Shooting 1 year olds
Seems like I may have another possible shoot... :huh Some friends asked about doing their 13 month old and possibly some family shots; I'd like to do it, but I haven't said yes to this one yet - I have NO experience photographing babies since my own was that size and it scares the pants off me! :tiptoe
So... suggestions for this age group both with and without parents? As I remember it this is one of the peak stranger anxiety ages/phases and I don't know this little guy - how do you get them to cooperate and interact? What are the pitfalls, good locations and things to try? (Gee, I don't want much, do I?! : :rolleyes :giggle)
Next thing is pricing - unlike headshots, I've not been a client in this situation so have no personal experience to base on. Is it hourly + prints (and do prints go via smug or other service, and does the client pay you or them? Sorry, my cluelessness is showing on this.... :hide)
All comments welcome. I need to respond to the request which I would like to accept, but I figure I should get my ducks in a row first so that I 1 know what I"m getting myself into and 2 know what to charge for it
ETA: I do not have a toddler-friendly space in my home, so a formal "studio" setup would be out; I would be asking for this to be either at their home, or a park or other more suitable (and safe!) location. Of course, my own lighting setup is speedlights and thus portable so I could take a background with me without much fuss.... :scratch
So... suggestions for this age group both with and without parents? As I remember it this is one of the peak stranger anxiety ages/phases and I don't know this little guy - how do you get them to cooperate and interact? What are the pitfalls, good locations and things to try? (Gee, I don't want much, do I?! : :rolleyes :giggle)
Next thing is pricing - unlike headshots, I've not been a client in this situation so have no personal experience to base on. Is it hourly + prints (and do prints go via smug or other service, and does the client pay you or them? Sorry, my cluelessness is showing on this.... :hide)
All comments welcome. I need to respond to the request which I would like to accept, but I figure I should get my ducks in a row first so that I 1 know what I"m getting myself into and 2 know what to charge for it
ETA: I do not have a toddler-friendly space in my home, so a formal "studio" setup would be out; I would be asking for this to be either at their home, or a park or other more suitable (and safe!) location. Of course, my own lighting setup is speedlights and thus portable so I could take a background with me without much fuss.... :scratch
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Here's one I did last week.
Just take lots and lots of shots, catch them in between poses. You'll get some good stuff.
Nikon D300, 18-135/3.5-5.6, 70-300/4.5-5.6, SB800
You will not really be able to pose. The most you can hope for is sitting them in a nice spot and trying to snap a good photo before they run off. Give him/her a flower to play with for a minute...that can get you some cute photos. As already stated, no tripods AND I always use on camera flash for the little ones because you will be crawling/running around. If you try and set up lights and try to get the child to sit/stand in the right spot, you will miss all the best shots that will happen when the child is running around.
Stay low.... at the childs level.... and be patient.
It's a lot of fun, you should try it!
Great suggestions. One of the things that makes me nervous is that my own daughter was so incredibly easy at that age, which I know isn't always typical - she was sooooo easy and unfussy that we never really had to learn all those soothing techniques because was always so happy-go-lucky. She smiled at everybody and had virtually NO stranger anxiety throughout early childhood, so I have no firsthand experience dealing with it - especially standing there as Crazy Cyclops Lady with the big black thing in front of her face!
Is this the age where noise-toys near the camera help? Flower sounds good. Any other easy and distractable props/techniques that help them feel more at ease while we do the photographic thing?
Thanks again - all comments warmly welcomed (and thanks for the pm's, too!)
Nikon D300, 18-135/3.5-5.6, 70-300/4.5-5.6, SB800
Hmmm, you can hold and use your camera with one hand
Small, lightweight camera - Xsi - with a vertical capable grip! I don't LIKE doing it that way (and certainly can't shoot that way for extended periods), but I can do it for bursts ....
I've built up the strength to hold my D300 with one hand and the flash in the other. I'm not saying it's easy, but I sometimes work that way. I used that technique for a baptism and brunch I did yesterday- lots of informal pics.
Caroline
Definitely hand-holding is a great option for shooting kids. Getting down on their level and moving around with them is the way to really capture their personalities. I frequently spend most of my time photographing my son while I'm lying in the grass on my stomach.
That is a tough age---there could be separation anxiety, in which case it's doubly important to have a parent there in order to have a happy baby. If there's a sibling, that helps, too. When my son was that age (and younger), all I could get was him sitting on the grass smiling at his sister, who would stand behind me with his favorite toy. I couldn't get the two of them together, ever, once he was sitting up and crawling. I still don't have a picture of them "posing."
For payment, Jennifer charges an hourly "talent" fee and for that time, she'll go anywhere to any number of locations and take as many shots as you want. So in an hour, we walked around to four or five locations close to each other that I liked and that she said had worked well. Prints are a standard a la carte rate; she sends a proof sheet via email (or a link to her online gallery), I pick what I want and what size, and she orders them. Regular prices; $6 for a 4X6, $10 for a 5X7, etc.
I'm sorry if this is all duplicate info or useless!
HTH!
Sarah
As others have mentioned, they don't really "pose." But, for the most part, they sit, stand, walk, and run
As far as catching attention...Play peek a boo using the camera to hide behind, make all sorts of noises-blow raspberries, make animal noises etc etc etc.
