or advice (which is not my strong point, I struggle to ask for help) and don't be taken back if people are not willing to share, just keep your chin up and keep going. No harm done.
My story... for those in the state of Victoria, yesterday was crazy hot and humid. The afternoon saw a storm brewing in the Bellarine, which didn't quite make us, but it did make for some awesome backdrops.
I wanted to test out this location with the thunderstorm rolling in. I thought the end of the jetty in Barwon Heads and the river meeting the sky would make for an awesome backdrop. The cloudy day also brings beautiful skin tone. Except on this occasion where it was just too hot.
To entice the kiddies to come along I told them we were going on an adventure to chase the storm and see if we could get some really cool pics of it. This is my first tip. Make it fun for them, don't force them. They don't always want to have their picture taken. Let them bring along something to play with. Then hopefully while you are out there getting a few snaps they will leave their toys aside for a few minutes to interact with you. In this case, Gracie didn't want to leave her 'laptop' alone. That's her duplo (lego) in the image. So I went with it. It was also a little too warm out there, so hence the red faced sweaty little girl who just looks drained from the day. But again, I was looking at the background on this occasion for future use. Note also the rubbish beside her which I should have removed pre shoot, but Gracie was positioned this way for only a minute before she was over it, so no time to move the rubbish out the way. In hindsight I should have moved it prior to the shoot. But that's all part of the learning - On a side note people take your rubbish home with you!!!
A few of my do's:
- Do make it fun for them
- Do let them play while you stand back and check out your surroundings
- Do have a clutter free background, yes sometimes that means removing other people's rubbish.
-Do let them bring their toys if they want. This can help to keep them happy and relaxed.
- Do play with them and join in on the adventure, they'll love spending the quality time with you.
- Do go back to your chosen location if you feel on this day it's not working for you, but will in the future and when the kiddies are in the mood for it
And some don'ts:
- Don't force them to smile, I rarely ask kiddies to smile, unless I want that squinty eyed fake looking smile which is highly unlikely.
-Don't put them in situations where they don't feel comfortable, this will show in your images.
- Whatever you do, don't give up! Take a breath hold your head high and keep on trying
And if all else fails, bribery does work hehe.
Well, there it is, a little long winded I know, but if you've picked up just one little tip, I'll be stoked and if you feel like sharing, I'd love to hear about your little adventures.
Until next week, happy adventures xx
