Photographing Your Children

A Handbook of Style and Instruction

Jen Altman

• Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781452124377
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: Photography

No one loves taking pictures more than parents. But the combination of complicated digital cameras with fast-moving kids means no one is more flummoxed by taking pictures, either. This easy-to-use manual offers parents the tools they need to make beautiful, lasting, and evocative memories. Author, photographer, and mom of three Jen Altman shares her keen eye for the honest moment in this treasure trove of helpful instructions and inspirational photos. From choosing a camera and learning the fundamentals of photography to setting up great kid-friendly shots and overcoming the challenges inherent in photographing little ones, Altman's warm prose and lovely images sweep aside preconceived notions and show readers how to capture the unique spirit and personality of every child.

CH. 1

THE BASICS OF PHOTOGRAPHY

One of the greatest gifts you can give your child as a parent is a visual record of their childhood. Photography is just that—a visual record—but it’s also an art form, and it gives you an opportunity to instill warmth, emotion, realism, and even a touch of whimsy in the images that you capture. Utilizing a knowledge base about light, composition, balance, and unity, photographers have the ability to create visually arresting images that have continuing influence on the world. While technical advances have continued to push the medium forward, the social significance of photography has remained true to its origins. By documenting the social and cultural shaping of modern centuries, photography has become a historical gauge of sorts. It binds us to events, places, and our family, and it will continue to do so.

Whether you are new to the medium of photography or have been shooting for some time, this chapter will guide you through the basics that will best serve your needs as you photograph your child. With the digital age seemingly on fast forward, it can be difficult to keep up with the advances in digital photography. After a quick historical survey, I will break down the basics so that you know what type of camera is the best choice for your experience, potential growth, and lifestyle, and I’ll give you some ideas about how to best use your equipment. This chapter will also touch on the resurgence of film photography and encourage you to explore fun alternatives to digital cameras, such as toy cameras and instant photography.

A WHIRLWIND INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY

The invention of photography shifted early perceptions of realism and helped shape the way in which we see the world. By forever recording reality as it was perceived, photography changed not only science and industry, but art as well. In a sense, art and science worked in tandem to further the early technology of photography, just as they do today. The rapid development of photography and its spread throughout the world is directly attributable to the desire for more affordable life-like representations. As artists began to experiment with photography and the cost of producing images fell, even those who could not afford to commission painters could acquire photographs, allowing photography to become a documentary tool as well. Starting in the mid-nineteenth century when Alexander Wolcott opened the first commercial portrait studio, and continuing through the later part of the century, the photographic portrait became a popular way to capture the human expression. Middle- and upper-class families flocked to newly established studios to create keepsakes that could be displayed in their homes as not only art, but as documentation of space and time.

In the modern era, two men, George Eastman and Dr. Edwin Land, pushed the boundaries of photography. In 1888, Eastman invented the first Kodak, a camera that held one hundred exposures within the confines of a small black box. Once the photographer had exhausted every exposure, the entire camera was sent to Eastman’s processing facility in New York, where the film was developed, prints were made, and the camera was reloaded for its next use. In 1948, Dr. Edwin Land released the Land Model 95. It was the first instant camera—producing an image on paper just moments after the shutter button was depressed. Land continued to develop this technology into the 1970s and early 1980s, releasing the SX-70, the first instant single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. These developments changed the way people took photographs. It made photography a highly profitable industry and made accessible a medium that had been confined to the darkroom.

Through all the advances in photography into the twenty-first century, people continue to decorate their homes, and themselves, with photographs of family and friends. Beginning in the Victorian era with the inspiration of lockets containing photographs, creative jewelry designers continue to find new ways to set photos into their work, and such jewelry is an ever growing market. The reason is simple; human interaction—memories, holding onto keepsakes of those we love—doesn’t change with technology. The desire for visual reminders is an eternal condition of the human soul. While the ways photographs are taken and shared has indeed changed over time (sending images via e-mail or over our phones and uploading to photo-sharing sites like Instagram are the most recent methods), the desire remains. And like those before you, you are now setting upon a path to capture and share the everyday moments of your own family.

THE CAMERAS

Now that you know the way the medium has evolved, it’s time to focus on the equipment. The camera is your essential tool in photography. While the camera itself plays a critical role in how you take pictures, honing your artistic eye is of equal, and perhaps greater, importance. We will discuss this in detail in the coming chapters. First, you need to identify the camera that best serves your needs. In the world of digital photography, four types of cameras normally fall into this category, and each possesses its own pros and cons. The four types are: medium format, 35mm digital single-lens reflex (DSLR), point and shoot, and device (the camera in your phone, for example). Medium format digital cameras are used primarily by commercial and editorial photographers, and the systems themselves can cost as much as a luxury car. These are likely to be out of reach of the amateur photographer, and will not be considered here. A lot of passionate photographers do not simply rely on one of the other three types, but use the benefits of each based on the circumstances. For example, point and shoots are much lighter and more compact than DSLRs and may be the best choice when you need to travel light. The selection available to consumers is overwhelming and often intimidating. But if you know what you want and need out of a camera before you start shopping, you are already ahead of the game. Understanding each system will help you make the best choice for yourself and for the way you and your family live.

DIGITAL SINGLE-LENS REFLEX CAMERAS

The digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera is the digital incarnation of the original single-lens reflex (SLR) film camera. Early camera models were essentially all built the same way. The film was located just behind the lens so that it could be properly exposed when the shutter opened. The viewfinder was set above or to the side of the shutter and lens. This meant that when you looked through the camera, you were not seeing exactly what would be captured on your film. Inserting mirrors into the body of the camera to redirect light to a ground glass, made it possible for the photographer to see through the viewfinder exactly what the camera’s lens was seeing. The SLR was born. This mirror technology is still used in even the most advanced digital systems today.

