Also, not all shots with cluttered backgrounds are failures. Sometimes, cluttered backgrounds can be interesting... though like most people, I prefer the background clean. 
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Baby Rachael
- Thread starter nottipiglet
- Start date
Rachel has grown a lot.... Very nicely done images of your daughter.
Anyway, I always recommend to use natural light only for children photography and learn to see the light, which you have done really well and work around it.
It's time to venture outside and doing something... Outdoor portraiture gives you another dimension.
My suggestion is to capture moment that touches your heart and shoot on the fly to get more dynamic shots. Although background info is good, they will have to be relevant to what you are capturing, otherwise, it will be distracting for viewer to decide what to see.
I have written some tips for BabyCare Magazine (Jan-Jun) edition, for how to shoot children portraiture, so consider getting one if you want to learn a little more of how to approach children.
Children photography is simple as long as you know what you want to capture and using natural light will open up different way of taking images of your child.
Hope it helps.
Regards,
Hart
Anyway, I always recommend to use natural light only for children photography and learn to see the light, which you have done really well and work around it.
It's time to venture outside and doing something... Outdoor portraiture gives you another dimension.
My suggestion is to capture moment that touches your heart and shoot on the fly to get more dynamic shots. Although background info is good, they will have to be relevant to what you are capturing, otherwise, it will be distracting for viewer to decide what to see.
I have written some tips for BabyCare Magazine (Jan-Jun) edition, for how to shoot children portraiture, so consider getting one if you want to learn a little more of how to approach children.
Children photography is simple as long as you know what you want to capture and using natural light will open up different way of taking images of your child.
Hope it helps.
Regards,
Hart
I agree with you, Hart. Natural light is the best. In Rachael's earlier years, I lived in an apartment with very large windows. So, all I had to do was to open the window and I get good light. I had the good fortune to move into a house later. Unfortunately, in land scarce Singapore, BCA regulation now allows houses to be built so close to each other that we don't get very good light in most parts of the house. I have shot Rachael in the small parts of the house with good light ad nauseam... but it's getting a bit boring... So I set up a simple studio to get more control of the light. Of course I still shoot her in doing stuff... just that I've been to lazy to post them. Also, Rachael isn't really a very physically active child... so I don't shoot her doing active outdoor stuff because she's really not like that. But here's one more taken outdoor:
36.
However, I disagree with your statement that using natural light will open up different way of taking images of your child. It is in fact the other way round. I shot with natural light for many years before I bought my flash gun. So, using flash opened up a different way of taking pictures for me. I find a flash gun very difficult to master, but I read... and I learn... and I am still learning. (Most people who use flash indiscriminately don't know what they are doing.) A mini studio is, in fact, a very good learning experience. As I do not have big soft-boxes to simulate large windows, I need to bounce and shape the light from flash guns... which is very tricky. So, natural light does not open up a different way of taking images for me. Good natural light is the preferred de facto light source. In good natural light, even my mother can take good pictures. Unfortunately, if you have a child, you will know that children have to keep to a certain schedule of mealtimes, naps, etc... and Singapore weather is unpredictable. So, knowing how to alter the light helps with capturing the moment. At the very least, a weak flash provides a good source of catchlight.
I have read several books on children portraiture, on top of the usual photography books. I understand light for the most part... though I don't always get it right. But with digital photography, it's no big deal... just chimp and delete. If you shoot enough, the law of large number dictates that you will get a few usable ones.
I want to shoot pictures of my own child because I have the best rapport with her. The relationship I take thousands of hours to build can never be replicated by any professional photographer in a couple of hours. So, I will always have the upper hand. Sorry, but I don't think I need to read a magazine to find out how to get my own child to smile, or do interesting things. A person who cannot do that probably doesn't spend enough time with his/her child and needs to do some serious soul searching... unless the child is one of those unsmiling creatures like Father Time in Jude the Obscure. Children are naturally interesting. You just need to play with them... and let them be themselves. On the other hand, it is the professional photographer that needs these techniques. He is paid to do a job and only has a couple of hours to deliver.
Also, Rachael isn't really a very physically active child... so I don't shoot her doing active outdoor stuff because she's really not like that. But here's one more taken outdoor:36.
However, I disagree with your statement that using natural light will open up different way of taking images of your child. It is in fact the other way round. I shot with natural light for many years before I bought my flash gun. So, using flash opened up a different way of taking pictures for me. I find a flash gun very difficult to master, but I read... and I learn... and I am still learning. (Most people who use flash indiscriminately don't know what they are doing.) A mini studio is, in fact, a very good learning experience. As I do not have big soft-boxes to simulate large windows, I need to bounce and shape the light from flash guns... which is very tricky. So, natural light does not open up a different way of taking images for me. Good natural light is the preferred de facto light source. In good natural light, even my mother can take good pictures. Unfortunately, if you have a child, you will know that children have to keep to a certain schedule of mealtimes, naps, etc... and Singapore weather is unpredictable. So, knowing how to alter the light helps with capturing the moment. At the very least, a weak flash provides a good source of catchlight.
