Hot answers tagged children
19
Unlikely to be Image Stabilisation
@Dan, that's a good question. I suspect that most of us have a problem with blurry images more often that we would like.
It's unlikely that Image Stabilisation is causing this problem. I have certainly never had this problem myself. However, IS reduces camera shake - that probably isn't your problem.
So, what could ...
17
I tend to go for the prime before the flash, and here's why:
Flash adds weight and bulk to your camera. Once your 9 month old starts trying to grab the camera from your hands, better to have a lighter camera so that if/when s/he succeeds, they won't hurt themselves when they drop it. They also have less handholds of things they can pull apart.
Flash ...
16
I agree that you'll probably eventually want both (no one said that this is a cheap hobby!), but I'd go with the flash first.
It's easier to use quickly, and works well when you have multiple subjects not necessarily side-by-side — or when your kid won't stay within the in-focus area for for than a millisecond. With indoor lighting, even a wide-open fast ...
15
You've got plenty of megapixels... don't worry about that. Here are some other tips for photos of children:
use props: kids love to play with toys, balls, chairs, tables, etc. In addition to helping to occupy their attention you can add an interesting visual element to the photo.
shoot from their eye level. Far too many photos that parents take have the ...
15
Well, the first thing I'd do if I were in your position is start asking people why they don't want me in the pictures :o)
The second is to avoid midday sun at all costs (unless the weather is horribly grey and overcast, which is actually a blessing). If there is open shade large enough for the whole group, use it, otherwise you'll want to have the sun ...
15
Legal Disclaimer
The following is for general information purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice for any particular situation. If you have a specific concern you should consult with an attorney familiar with the relevant issues in the jurisdiction in question. Since the questioner indicated they were located in the U.S., this answer assumes ...
12
I have been taking images of children recently and found that those closer to 2 have not wanted to pose in anyway shape or form!
My most successful have included setting up a studio area and defining where the children need to be, then letting them play with toys, dance to music and chat away to each other. In doing this I got some nice relaxed poses.
I ...
12
It is very highly dependent on the personality of the child. What works wonderfully for my daughter (Positive Feedback) may not work for other kids. So it helps if you already have a good handle on working with the child. With that said, here is what works for me:
Positive Feedback
My 3 year old is very appreciative of positive feedback. If I laugh at a ...
11
It's unlikely to be IS. If it is, then IS is seriously broken. It's generally safe to leave it on all the time except when you are using a (very firm) tripod. That said, with a moving child from close range, IS really isn't likely to have much of an effect.
What it could be, from most to least likely:
Subject moving in and out of focus.
By the time ...
11
In a situation like this there is no substitute for a faster lens. Kids are a challenge to photograph at the best of times but with low light you only have two options flash which kids tend to hate or a faster larger aperture lens. Something like an f/1.8 or f/1.4 prime lens aren't too expensive and let in a lot more light than your kit lens which is f/3.5 ...
8
When photographing kids, megapixels don't matter. What matters more is the ability to focus and take the picture before the child escapes from the picture. Generally DSLRs are better in this regard, but recent compact cameras might work well enough for you.
If you're shooting indoors an external flash might help to freeze the movement and improve lighting ...
8
AJ's Checklist For Children's Parties
Just my twopence worth - should make a good starting point...
Set autofocus mode to AI Servo (the Nikon term is AF-C)
Put your ETTL/ITTL flash on your camera
Put a sto-fen on the flash
Angle the flash up at 45 degrees or more
Set white balance to flash
Set exposure mode to apperture priority
Set apperture to f/5.6 ...
8
Yes - but for indoor shots of fast moving kids, I'd highly recommend a good flash first. You'll be guaranteed to freeze that motion regardless of the lens.
Indoors, in low light, with fast moving subjects - I'd choose a flash over a f/1.8 lens. With that lens, you'd still have to crank your ISO considerably to get motion freezing results, but a flash ...
8
I don't think another lens is necessarily what you need, although since 50mm is a bit narrow indoors on a Rebel XS, you may want to consider something a bit wider. (The question Will a 35mm lens work for great indoor pictures of my kids? asks about Nikon but the answers will apply in general.) A Rebel-series camera has a sensor which is about 22mm wide, ...
8
Legal Disclaimer
The following is for general information purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice for any particular situation. If you have a specific concern you should consult with an attorney familiar with the relevant issues in the jurisdiction in question.
The question includes the following and the answer below should be considered with ...