TECHNOLOGICALLY SPEAKING . . .

Like the SLR film cameras before them, DSLRs are more expensive than point and shoot cameras, and for good reason—they produce the best images. However, many user-friendly and affordable models have appeared on the market over the last few years. What really sets DSLRs apart from point and shoot cameras is the ability to interchange lenses, which gives the photographer much more control over the final image. There is an adage in photography that it’s not about the camera, it’s about the glass (the lens), meaning that your camera is only as good as your lens. I belong to this school of thought: the better the lens, the better your final image. (We will go into this in detail later in this chapter.) A common misconception is that megapixels (Mpx) are solely responsible for overall image quality. In truth, Mpx is only one consideration. Megapixels are, in the simplest terms, small units that make up an entire image. The more Mpx a camera has, the higher the resolution of the final image—and the higher the resolution, the larger the final print can be. But there are two additional critical factors in image quality, the camera’s sensor (the part that transfers light to image) and the lens you are using. DSLRs have larger sensors than point and shoot cameras, and as a result, fewer Mpx in these models will result in better images than more Mpx in a point and shoot camera.

WHEN A DSLR IS THE RIGHT CHOICE . . .

So why might this camera work for you? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the system. For someone brand new to photography, there is a lot to learn with DSLR systems. With patience and practice, however, mastery is within your reach. The quality of your images, from both a technical and aesthetic standpoint, will be your reward. The beautiful depth of field (which areas of your photograph are sharp and which are blurred) and control you have with this system simply cannot be replicated with a point and shoot camera. The initial investment in a DSLR system should include a camera body and lens. Several manufactures offer entry-level DSLRs in packages that include both the body and lens (sometimes two lenses) together. This is a cost-effective way to familiarize yourself with this type of camera. Often, though, the lenses are not the highest quality glass. To have more control, my recommendation is to purchase the body and the lenses separately. If this is your first experience with purchasing a DSLR, it is important to visit a local camera store and actually hold the camera—feel how heavy it is and how much heavier with a lens attached. Reflect on how you live and whether you are willing to tote it around with you, or is the additional weight negligible compared to what you normally carry daily? I do not mean to imply that these cameras are all bricks, but it’s important to consider your lifestyle—you do not want to spend a lot of money on a great DSLR system only to have it sit at home because you don’t feel like carrying it. Or maybe you plan on using it at home when photographing your child and carrying something lighter with you when you venture out? A good salesperson in a camera shop will allow you to slide the camera into your bag for a moment to let you feel the weight. The merchant can also be incredibly helpful in showing you the basic operating skills required for each system so that you can get started at home. To get the most out of your camera, however, it is very important to read your manual!

The most popular brands of DSLRs in terms of availability and model selection are Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and Sony. Other good brands are Leica, Sigma, Olympia, and Panasonic. One reason to choose a model from Canon or Nikon is lens availability. My personal belief is that you don’t need an arsenal of lenses—a few will get any job you require done with ease. However, lenses are another factor to consider in your ultimate brand choice, as most are not interchangeable. Beyond lens availability, the choice of one brand over another is highly personal, and this is another reason to spend some time in a camera shop. Look at all of the available models in your budget. Which feels the most comfortable in your hands? Which camera’s settings seem the most user-friendly? Once you’ve decided on a camera body, it’s time to select your lenses.

LENSES

Lenses are the most important accessory you will purchase for your camera body. They come in an array of sizes and corresponding price ranges, some that might make you balk. I encourage you to spend some time researching your chosen brand of lenses. I have made the initial mistake myself on more than one occasion to save money and go with a lesser quality lens. It showed in my work immediately, and I then had to deal with the aftermath of selling the lens at a loss and purchasing the better lens. That is not to say that you have to buy the three most expensive lenses in a brand’s line to be a successful photographer—not at all! It is more important to have one incredibly well-made lens than multiple lesser quality lenses. Camera lenses are differentiated by focal length and aperture. The focal length determines your field of view. A lens with a small number such as 14mm or 24mm (wide lens) will grant a rather wide field of view as shown in figure 1. A lens with a focal length of 80mm or 110mm will give you a narrower field of view (figure 2). So what is the difference in simple terms? If you are photographing the interior of a home or a landscape, for example, you likely will want to capture the whole room or as much of the horizon line as possible. In this case, a wide lens is ideal. However, if you plan on taking portraits, you probably want to focus on your child’s face and the immediate surroundings, and a 50mm, 80mm, or 90mm lens is the best choice.

What makes some lenses more expensive is the second element, aperture. The aperture is noted as an f-number on the lens. The numbers can be confusing for beginners, because lower numbers indicate “larger” apertures. (I’ll clarify this later in the chapter.) A lower number, f/1.8 or f/2.8, for example, will give you more control of your depth of field. In addition, you should note that the lower the f-number, the higher quality the glass and the more expensive the lens. In simplest term...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter One: The Basics of Photography
• Chapter Two: Why Light is so Important
• Chapter Three: Composing Portraits
• Chapter Four: Photographing Infants
• Chapter Five: Photographing Toddlers & Young Children
• Chapter Six: Through the Eyes of Love
• Chapter Seven: What’s Next?
• Resources
• Index
• Copyright