YouTube Blog: Can You "Express Yourself" Without Showing Your Face?

YouTube Blog: Can You "Express Yourself" Without Showing Your Face?
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How should I photograph my children? This was the question that I was asked over the weekend and one that I posted as a community discussion on the topic (thanks to everyone for submitting your child photography tips).

Below are a few of my own tips (in two parts - ’settings’ and ‘the shoot’) - keep in mind that it reflects how I photograph children and by no means do I have a monopoly on the only way to do it - feel free to add your own tips in comments below.

Photograph by thejbird

Photographing Children - Settings:

Lets start by looking at some tips on how to set your camera up when photographing children.

• Aperture Priority Mode- I’d start by switching your camera into Aperture Priority mode. This will let you have some creative control over depth of field which can be an important factor in portraits. Learn more about Aperture Priority Mode. If your camera doesn’t have aperture priority mode - it might have a ‘portrait’ mode which can be worth shooting in to get those nice fuzzy backgrounds.
• Aperture - I’d set my aperture at f5.6 to start with (you can adjust it up and down as you start shooting). This will throw the background out of focus (unless your kids are right up against a wall) but will give you enough depth of field that their whole face will be in focus.
• ISO - Depending where you are shooting (inside or out) and what the light is like - set your ISO to 200 (lower is better if you have lots of light). If it is too dark and this makes your shutter speeds too long you can pump it up - but try to keep it under 800 or you’ll start getting lots of pixelation).
• Shutter Speed - Keep an eye on the shutter speed that your camera is choosing. Try to keep it 1/200th of a second or faster if you can (if your kids are running around - to up to 1/500th or more). Like I say - if it’s too dark you can increase your ISO or even push your Aperture up a little. If you’re not confident with shutter speeds and your photos are coming out blurry because your children are moving too fast - you might try setting your camera to ’sports mode’.
• Focus Mode - Set your Auto focus to single point focussing. You could leave it on the multipoint focusing mode but I find with kids that move around a lot that you want to know exactly where your camera is focusing quite precisely (this could just be me though).
• RAW - If you have time (and the ability) to do some post production work on your images later try shooting in RAW. This will give you more license to edit your shots later. If you’re under the pump for time and/or don’t have the ability to edit your work - JPEG will do.
• Flash/Lighting - I’m not sure if you have a flash unit or not that you can use but my preference is to limit the use of your camera’s built in flash. If you do have an external flash and you’re shooting inside - bounce it off a roof/wall (if they are white) or use a diffuser to give indirect light. Otherwise try to find situations that are well lit with natural light - this is my preferred situation - if you can do it in natural light you’re putting yourself in the position to not have to worry too much about your flash. If you’re shooting into the sun though - consider using your flash to give a little fill flash light.
• Lens - I like to take a couple of approaches when it comes to lenses. The main approach I take is to use a lens with some real zoom capability. I love to get my 70-200mm lens out which enables me to shoot from a distance and yet still fill the frame with the child I’m photographing (this lens also has the advantage of being fast (f2.8) and having image stabilization) - even my 24-105mm lens gives good range at the 105mm end. The other approach that can be fun is to shoot at the other end of the spectrum and shoot with a wide angle perspective. Getting in nice and close with a wide lens can give all kinds of fun distortion (which when used creatively can lead to some wonderful shots). If shooting indoors or in poor lighting you might also want to go with the fastest lens in your bag.

OK - so we’ve talked camera settings - lets move on to the shoot itself.

Image by darkmatter

Photographing Children - The Shoot

Before I give some specific tips about the shoot, I think it’s worth saying that you want to get the children that you are photographing as comfortable with you and the camera as possible. Showing kids photos after you’ve taken them, letting the child look through the viewfinder and even take a few shots (if they’re old enough), spending time with the kids before taking shots - all of these things can help set the child at ease. The more relaxed they are the better.

Location - Where you shoot will depend a lot on your situation - but try to think of a 2-3 scenes/settings that you could go to before you start shooting. If you have a few hours - pick at least one outside (a park perhaps), one inside (in their bedroom or play room perhaps) and try to find a spot where you have a fairly simple background (something with color can be good) for a few posed shots. Choose places where your kids have fun, where you can show them in their natural playful environment. If you’ve got the time go to the zoo, beach or some other fun place.