7
You can definitely take better pictures of small children with a single shot and you don't even have to be an experienced photographer (but you do need a good camera, see last paragraph).
I'm not an experienced photographer, I mostly take pictures of my two (very fast) children and I used to think continuous drive is a great advantage in photographing ...
6
Based on your requirements a DSLR is necessary.
The main point is your focus on indoor photography, this requires at least a large sensor camera, so either a DSLR or SLD. No point-and-shoot gets close to those in terms of performance, although you may have seen very expensive fixed-lens cameras like the Fuji X100 which can do it, but that one has NO zoom.
...
6
Since you say "Photography seems to be an upcoming hobby for me in recent past", I think you should get a system camera of some sort. That means a camera with interchangeable lenses and other dedicated accessories (like hotshoe flash options). Usually, that means an SLR, but there's a relatively new class of mirrorless interchangeable lens digital cameras ...
6
When there are many choices and no single "right answer" I like to let my children be involved in the decision making. Therefore I recommend this approach.
Find a camera store with a good selection in your price range AND a sales person you feel can work well with your daughter to help her make her selection. Discuss your goals with the sales person and ...
5
I ended up buying both!
Like you, I've got a D5000 and I am now the proud owner of a 35mm f1.8 and a SB-400.
I started with the lens, which has allowed me to take some really nice photos of my baby niece indoors. However, I found that I still needed a flash sometimes when the light really isn't that good. Bouncing the flash and/or using a diffuser makes a ...
5
Wise sage says, "To photograph a child you must be as a child."
In other words you have to be able to communicate with them, at their level on their level. Have fun!
Beyond that your job is to direct the child in a way that doesn't feel like direction. Compose by moving around your scene in a way that feels like a game. Have your settings dialed in before ...
5
For this exact use I suggest a compact camera with easily accessible manual controls.
All those have point-and-shoot modes too and fun features for kids like selective color, color swap, etc (which my daughter played a lot with when she got a camera at 6).
Today this would be a Canon Powershot SX150 or other SX-series cameras like the SX220. The SX150 is ...
5
A few quick tips which I have found useful:
Have the camera in your hands (or even to your eye) all the time.
(you need to decide when shooting time starts and ends)
Don't pose them.
Take lots of images.
(as you get better, you won't need to take as many)
Experiment - with: camera settings, location, time, camera angle, ...
Post-production: ...
5
Easy way: tell her not to touch your camera :) That should do it.
But seriously, I would take pictures of things that interest her. Family pets. Favorite toys. My kids didn't show much interest until I took pictures of the dog and macro shots of lego, then they begged me to let them try.
I also did some fun composites in photoshop like the hippo head ...
5
As it's practically a once in a lifetime situation you might want to consider hiring a professional photographer. If nothing else it should eliminate the stress.
The other thing to do is PRACTICE. Practice, practice, practice. This is one of the things that separates professionals from hobbyists.
Take the camera with you everywhere and take a shot of ...
4
I am really happy with my Sigma 30mm f/1.4 (on a Canon 30D). It's a lot of fun to shoot with (mostly kittens, though, not babies), and although I eventually bought a flash I never use it because it isn't fun for me to shoot with. So in your position, I'd buy a fast lens! But, a very fast lens won't just cause a blurred background (which is usually a good ...
4
Shooting from their own eye level is good.
Get closer than you think you have to.
If your camera has a multiple shots mode and you're not using flash, then that can help alot.
The only reason megapixels can help is it might give you enough to crop a picture down to more of "just the child". You can shoot wider to catch them running and then crop it down.
...
4
On Canon DSLR lenses at least, the internal stabilization mechanism takes a half-second or so to whirr up to speed before it actually stabilizes. If you just jam down the shutter button without giving the IS this time, it can easily make the photo more blurry rather than less. I'd try switching it off - it will not do one bit of good anyway on a moving ...
4
Rule #1 is to get out of their way and just wait for their expressions. It is more or less like nature photography, where you wait for hours to get the right shot (easier for you because babies are slower than birds :) ). You should be able to anticipate the emotions and have your subject in focus before the onset of the emotion..
I have shot a couple of ...
4
The manual describes child mode like this:
Use for snapshots of children. Clothing
and background details are vividly
rendered, while skin tones remain soft
and natural.
So, while it probably affects the exposure program as well, from Nikon's own words the main concern seems to be with color rendering. Whatever effect this might have have on ...
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