This little girl in a tutu and stockings, was playing with an empty cookie tin and when she stepped up onto it ( with the help of her mother) it really reminded me of the ballerina music boxes that little girls might own. I was so happy the settings were ready to deal with the harsh light from the sliding door they were standing in front of.
Got another opportunity to get some shots of kids at a BBQ this past weekend. It is really starting to become clear that most kids are so exposed to digital cameras that they don't shrink back from them anymore. Some even see the camera come out and they run over and start posing. Not that this was the case here.
This little girl is two and a half, was an amazing host, showing me her backyard and new puppy. I think that I have had a lot more exposure to young children over the last three or four years and I have a much more relaxed vibe around them that they can pick up on.
This was a color shot that I turned black & white because it was a little bit overcast and the wind had come up. Wispy fine hair can be hell on auto focus, but the lines become crisp again after some recovery and clarity were added in Lightroom with B&W. And because I think it looks better.
One of my long time peeves has been rainy days while on vacation and losing camera time with my nieces and nephews. I only get to see them once a year and have to make the most of it. One tactic I have used over and over when they were young is pointing out something outside to get them near a window. Have your camera ready, you will only have a few seconds before they turn to you asking 'where?!"
Another favorite of mine in heavy rain is to get some shots of rain falling along an eave. This one just happened to get framed nicely by a screen door.
The above pictures were all taken with the Kodak DX 6490. I wasn't afraid of taking it out in the rain, but didn't want top push it unnecessarily. And it was compact enough to fit under the peak of my ball cap when shooting. Now with the 1000D that isn't an option. So I have to play around and find new ways to make the most of rainy days.
As anyone who watched the Canadian Grand Prix Formula 1 race yesterday could see, we had a bit of rain here in Montreal. While the race was red flagged during the hardest part of the downpour, I took the camera out back on the covered balcony and practiced focusing with the telephoto lens and doing multiple shot bursts.
This photo is a little grainy . I had the ISO jacked to 1600 because I wanted a fast shutter speed, but found it was a little dark under the storm clouds. This is shot from 3.4 m ( 10 ft ) away with the telephoto. As always click on the photos for a larger view. And yes, that is a single dog hair in the bottom left hand corner. From 10 ft away.
Some people just don't have a knack for getting kids to sit still for a perfect picture. I don't believe this is something that would work for me. I'm a big guy. Kids are always wary around me for the first couple of days. Sit down shots are not going to work. So I rely on subterfuge and reverse psychology to make nice photos happen when I'm around kids. I never stoop to bribery. But if someone else has already loosened them up with a well timed treat I will be there to swoop in.
One of my favorite MOs is to walk outside and find a place to review and cull through my recent shots away from the kids. After a few minutes they will come find you. The silly things they do when they think you are busy make some of the best pictures. Especially if they are unaware you had the camera switched on. These two little girls avoided the camera all morning then were curious where it went.
Another is playing with the child and seeing what kind of mischief they can get into when they don't know the camera is on and ready to shoot. This only works well with one on one situations because you can steer the kid away from real trouble easier than trying to calm down three or four after they are wound up. It also works better with boys. Here is an example of a young man who thought it would be fun to splash water from a rain barrel and didn't know how cold it was going to be.
A good example of a way to get great photos with a group of kids is Hide & Seek. You can either follow the children around, or play as 'IT' yourself. Both ways give you all kinds of opportunity to catch them at their giddiest. Be prepared with an extra battery because they will want to see the pictures after each round to make sure you caught them.
And finally, the all time greatest way to get candid shots of kids in a group situation: The Kids Table. Hey, it gets them laughing, thinking you have been banished from the adult realm. It gives their parents a chance to get plates ready in peace and builds trust with the children. Just don't try stealing anybody's juice. they take this stuff seriously nowadays.
All of the above photos were taken with the Kodak DX6490.
