For the 3rd part in my series based on an interview with professional photographer Robert Shults, I am presenting a broad outline to structure children’s photography shoots. Check out the first part of the interview and his discussion on child photography if you haven’t seen them already.
- Play with kids before beginning your session to make them comfortable and to show you how they like to interact
- Choose backdrop or location
- Set lighting and /or preset camera
- Position kid in proper location, and possibly face him or her in a specific direction
- Give them a prop like a flower, hat or toy, or play with them a bit more to allow them to naturally position their body (With toddlers especially, their very ability to sit up or reach for an object can make an important photograph in itself.
- In family photos, arrange faces into a triangle or broad rhombus to underscore the solidity of a family’s relationship. Erin’s note: A rhombus is a diamond or square, for those of us who are too far removed from high school geometry.
- And, of course, position smallest members of a family toward the front of a group so that they don’t get “lost” among the adults
- Think about the most important relationship in the picture you are about to capture, and set your composition in order to draw attention to that relationship (perhaps the gaze of a mother at her child or the hand holding young girls.)
- I am a huge fan of indirect light from a north-facing window for indoor photography
- Outdoors, I use the sun’s light in the open shade or as a backlight, and use collapsible reflectors and Lumiquest diffusion products on my shoe-mount flashes for fill. I am particularly fond of the Lumiquest Ultra-Soft. It provides beautiful, soft fill light while also adding visible catchlights to the eyes. Erin’s note: Adds visible catchlights? Are you kidding? I’m in. I just ordered this from Amazon:
See examples of Robert’s portrait photography here. And if you’re in the Austin area, visit his gallery exhibition!
To wrap up the Robert Shults series, on Friday I will post an action that replicates his Photoshop B&W conversion process and will make your black and whites look something like his!
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I found two of the Lumiquest Ultrasoft on Amazon. They have the same name, but are different prices. Any idea what the difference is?
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Hi Marcee,
I noticed the price difference also. It looks like the prices have even changed since yesterday, when I thought I was linking to the least costly model. They all look the same to me, so I’d go with the cheapest price + shipping combo.
Erin
Those are great tips…I photograph children a lot and it is soooo challenging!
I’m excited for the B&W conversion action, his are stunning so I’d love to be a copycat!
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