Photo by Brian Hathcock

Candid Approach - I try to shoot candidly with kids as much as possible. Get them doing something that they enjoy and just start snapping. You might ask them to stop/pause what they are doing every now and again and to look at you (at the top of a slide for instance) but over time you’ll find lots of moments in the normal run of their ‘play’.

Image by Jeff Kubina

‘Posing’ - With older kids you might find that they respond better to ‘posing’ moments. I find with little kids that they don’t often have the attention span for this (and they tend to pull the cheesiest smiles they can).

Photography by Larryboi90

Get down on their level - You’ve got young children so unless they’re very unusual they’ll be half your height. Shooting from an adult’s perspective looking down on kids will leave you with average looking shots. Get on their level, make the camera level with their eyes (or even slightly below) - do this and you’ll get much more intimate shots.

Photograph by carf

Alter Your Perspective - Having said that - sometimes you can get a really great shot by breaking this ‘get on their level’ rule. Shooting from directly above or below can also give a great result!

Picture by bass nroll

Photography by ToniVC

Get close/Zoom - you’ve got a lens with reasonable focal length (I’d probably prefer something a little longer myself) but you’ll want to get in reasonably close in order to fill your frame with your kids. At times it’ll be good to zoom out or step back in order to get their context - but your parents want to see your kids faces - so make sure they dominate the shot rather than their environment.

Photograph by thejbird

Focus Upon the Eyes - Pay particular attention to your kids eyes. If you’ve got the single zone focusing switched on - choose eyes as the focus point. You can get away with other facial features a little fuzzy but the viewer of an image always is drawn to the eyes of the subject.

Photograph by Herve Kerneis

Backgrounds - pay a lot of attention to the backgrounds of your images. A background can give context to your shots but also can be a real distraction. Before you start shooting clean up any distracting items. Make at least one of your locations a place with a fairly undestracting background. I like to try to find a colorful wall or even to set up a sheet/background for a few more posed shots with the child just standing there in front of it. Alternatively light your subject in such a way that there is no background.

Photograph by carf

Get Abstract - mix your shots up with a few more abstract shots. For instance take a picture of their shoes, zoom right in on their hands or eye lashes, get them framed so only part of their head is in shot. These more playful shots can be a lot of fun and will add variety to the end results of your shoot.

Image by melinkita

Photograph by mpisti

Clothes - my motto with clothes is to choose some that the child feels comfortable in and that reflects their personality. If you put them in their Sunday best but they can’t move freely - your shots will look stilted. The only other advice on clothes is that sometimes bold, plain colors can work well. Perhaps have a couple of outfits on hand that you change them into between locations.

Photography by Wazari

Shoot in burst mode - for at least part of your shoot switch your camera into burst mode (where the camera shoots a lot of shots fast). I actually usually shoot a whole shoot in this mode - but particularly when shooting outside or at a park where your kids are on the move it can be very useful. Look for ’series’ of shots that might go together in a multiple image frame on a wall OR which you could put together into one image with photoshop (a child running, sliding down a slide, on a swing, doing a dance, riding a bike…) - these can be a lot of fun.

Images by Diyosa

Photography by Glenn Loss-Austin

Include other People - one good way to help relax a child if they’re a little tense and to give an image a little more context/story is to add another person into the image. Whether it be a sibling, parent, friend - adding a second person into a shot adds another point of interest and introduces the idea of ‘relationship’ into your image. It can also distract the child from you and help them to be a little more relaxed.

Image by dlemieux

Speaking of fun - do your best to make the shoot as much fun as possible. Show the children some of the shots you take, ask them to do funny things, be funny yourself - all of this will bring energy to your shoot, help the child to relax and capture some of their spirit. The more fun they have the more genuine and engaging the shots will be.

Photo by Todd Baker

These are just some of my tips for Photographing Children - what would you add? Got some great kids portraits already? Share them with us in the Share Your Shots section of our forum.

