A Flash Developer Resource Site

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 57

Thread: Baby Me Baby!

  1. #1

    Baby Me Baby!

    BABY ME BABY!
    Ok, let’s work on our portrait photography! Show me your baby.

    You don’t necessarily need the most expensive camera and equipment to improve your own photographs. All you need is a basic point and shoot camera, some natural light, and of course, an adorable subject!

    One of the best ways to improve your photography is to take lots of pictures. And with a digital camera there is no “waste”! Take 50 digital photos and be happy to get two or three amazing shots. This is all part of the learning process. And of course, children are always making different expressions and if you keep shooting, you are bound to capture that special one!

    Not taking enough pictures is a mistake but probably the biggest mistake is not being close enough to the subject. By not making your subject the focus of the photograph, you have a “meaningless” image. For instance, when you take a photo of a child on a swing in the back yard, your eye is drawn to all the clutter first…the swing set, the lawnmower by the shed, the toys in the sandbox and so on. But, when you zoom in on the child and leave out the clutter, the image has so much more character. The child is the star of the image and the photograph has a much different feeling.

    Do a test one day to see how close your camera will let you get. Try “wasting” 25 photographs. Take the same picture four times, moving two feet each time. The first at 8 ft, second at 6ft, third at 4ft, and last at 2ft. Then look at them on the computer and you can easily see how close your camera will allow you to get.

    If you are really feeling creative, you might spend a few dollars on a shower curtain rod and some solid colored sheets or fabric. Put the curtain rod with the sheets across two kitchen chairs and bingo! Your own little “shoot”. Have fun the possibilities are endless.

    A mistake many people make is using their on-camera flash. Granted, there are times when it’s a must…indoor birthday parties, Christmas Eve, that spur of the moment shot. However, on camera flashes are positioned in such a way that they miss the emotion. They can create odd and distracting shadows that look unnatural. The key is to find a spot in your home--a large window, an open door, inside your garage--and set up your shoot there. You also want to try to have the light coming in from the side for the most natural look. Be aware of how the light is hitting the eyes. Catch lights are very important to a good photograph. See how the light looks on your subject and move them around if you need to. If you don’t have a very well lit area, try using a faster speed to help give you some extra light.

    Once you have found a good background and location, and have turned off your flash, you are ready to have some fun. The next thing to consider is your subject. Make sure it is a good time for the subject. Generally when they are well rested and fed, they are in a great mood for a photo shoot. However, sometimes they might need a little coaxing. When using props, try to keep them simple and elegant, so as to not distract from the child. For younger children, props sometimes serve as an attention getter and will keep them in place longer. As for clothing, simple is better. Light solid colors without designs and patterns look the best.

    Experiment with different camera angles and positions. Get down on the floor and look the child eye to eye. Try turning your camera for some different effects. Avoid telling children to say “cheese”. Talk to them, tell them some jokes. Have them talk to you! Remember, they don’t always have to be smiling, or even looking at the camera for that matter, to get a terrific shot. Also, don’t always leave your camera horizontal! Be sure to turn it vertically also for a more “portrait” feel.

    By shooting more pictures, getting closer, and finding the right light you are sure to get some great shots! Simplicity is the key to capturing in a photo what you see with your heart. Have fun creating these “Baby, me Baby” photos!

    Rules:

    • Photo must be of a child
    • Photo must be taken within the last week (or so)
    • May be colour or B&W
    • May be done inside or out
    • All images and/or photographs posted in this thread MUST be original images and/or photographs taken by the individual poster. If you want to post your Mom's work, just give her credit.
    • All images and/or photographs posted in this thread are the private property of the individual posting. No rights are given to anyone viewing this post. Use of any image posted in this thread is illegal and punishable by law, unless express permission is given by the photographer.
    • If you would like a review of a Photograph place [REVIEW] at the beginning of the post title. Remember that we are all honest here. DO NOT ask for a review if your feelings are easily hurt. We only give constructive criticism here, but there is no room for whiners.
    • Stick to the file size limit of 100k, otherwise link to your images. No image should be wider than 800 px used in [IMG] placement.
    • Flash Kit is a G-rated site, so please no nude or otherwise inappropriate images. Violators will be banned immediately and their case reviewed at a later time.
    Last edited by MsPamela; 06-27-2005 at 11:41 PM.
    Palette Masters design
    Oentsjerk Netherlands
    http://www.pittypattermarket.com

  2. #2
    Fan of Doritos alty29's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Philly.
    Posts
    2,422
    how illegal is it for me to steal a baby to photograph?

  3. #3
    LOL!! I guess it depends on if you give it back!

    The baby does not have to belong to you as long as you have permission from the parents or gardian to make and use the photographs.
    Palette Masters design
    Oentsjerk Netherlands
    http://www.pittypattermarket.com

  4. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Sioux Falls, SD
    Posts
    1,155
    not my kid, but my sister in law's friend's kid. so hey, its close enough.


