I’m running another pilot workshop to show you how to use your camera. Sign up and learn some photography basics so your camera can get out of the way and you can get great shots. Learn more here.
Sometimes kids love me for no particular reason. Like the time last week when I went to the zoo, there was a cute little boy at the meerkat exhibit who couldn’t get enough of me. He pointed at countless pictures of meerkats, apparently just to hear me say they were meerkats. Then, when his mom took him away to look at the animals, he just kept smiling and staring at me instead!
Other times, kids don’t want anything to do with me. I had a session in April where the little boy was happy to be there, but every time he saw me he whined and fussed. He would give me nasty looks and run to mom or dad when he saw me coming. It was a challenging session, but it just meant we had to allow space and time for some good pictures to emerge.
I’ve found over the years that getting honest pictures of children has little to do with whether or not they like me. And the same is true for you.
When you photograph a child, look for things that interest them. Do they linger when they see animals? Do they run to smell the flowers? Maybe it’s mom or dad that they can’t get enough of – or running up and down a hill! Whatever it is, notice it. Then use it to engage them. That thing you’ve noticed is the key to the essence that glows inside. When you let a child lead the way, you see typical moments. There is truth in what’s typical.
When you photograph this way, those who see what you create will feel the sparkle of life in your images. There is an element of patience involved in creating portraits; especially with children. I’ve developed my skill for capturing honest moments through many years of practice. I started working with kids when I was still a kid myself. But that doesn’t mean you have to be a kid to learn to see the sparkle. I often know I’ve found it when I feel a wave of “cute” through my body and I can hardly keep from laughing. It’s joy in its purest form.
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Remember when I said I’d be doing a workshop to help you figure out your camera? Well, the time has come! June 11th is the big day. Check this out for more info.
It’s time for new pictures of your kids. You don’t want school pictures with the blue background and the straight-on angle. You want real pictures. Ones that capture your child’s essence, and allows you to remember who they were at this time in their lives. You’ve got a camera, and you (pretty much) know how to use it. Now what?
If you’re looking to take some pictures of your own kids, you’re up for a challenge. It’s never easy, no matter how much training and experience you have. Your kids just won’t act the same around you as they will around any other adult. They know what they can get away with when you’re in charge.
You need a place to go where the kids will pay attention.
I would recommend a new place. Somewhere the kids have never been, or maybe they’ve been there only a time or two. The new situation often puts kids a little on guard so they’re a bit more likely to listen to instructions. Look for a place with natural wonder – not play structures. Of course you want your kids to have fun on their photo shoot, but playgrounds have lots of distracting lines and colors to make composition more difficult, and let’s not forget the other kids! Who wants to worry about keeping them out of the frame? Too much trouble when you have your own kids to deal with.
If there’s a beach near home – but maybe a little farther than you typically travel – that’s always a safe bet (it doesn’t matter what season). A forest with a hiking trail, a grassy field, or a local public garden would make a wonderful backdrop. Think like an out-of-towner – where might you go if you were just visiting your area? Travelers often choose to visit places of beauty.
Find a beautiful place near your home that you don’t often visit, and you’ll be well on your way to a successful photo shoot with your kids.
I will be offering workshops for “regular people” throughout the year. The first few are scheduled, so mark your calendar. Stay tuned for the finer details. This year is going to be a blast!
Upcoming Workshops From Lara Grauer
January 22 29, 2011: How to Compose & Crop Your Photos
March 7, 2011: Vacation Photos
April 30, 2011: Shooting Indoors
June 13, 2011: Taking Photos at the Beach
There are many elements of composition to be considered when creating an image. Be it a painting, a sculpture, or a photograph, these elements are important to keep in mind. If you are looking for ways to improve your photography at home, composition might be one of the simplest places to start. It doesn’t cost anything in terms of new equipment or fancy software; just a few moments of thinking about what you want your finished piece to look like and creating that image from the beginning. To start you thinking about what is involved in composing a piece of artwork, here are some elements of composition:
Center of interest: The place you want your viewer to rest his/her eyes.
Subject placement: The area of the frame where the main subject is placed.
Simplicity: The idea of keeping out extra information that does not enhance the image or add to its impact.
Viewpoint and camera angle: The physical place from which a photograph is taken in relation to its subject.
Balance: The placement of different objects within an image that allows for a frame to be evenly (or unevenly) utilized.
Shapes and lines: The use of shapes and lines can help draw the viewer’s eye to certain areas of an image.
Pattern: Repeating elements in an image, or across a set of images.
Volume: How much or how little you use certain visual cues: color, pattern, size, etc.
Lighting: The quality, angle, and strength with which light falls across the subject and the background.
Texture: The visual communication of how something might feel to the touch.
Tone: The use of different hues to control the mood of an image.
Contrast: The degree to which middle-tones are used in an image.
Framing: The decision to include or exclude particular elements in an image, and where each element is placed.
Foreground: The area between the subject and the camera.
Background: The area behind and beyond the subject (farther from the camera).
Perspective: The literal and figurative place from which the artist created the image.
The list is long, and in some ways the elements overlap. But each can be considered with every click of the shutter. Every image has composition. Whether or not it was intentional plays a big part in the quality of your work. To start the ball rolling, what elements of composition can you recognize in the image above, and what does it say about the child who is featured?
Some elements I utilized intentionally for this child’s portrait include: perspective, camera angle, texture, lighting, and simplicity. What other elements are utilized, and what do they say to you? These are things to think about with every image you see – and every image you create. When you become more intentional with your photography, the quality of your work increases by leaps and bounds.