3 Books for Further Reading on Photographing Children

1. Photographing Children Photo Workshop: Develop Your Digital Photography Talent
2. The Art of Children’s Portrait Photography
3. The Sandy Puc’ Guide to Children’s Portrait Photography (Sandy Puc Guide)

How to take a Photograph out of a Plane Window

Here's a quick set of tips for those of us lucky enough to be taking a trip in a plane and wanting to get the classic 'out of the window shot' that often is featured early in a travel photo album.

Image by mbshane

One common mistake that people make with taking this shots is to put their camera's lens right up against the glass of the plane window in the hope that it will help cut down on reflections and in the hope that it will steady their shot. While it might help a little with reflections it generally does anything but steady the shot and will often usually increase camera shake' due to the vibrations of the plane. A better strategy, if you're using a DSLR with a fitted lens, is to attach a lens hood to your lens and get in as close as you can to the window without actually touching it. Alternatively, use your free hand to cup around the lens as much as you can to shield it from reflections. Of course for high quality aerial shots you'll want to shoot out an open window from an appropriate altitude - but then most of us are not in that league so the window seat on an airliner is our best option.

Photo by Tim Caynes

Here are five more tips that come to mind on photographing out a plane's window:

1. Switch to Manual Focus

Quite often cameras get confused when shooting through glass (and on most planes its two or three scratched and marked sheets of glass). Switching to manual focussing mode and locking your focus on your main focal point can help a lot.

2. Shoot early in the Flight

Windows tend to ice up or get condensation on them once you've been flying for a longer period of time. Shoot early when you're window is clearer and your shots will be better for it.

Photography by betta design

3. Be ready for the Plane Banking

It is difficult from an airliner to take shots of the ground (due to window size and the angles that are possible through them) but opportunities do present themselves for such shots on the few occasions that the plan banks before landing and after take off. The key is to be ready and to shoot fast as these moments don't last long.

4. Turn off your Flash

For starters it'll have no impact on your shot (its not strong enough to have an impact beyond a few meters) and secondly it'll just cause reflections against the window.

Image by igorms

5. Look for points of Interest

Sometimes the scenes out of plane windows seem quite spectacular to the eye but when you look at your photos they can be a little empty and un-inspirational. Look for a point of interest to bring your shot to life. It might be the wing or engine of the plane, it could be a cloud formation, another plane, a coastline, a change in the landscape below or a setting sun etc. It could even be something inside the plane.

Photo by Bill Liao

How to take a Photograph out of a Plane Window

Here's a quick set of tips for those of us lucky enough to be taking a trip in a plane and wanting to get the classic 'out of the window shot' that often is featured early in a travel photo album.

Image by mbshane

One common mistake that people make with taking this shots is to put their camera's lens right up against the glass of the plane window in the hope that it will help cut down on reflections and in the hope that it will steady their shot. While it might help a little with reflections it generally does anything but steady the shot and will often usually increase camera shake' due to the vibrations of the plane. A better strategy, if you're using a DSLR with a fitted lens, is to attach a lens hood to your lens and get in as close as you can to the window without actually touching it. Alternatively, use your free hand to cup around the lens as much as you can to shield it from reflections. Of course for high quality aerial shots you'll want to shoot out an open window from an appropriate altitude - but then most of us are not in that league so the window seat on an airliner is our best option.

Photo by Tim Caynes

Here are five more tips that come to mind on photographing out a plane's window:

1. Switch to Manual Focus

Quite often cameras get confused when shooting through glass (and on most planes its two or three scratched and marked sheets of glass). Switching to manual focussing mode and locking your focus on your main focal point can help a lot.

2. Shoot early in the Flight

Windows tend to ice up or get condensation on them once you've been flying for a longer period of time. Shoot early when you're window is clearer and your shots will be better for it.

Photography by betta design

3. Be ready for the Plane Banking

It is difficult from an airliner to take shots of the ground (due to window size and the angles that are possible through them) but opportunities do present themselves for such shots on the few occasions that the plan banks before landing and after take off. The key is to be ready and to shoot fast as these moments don't last long.

4. Turn off your Flash

For starters it'll have no impact on your shot (its not strong enough to have an impact beyond a few meters) and secondly it'll just cause reflections against the window.

