Please, no more "Say Chezzz!!!"

Isn't that what we yelled the last time we took pictures?

We seem so conditioned to encouraging that overused, wide-mouthed grin. Is the big cheesy smile really the most flattering way to show our kids? Well, maybe not. It often distorts the face and often comes across as contrived and fake.

What's the goal?

Kids grow up so quickly and go through many subtle changes that we want to remember as much of it as we can. Yes, especially when they are small and cute. But, they are not only cute when they shout the c-word. Kids show such a wide array of emotion that it's a shame to limit them to a big cheesy smile.

Look to capture their personality... in their world and on their terms.

How can we add creativity and excitement?

Of course our kids are not always smiling and some of the more memorable times are when they were busy digging through the pots and pans in the cupboard; grinning from ear to ear when they think they've done something special but you are left wondering how you are going to get those coins out of the DVD player!

Grab your camera and try some of these ideas:

1. Encourage them to play with their favorite toy
   
2. If they're old enough, ask them tell you about their toy
3. Get them to pose their toy for the picture
   
4. Ask them to show you how much they love their toy (see picture)
5. Challenge them to teach "teddy" how to look happy, serious, funny, look like dad, etc.
6. Tell your toy a secret
7. Get a tripod, set the timer and be in the picture with them
   

Better Results?

See the world through their eyes to add a fresh perspective to pictures. Things look very different at their eye level instead of shooting down at them! Add toys and other props to show them engaged. Yes, these steps will help increase the warmth and originality of your pictures because they show: personality, energy and innocence.

Have fun!

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Instantly Double The Impact Of Your Photos

Snap! I've got a pretty decent picture... yes, but I only caught half of it.

I often have to force myself to reduce the size of the subject in order to photograph more of the scene. By stepping back, or zooming out, we can sometimes capture the subject twice: the image and the reflection. It's really about getting the full picture.

Here's the same image, but this time it includes the reflection. And what a difference!

1/200 sec / f5.6 at ISO 400

The impact of the seeing the image along with the reflection can be quite dramatic and has application for snapshots taken both indoors and outdoors. You can use a mirror from a closet door or any table with a mirrored top. Closet doors work really well because you can let your child play on the floor with a toy or something while you adjust the closet door.

The image below of Fish Oil tablets was taken on a table with a mirror for a table top shoot.

1/60 sec / f8.0 at ISO 100

So give it a try folks. Start looking for those opportunities to take pictures around water, mirrors, etc to shoot two pictures in one. The results can be really dramatic and a lot of fun!

How Do You Spell "Solitude"?

Shooting with a theme in mind can be fun.

This past weekend, I shot a number of images of birds people, etc.. at a local park but the two images below really depict the mood that I was looking for: Solitude!

In the image below, I saw this guy fishing (seee below) and thought it might be more intriguing to show the quiet solitude of the sport in this manner rather than a typical portrait. So I took a picture of his reflection in the water! Even though this was taken very close to nightfall, the image rendered fairly well.


1/40s / F5.6 at ISO 100 (no flash)

In the next shot (below), the sight of a lone duck on a pond that is almost monochrome, conveys a similar quiet, secluded mood as the first -- especially when they are both viewed together.


1/60s / F4.0 at ISO 100 (no flash)

So, give it a try. Pick a theme and start shooting!

Winter Visit to Rose Garden

These images were captured yesterday (Sunday) while checking out a new location that was given to me by my optician, Ira. I used this occasion to shoot macro photos using my Canon 50mm/1.8 lens.

The following image is a cropped shot of a small rose with water on its petals. I wanted to position the shot so that it had a dark background for contrast.

1/200s / F3.5 at ISO 100 (flash fired)

In the the following image, I experimented with capturing the effect of sunlight on water drops on the red berries. I really like this effect and will experiment with it at another time.

1/90s / F4 at ISO 100 (no flash)

Here is a closeup of another flower cropped to show the water droplets and rich vibrant pinks, yellows and greens. This such a rare sight for the middle of Winter!

1/90s / F4 at ISO 100 (no flash)

The last image is a "collage" of flowers that had fallen on the ground (probably due to heavy rainfall) and was cropped to highlight the flower on the top left.

1/80s / F13 at ISO 100 zoomed to 300mm (flash)

Incidentally, I need to mention that Ira Tucker is a digital photographer who has an incredible eye for detail and I encourage you to take a look at his extensive Flick collection.

Gary Fong Lightsphere Cloud II is a Hit!

My first encounter with this light modifier was on a Christmas Day shoot when it was used as the primary light for a large family gathering. I so impressed with it that I ordered one shortly afterward. Well, it finally arrived on 12/31. I decided to try it out on New Years' Day.

I was impressed by the results!

Initial Test Shots
First, I walked around and took shots of a variety of objects at different distances and varying degrees of closeness: wide angle, up close, etc. (see images below). I was trying to get a feel for the quality and quantity of light.

In general, the diffuser does an incredible job of both softening the light and minimized specular highlights or hotspots. The images all had softer shadows that can be almost imperceptible to the viewer. But, this seems to come at a small price of a stop and a half to two stops for the flash and lens combination that I used. Here are a few images:

My Testing
I wanted to better understand the performance of the diffuser so I positioned it on a Sunpak 544D about 5-8 feet from some objects on a small table. I used an old Wein Flash Meter II to take readings and set the aperture accordingly. By opening up by a third of a stop more, the setup produced images that had soft shadows off to the right and images that had a fair amount of "wrapped lighting".

Results from bounce flash (no diffuser)

I experimented with adding a small homemade reflector inside the dome to reflect light that might otherwise be lost out the rear of the diffuser. Essentially, this reduces the sphere to 180 degrees flash coverage. Well this did not improve the amount of light produced significantly but instead, produced more directional light and harsher shadows... not really what I was looking for.

Finally, I removed the homemade reflector and used the unmodified flash reflector. What amazing results: softer shadows, nice wrap-around, reduced specular highlights or hotspots.

The image below shows results from using the LightSphere, as recommended: flash head pointing straight up (i.e. 90 degrees).

My Verdict: Thumbs Up!!
The results of my limited testing show that the modifier is very effective and can have positive impact on portrait and table top work. Even though I may lose about 2 stops or so, the quality of light produced is more important to me. Besides, my flash units have fairly high guide numbers.

Check out Gary Fung's web site for a video demo of the Lightsphere-II Cloud. Thanks Gary, you have created a really great gadget that is a 'must' in my camera bag and many others who shoot weddings, events portraits, etc. It is quite versatile.