First Time Shooting Kids - Birthday Party!

p27rpy

I shot a birthday party a few weekends ago, and I have to say that shooting kids is waaaaay more challenging than I thought! They're like little bugs...never stop moving, haha.

These obviously are not the only shots. I have all the prerequisite staged shots and many more to make the mother happy, but I figured that I would spare y'all from all the 'ordinary' ones. These were just a few that I felt had some artistic merit. CC welcomed...I definitely need to improve with my people shots!

System

I don't care for the yellowish tint. Is that something you did in PP or is the WB off?

p27rpy

That would be the processing, yes. The WB was correct, however the shady shots looked a bit cool, and I wanted the shots to look nice and warm for the mother so that they would generate the "perfect memory" feeling that it seemed she was looking for.

lilmomma

i LOVE them all...very very cute!!

p27rpy

thanks very much!

jdryan3

I think there are pictures of me somewhere that look similar - taken with a Kodak Instamatic 100 :photo

p27rpy

Lol, take it you're not a fan of the processing? No worries!

bbjones

I like the processing -- it fits in with the "old west" theme, and gives it a different look than what you normally see. I think it adds an ambiance element that I can only assume you actually felt at the party. (And if you didn't, it would have been nice!) #2 is great -- you got the instant of expression that is so priceless.

Dig it!

met

I think the processing is fun! #2 is my absolute favorite. I also like the expressions and feel of #5, but her face seems a little overworked to me. Kind of "plasticy" looking if that makes sense. The rest of the shot doesn't seem that way so it sort of stands out to my eye a bit.

Kids are a real joy to shoot. And you're right - they're more challenging than people realize because of their speed and changeableness. You have to be willing get down and dirty with them to really capture all their crazy and fun expressions.

met

One of the things that you did right is you got down on their level. Many people when first beginning to shoot children make the mistake of shooting down on them. Being willing to lay down on the floor or get kind of dirty brings you down into their world rather than seeming above it.

p27rpy

bbjones wrote: »

I like the processing -- it fits in with the "old west" theme, and gives it a different look than what you normally see. I think it adds an ambiance element that I can only assume you actually felt at the party. (And if you didn't, it would have been nice!) #2 is great -- you got the instant of expression that is so priceless.

Dig it!

Thanks very much! Yes the sunlight was giving off a very warm feeling that day, and I wanted to recreate that feeling with my editing so that it looked the same way it felt for the family.

met wrote: »

I think the processing is fun! #2 is my absolute favorite. I also like the expressions and feel of #5, but her face seems a little overworked to me. Kind of "plasticy" looking if that makes sense. The rest of the shot doesn't seem that way so it sort of stands out to my eye a bit.

Kids are a real joy to shoot. And you're right - they're more challenging than people realize because of their speed and changeableness. You have to be willing get down and dirty with them to really capture all their crazy and fun expressions.

met wrote: »

One of the things that you did right is you got down on their level. Many people when first beginning to shoot children make the mistake of shooting down on them. Being willing to lay down on the floor or get kind of dirty brings you down into their world rather than seeming above it.

I see what you mean about the girl's face. She was very cute, and seemed to have a doll-like face with that porcelain skin. I actually did not touch up her skin (or any other's, for that matter) at all. Just color adjustment.

I also agree with you that you've got to get down on their level. The pictures look much more connected when you do so, and you're also bound to get more eye contact since they're not used to looking someone eye to eye!

Thanks so much for your CC!