  5. #5
    Cute kid Skate342. The photograph itself could have been better if you had gotten him to face more to the light and maybe talked him out of that scowl.
    Thanks for posting!
    Palette Masters design
    Oentsjerk Netherlands
    http://www.pittypattermarket.com

  6. #6
    - carly1979's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    down south, UK
    Posts
    1,778
    i quite like the contrast on his face and the shaddows. he really dosn't look happy about you taking his photo though

  7. #7
    Ok, where are all those children everyone is always talking about! Get those camera's out and show us those beautiful babies!

    My children are all grown but here is an example using my Grand-daughter Isabel.

    These fotos were made with a Toshiba PDR-M60 - 400 ISO - Cropped in Photoshop Elements. The soft focus was done by duplicating the foto and layering it, Gaussian blur added to the underlayer and an alpha value of 75% on the upperlayer.



    Palette Masters design
    Oentsjerk Netherlands
    http://www.pittypattermarket.com

  8. #8
    Senior Member ctranter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    England
    Posts
    2,557
    Skate: I like the expression, but I agree the face is too dark, and I find the diagonal pattern of the background distracting.

  9. #9
    FK'n Elitist Super Mod EVPohovich's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2000
    Location
    About to BAN you!
    Posts
    3,023
    I found this one while going through pics for Week 17's Theme:


  10. #10
    Oh how adorable!! :-) WHERE have you been EVP??? Did you get lost on that trip to the train car??
    Palette Masters design
    Oentsjerk Netherlands
    http://www.pittypattermarket.com

  11. #11
    FK'n Elitist Super Mod EVPohovich's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2000
    Location
    About to BAN you!
    Posts
    3,023
    I usually am not here during the weekends and I got a call on Monday morning from a client 2 hours away that needed me to be on site :-S

    and the train car was moved.....luckily I remembered that we had a fundraiser to transport a historic log moving locomotive up to the local logging museum, so that is the shot that you got.

  12. #12
    You are just amazing! :-)
    Palette Masters design
    Oentsjerk Netherlands
    http://www.pittypattermarket.com

  13. #13
    the Super B
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Posts
    41
    Here's a recent one:



    More here.

  14. #14
    haikumania! what a beautiful child!
    Did you have the "Vivid" turned on ? I think the colours are a bit too vivid, which gives her skin a washed out look against her beautiful dark hair but the shot is a great one.
    The link you have to the other fotos is REALLY Great! I enjoyed looking through all the fotos and it loads so quick. Great job on that site haikumania! I am in the process of doing a website for my 9 grand-children. I have been searching for an idea how to display so many fotos!

    Ms Pamela
    Palette Masters design
    Oentsjerk Netherlands
    http://www.pittypattermarket.com

  15. #15
    the Super B
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Posts
    41
    Thanks.

    The photo I linked to had some post-processing on it in photoshop...sometimes the effects work better than others...I agree this one washed her out a bit...sometimes I think I fall into a rut of doing too much post-processing and I need to go back to just making only minor tweaks.

    Here's a link to the prior version of the site...very different theme from the current one.

    http://kids.adambuttress.com/2004/kids.htm

  16. #16
    Ooh! I Like that one too! maybe better.... I had the idea to put their artwork up also! What a neet way to do it! Thanks for the ideas! I really like the look of the album but maybe if I change it to something with a less old feeling.... You know how kids are, they want things new, bright and shiney! LOL and having 9 of them to contend with, not to mention their parents, I have my work cut out for me. :-)

    Ms Pamela
    Palette Masters design
    Oentsjerk Netherlands
    http://www.pittypattermarket.com

  17. #17
    OH I just saw the video links! HOW ADORABLE!! the video's are so clear and they load very well!! How did you accomplish this?
    Palette Masters design
    Oentsjerk Netherlands
    http://www.pittypattermarket.com

  18. #18
    FK'n Elitist Super Mod EVPohovich's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2000
    Location
    About to BAN you!
    Posts
    3,023
    I like the second site MUCH better. Really nice work haikumania.

  19. #19
    the Super B
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Posts
    41
    I think I like the old design better too, but I wanted to do something different (and mostly just wanted to try to expand my actionscripting), so I made the new one which is completely dynamic...I haven't updated the artwork in a long time, so I don't think it presents very well...the thumbnails are all the wrong size. I also never added audio clips of the kids talking like I wanted, but the pictures and occasional videos were good for the out of town relatives to keep up on the kids.

    9 grandkids must provide you with plenty of subjects to practice the photography.

  20. #20
    Unfortunately, they all live in the US so I only get to see them once a year and then only some of them as divorces have a way of seperating Grandmothers as well as Parents. :-( But I do the best I can.

    I am really impressed with the way you did the videos... and yes it would certainly be a great way to show the rest of the family since all the Aunts and Uncles live here in Europe and all the children live in the US.
    Palette Masters design
    Oentsjerk Netherlands
    http://www.pittypattermarket.com

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  




Click Here to Expand Forum to Full Width

HTML5 Development Center