I have read several books on children portraiture, on top of the usual photography books. I understand light for the most part... though I don't always get it right. But with digital photography, it's no big deal... just chimp and delete. If you shoot enough, the law of large number dictates that you will get a few usable ones.
I want to shoot pictures of my own child because I have the best rapport with her. The relationship I take thousands of hours to build can never be replicated by any professional photographer in a couple of hours. So, I will always have the upper hand. Sorry, but I don't think I need to read a magazine to find out how to get my own child to smile, or do interesting things. A person who cannot do that probably doesn't spend enough time with his/her child and needs to do some serious soul searching... unless the child is one of those unsmiling creatures like Father Time in Jude the Obscure.
Children are naturally interesting. You just need to play with them... and let them be themselves. On the other hand, it is the professional photographer that needs these techniques. He is paid to do a job and only has a couple of hours to deliver. 
I agree with you, Hart. Natural light is the best. In Rachael's earlier years, I lived in an apartment with very large windows. So, all I had to do was to open the window and I get good light. I had the good fortune to move into a house later. Unfortunately, in land scarce Singapore, BCA regulation now allows houses to be built so close to each other that we don't get very good light in most parts of the house. I have shot Rachael in the small parts of the house with good light ad nauseam... but it's getting a bit boring... So I set up a simple studio to get more control of the light. Of course I still shoot her in doing stuff... just that I've been to lazy to post them.
36.
However, I disagree with your statement that using natural light will open up different way of taking images of your child. It is in fact the other way round. I shot with natural light for many years before I bought my flash gun. So, using flash opened up a different way of taking pictures for me. I find a flash gun very difficult to master, but I read... and I learn... and I am still learning. (Most people who use flash indiscriminately don't know what they are doing.) A mini studio is, in fact, a very good learning experience. As I do not have big soft-boxes to simulate large windows, I need to bounce and shape the light from flash guns... which is very tricky. So, natural light does not open up a different way of taking images for me. Good natural light is the preferred de facto light source. In good natural light, even my mother can take good pictures. Unfortunately, if you have a child, you will know that children have to keep to a certain schedule of mealtimes, naps, etc... and Singapore weather is unpredictable. So, knowing how to alter the light helps with capturing the moment. At the very least, a weak flash provides a good source of catchlight.
I have read several books on children portraiture, on top of the usual photography books. I understand light for the most part... though I don't always get it right. But with digital photography, it's no big deal... just chimp and delete. If you shoot enough, the law of large number dictates that you will get a few usable ones.
I want to shoot pictures of my own child because I have the best rapport with her. The relationship I take thousands of hours to build can never be replicated by any professional photographer in a couple of hours. So, I will always have the upper hand. Sorry, but I don't think I need to read a magazine to find out how to get my own child to smile, or do interesting things. A person who cannot do that probably doesn't spend enough time with his/her child and needs to do some serious soul searching... unless the child is one of those unsmiling creatures like Father Time in Jude the Obscure.
That's fine. Just my opinion... If you think flash work better for you... It will... As you said learning is the key.
I just find the usage of flash increases the way to get the images with predetermined background and natural light, unfortunately you have to find the right light and use the background to your advantage. I find myself learning a lot more using unfavorable light to my advantage to get fluidity on my images. Using flash make me lazy as I know I can always use it to lit the subject the way I want so I don't need to work too hard to come out with useable images. It is this thinking that make me say that it opens more possibility and not from technical stand point.
Outdoor doesn't have to be active playing type of images, it can be her playing with her favorite toys sitting on a mat on green field or anything else.
Anyway, I know building rapport is very important and you are right to say you know a lot more about her than anyone and I am glad that you look at things this way.
Ultimately, as parents, what is important is the memories behind it...
I shoot children images on daily basis using natural light and the notion of numbers don't work for me, as I need nice images from every shoot regardless on how the child behave, sometimes, you have a good 20 minutes with the child before they don't want to be photograph anymore because they are not in the mood, but understand the use of natural lighting and children's behavior give me extra thing in getting my images. I do find on some occasion that kids simply refuse or uncomfortable after being flash at.
You are dealing with your daughter that don't mind flashes so flash works.
Good work and all the best for your future opportunity with your daughter and keep shooting, it is their memories that is important and you have done really well.
Take care.
Regards,
Hart
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