By similar I mean photographing young children, and getting on their level, but not that it was paid or professional.
Today I met my friend at the park in hopes of getting 1 shot that captured the personality of each of her three children (4,2,6mo) for father's day while we were trying to watch my two (4 and 1) at the same time. We had planned for 9:30, but as 5 kids would have it, we didn't get out there until 11:15 or so and that is in the "danger zone" in terms of lighting- ugh.
I agree with the comment about slapstick and calling their name in a sing-songy voice, silly noises, squeaking toys for babies, flowers or other cute props that make for good opportunities. I'm relieved to hear that other people don't pose children, though sweet caroline that is a gorgeous family pose.
I also rec (and maybe this is obvious) getting there a little early and finding the places with the best light and places that are interesting to kids and will hold their attention. I suggested hide and seek, which resutled in some really sweet shots involving peeking, covering eyes, running and laughing-- also the oldest one liked climbing the tree.
1. The baby
2. The oldest
3. And the middle one just ran the entire time (as always)
I saw this nice backlit area, and my friend was the only one willing to pose there as the kids were spent.
Having parents there to get the kids to smile etc. would be great and leaving the begining time to play with the child and let them get to know you a little. Maybe this is cheesy, but hats and other props/toys could elicit some cute pics-- mayeb bring some of their favorite toys ie a worn stuffed bear?
I think the woman who travels is a genious-- it will keep them interested and happy and make them last longer and give more interesting pics. And lots of pics at those locations, too. I know 20 minutes was WAY too short for three. I definately would NOT recommend bringing your own kids to the shoot, setting aside only 20 minutes or shooting so close to noon, but I doubt anyone else would be crazy enough to try any of those!!! lol
My Website
When I shoot infants and small children. I try to get as many shots as possible of the more rambunctious kids at first, before they get totally out of control. However, it varies per family and situation. When shooting infants and small toddlers I take a cat toy on a string, the ones on the end of the plastic poles. Really, I know it sounds crazy but you can shake it an get their attention and if you want a smile brush their cheek with it and VIOLA! In most cases anyway. Another thing that has happened more than once is that the child doesn't want it's picture taken. That takes extra work on my part. I end up having to trick the kid. Sometimes I almost feel bad, lol.
You can't always do the same for every shoot and I think we've all learned that appointments never quite go as expected. Start shooting and grow as you go. Just try to keep an eye on your equipment if they are rough kids. I take only what is absolutely needed now.
As far as pricing goes: I keep my general session fees and post to SM. They purchase from there and so far I have had no complaints. Because I'm dealing with kids the session generally goes to an hour and a half, but i take a flat hour fee. You can't rush kids. And I always have them outside. I have only had children in my shop/house that I knew were well behaved. I am fortunate enough to have a photogenic pond as a background on my property so I might have the family over to the house for the shoot but I try to stay outside.
Good luck!
Some of my favs that I ever did are here:
http://memoriestolast.smugmug.com/gallery/7134871_md9tZ#521479277_VfotU
My Website
My SmugMug
Rather than write it all here Diva, if you want....check out my site...lots of 1 year olds (many in studio but getting more outside now that the weather is nice!) and the pricing is there also.... Don't be afraid to take it...you won't know if you like it unless you try...and unlike a wedding there are always do overs the next day!!
Thanks Everybody!
Sandy, you BET I have been looking at your site!
I did accept the gig (we're still scheduling, so not sure when we'll be doing it so it's not "booked" officially yet), and I came up with what I think of as an ok "starter package". It's in a format I can easily adjust as I gain experience or if I start to put myself "out there" in a more formal manner and it's fine for now.
One additional question came to mind as I was thinking about this: do you use a longer lens so you can step back and capture them more unobserved, or try to get right in there with them? Just wondering.
Thanks for the (continued) replies, all!
I use a zoom so I have the option of getting close or staying back. Some kids feel more comfortable if you stay out of their space, but others really like the interaction. Actually, I find a mixture of both works well in almost every session. Being able to have more distance is good when I'm just having them play around, then I can shoot without them really noticing me. For those close shots with them looking towards the camera, you will need to get close enough to interact.
Caroline
Thanks Caroline! You have such an advantage working with Pre-schoolers, because you're already attuned to reading them. I'm ok with little ones, but I guess because I'm chatty and high energy they either seem to LOVE me or be terrified of me, with very little in-between. As I say, my own daughter was sooooo easy with people from day 1 that I never had to learn those "make them comfortable" skills, and my own teaching is with college kids (who are, allegedly, more verbal and housetrained, although sometimes I have to wonder!!!
These tips are so helpful! Thank you all so much. I'll keep you posted as this thing moves along - I have no doubt I'll be back for more advice and handholding
She seems to be taking after her mother (my neice) in that she likes books! This was her favorite book, because it had a lot of animals in it, and one page it had a cat, and it actually has something attached to the page that feels like cat fur. She usually goes to that page and acts like she is petting it.
What gets me excited about photographing her is her eyes! I love to photograph kids with large eyes for some reason! Actually, I just have a thing for large eyes, reguardless of their age!
GaryB
“The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it!” - Ansel Adams