Re: [Leica] Kid candids

[Dean Chance <mreyebal@pacbell.net>]

on 11/9/00 10:42 AM, Alan Hull at hull@telia.com wrote:

> From Mike Johnston
>> P.S. I used to specialize in this kind of picture...kid candids.
> -----------------------------
> 
> 
> Any help would be appreciated.
> 
> Alan
> 
I always thought that shooting candids of kids had a lot in common with
combat and sports photography: you have to anticipate where the action is
going and BE READY.
But, with kids, YOU can control the action...sort of. One way is to wait for
- - or create - situations where they're not quite so active:
think dinner time, bath time, bed time, story time. (I always like to
photograph my kids while they're eating.)
You can also keeping them relatively still by giving them something new to
play with, depending on the age. When I photograph kids I don't know, I
often bring along an assortment of cheap toys: bubbles, silly putty, etc.,
which can keep them somewhat still, yet allow them to do kid things.
Be prepared to fail a lot. If you're getting one good shot out of ten
frames, you're doing very well indeed. Tell your wife that a National Geo
photog shoots 900 to 1,000 rolls to get the 6 to 12 shots that illustrate a
typical story.
Always have your camera set up for the prevailing lighting conditions and,
if you think you'll lack time to fiddle with focus, maximize your depth of
field. With my 35mm, I set it at f8 (light permitting) and 3 meters on the
lens scale, puts everything from about 5 feet to infinity in focus.
Remember that blur and out of focus shots can sometimes be effective with
very active kids, since these "mistakes" might communicate the intense
energy of children.
Don't try overhard for those poignant perfect moments, since they're often
cliches. I often urge parents to let me photograph their kids as they really
are: a little grubby. The most memorable shots of my kids aren't the special
occasions,they're just the little everyday things.
Kids are tough, but at least they're not neurotic about having their
pictures taken. I've never had a kid complain that a certain picture "makes
my butt look big."