Image by igorms

5. Look for points of Interest

Sometimes the scenes out of plane windows seem quite spectacular to the eye but when you look at your photos they can be a little empty and un-inspirational. Look for a point of interest to bring your shot to life. It might be the wing or engine of the plane, it could be a cloud formation, another plane, a coastline, a change in the landscape below or a setting sun etc. It could even be something inside the plane.

Photo by Bill Liao

20 Quick Street Photography Tips

I was going through an old 'Digital Photographer' magazine this afternoon and came across a good Top 20 list of tips for those wanting to get into Street Photography. Photography by Carlo Nicora Here's their headings an a few thoughts on each one from me:

1. Photography by Carlo Nicora
   Less is More - don't take too much equipment and travel light. It'll make you less obtrusive and you will be able to move around for the best shot quickly.
2. Off the Beaten Track - don't just go to all the touristy shots - try to get 'behind the scenes' and 'real life' scenes.
3. Stolen Moments - anticipate moments between people before they happen.
4. True Colours - black and white is often where it's at with street photography but at times colourful situations arise and can really make a shot - be on the look out for these.
5. In the Background - what's goign on behind your subject can actually 'make' the shot. Billboards, signs, graffiti and other visual elements can really make a statement in a shot.
6. Dare to Go Diagonal - don't just hold your camera horizontally - experiment with angles. Street photography is a less formal medium - make the most of it.
7. Opposites Attract - shots which challenge the 'norm' in terms of composition and story/subject matter can be powerful. Look out for 'surprising' subject matter and composition.
8. What a Performance - street performers, parades and other street entertainment can be great subject matter on the street.
9. Off the Streets - other places where people gather in number can lead to great shots in this genre - zoos, fairs, shows, parks, sporting events etc all can be worth trying.
10. New Angle - find ways to get up high or down low - these new perspectives on subjects that are familiar can lead to eye catching shots.
11. Practice makes Perfect - over time and with practice your photography will improve. You'll not only get better at technique but also spotting the things to focus upon on the street.
12. Fortune Favors the Brave - sometimes the best thing you can do is to get close to your subject - this can be a little confronting but will produce powerful images
13. Fun in the Sun - often we try to avoid shooting into the sun and the shadows that direct sunlight can produce - in street photography breaking these 'rules' can lead to great shots.
14. Ready to Pounce - have your camera out and ready to shoot at all times. Things can move quickly on the street so if you're not ready you'll miss lots of opportunities.
15. Revise the Revisit - street photography is not all about spontaneity - if you see a scene with potential don't be afraid to keep coming back to it until you get the shot.
16. Frozen Motion - the street is a place of movement - to capture it and still get sharp shots make sure your shutter speed is fast enough. 1/125 or more with an ISO of 400 is what this article recommended as a base. I also think it can be fun to experiment with slower shutter speeds on the street - capture the movement as blur.
17. Street Wallpaper - blend in with the scene - shoot unobtrusively and unnoticed.
18. Life Through a Lens - 'exaggerating perspective will help set your subject in context and provide a more forgiving depth of field' - use a wide angle lens (or even a fisheye).
19. Expect the Expected - people can be suspicious of street photographers so shoot in places where people expect to see people doing photography. Smile, be polite and be willing to delete images if people protest.
20. Location, Location, Location - really this is what it is all about. Choose places where people interact with one another and times when they are present.

What would you add (or subtract) from this list of Street Photography Tips? Photogrpahy by Gabba Gabba Hey!

The Art of Travel Photography

If you are like most photographers who takes roll after roll of film or fill up digital cards and love to bring home great travel photographs now is a good reason to get started. Perhaps you'd like to put together a personal collection as a memento of your travels. Or, you might be assembling a slide show of your travels that will wow folks. Maybe if you're really ambitious you've got visions of someday impressing editors and art directors with your picture taking abilities.

Wedding Photography - Why It Is One Of The More Critical Choices For Your Wedding

Wedding photography is one of the most important decisions that an engaged couple must make. While the dress, cake, flowers and other details are of course important, the wedding photography will capture the event for all time. When deciding on wedding photography, you need to make not only the all-important decision on which photographer to use, but will also need to decide what style of wedding photography you would like.