Archive for September, 2009
Baby Photography: Giving The Gift of Lasting Memories
Now Is The Perfect Time
A Camera Is Not Just A Camera
Consider the average human being. While the length of his or her lifespan isn’t a set certainty, there is one thing that is certain: there are some moments that will get lost in the sands of time. You can’t argue – it’s happened to everyone on this planet. When special moments occur we vow to treasure them for “all eternity”. But as is the case with the human mind, that isn’t always possible (unless you are exceptionally gifted).
While this might not be the exact reason the camera was invented – to support those memory gaps – it can be said that there is no better tool to do the job.
What This Means For Parents
The beauty starts with conception. That’s when mommy and daddy start having a baby – a special, unique, entity growing within as a manifestation of their nature, their love. And, taking into account that both mommy and daddy are still human (except if your husband isn’t from this planet, Lois Lane), that means that there are certain snippets, certain treasured events that could go lost. We say could, because it needn’t. For pregnancy and all life’s other pearls, there is the new Canon Rebel camera.
When To Get Started
Right now you might be wondering “When should I pick up that camera and start snapping away?” Well, what about right now? Although point and click is easy, photography takes a lot of practice to ensure that you train yourself to realize when the moment is just right. After all, one day when you embarrass your child in front of the love of his or her life (it’s a privilege we as parents have), you’ll at least want your photographs to be seen for what they truly are: great!
Take into account that photography in itself is a wide and pretty much varied field. However, we’ll be supplying you with a couple of essential tips to ensure that you get a good start in the right direction.
Technical Tips For Mom & Dad
The Value of Light
As humans we never really take our privileges into account. One of these is the ability to see (with all due respect to those who can’t). Yet another thing we take for granted, and very seldom appreciate, is light. Without light you wouldn’t be able to read this, find your car or even cook your meals. Light is the essence of life on this planet, and also of photography.
Unless you’re a trained photographer or a very powerful wizard (yes, we know some dads like to think so), there’s one rule that apply in photography: horizontal light in lieu of vertical light. The reason for this has much to do with a certain difference between the camera and the eye.
In technical terms, it’s called the dynamic range and refers to the ability to compensate for the difference in brightness. The human eye has a dynamic range of 2,000:1, while a camera falls short at 8:1. What this means is:
- - Vertical light can cast shadows that appear black on camera.
- - Horizontal light, on the other hand, accentuates and flatters.
This means the best time of day to photograph your little ray of hope outside is:
- - Early in the morning
- - On cloudy days
- - Late in the afternoon
Now keeping in mind what we’ve said about the dynamic range, let’s focus on your camera’s flash.
Aiming the flash directly at your child is probably not the best idea. It will startle them and could hurt their sensitive eyes. Additionally, it might produce a couple of harsh, unflattering shadows. Instead, try and bounce the flash off reflective objects. This will produce a more gentle effect in terms of lighting.
Lens & Zoom
Once you’ve got the lighting aspect of photography pat, it’s time to go pro. What this means is that you’ll have to start experimenting with different lenses as well as with your camera’s zoom function. Here are a couple of guidelines:
Hyperfocal
This technique often makes for superb photographs and simply involves combining a close foreground (or subject) with a deep background. To do this, simply use a wide-angle lens and zoom in on your baby. Remember to use a small aperture setting to keep everything in focus. Once done, snap away! If you’re not successful on the first attempt, try again with different settings. What you should see is a clear image of your baby with a slightly blurred background.
When using a zoom lens, be careful of the following:
- Don’t stand too close to your baby. His or her features might become blurred.
- Zooming in can make objects that are far apart appear closer together.
- The zoom function will influence the focus of all object in your picture, so be careful.
Composition
In the same breath we find it prudent to mention something regarding the composition of good baby photographs. After you’ve mastered all the technical functions of your camera, this is probably the most important aspect of photography. After all, only images that really say something can be classified as photographs. The rest remain mere pictures.
The Rule of Thirds
Take what you see through your camera and divide it in equal parts with two horizontal lines and two vertical lines. The main point of focus (the aspect of your child you are concentrating on) should be on any of the horizontal lines or where they intersect with the vertical lines. Avoid the corners as well as the center of your imaginary grid.
Pay Attention To Your Environment
To aid in the composition of that ultimate baby photograph, it is important to pay attention to objects, textures and shapes that will also be in the picture. More specifically, we’re referring to the lines these objects make. Here’s are a few guidelines:
- Oblique or slanting lines imply movement or action
- Swirls and other curved lines can supply a picture with a sense of tranquility
- Converging lines can supply your photograph with the impression of depth or distance.
As you can see, composing the ultimate photograph becomes an art. Learn to use the environment to its fullest extent, and you’ll have an amazing picture to show your child when he or she is all grown up.
How To Use These Great Photographs
Now you have some wonderful photographs of your little one – what to do with them? Although we don’t think about it when they are young, our children WILL leave one day. To prepare for that ‘empty nest syndrome’ day you should print these treasured photos on canvas and use them to decorate their room while they are home, and then move them to the living room when they are gone. These canvas prints provide beautiful decorations for your home.
Another idea is the create some personalized digital photo gifts to give to family and friends to commemorate special events in your children’s lives.
About The Author
Betty A. Muscott is an accomplished child photographer with a passion about photographing children in their natural state, thus the name for her web site RealKidsPhotography.com. This passion for taking pictures of children has led her to create a free eBook “6 Tips On How To Photograph Your Children” in addition to offering suggestions about digital cameras, how to create wonderful photographs of children and what to do with those great photos you will make.
