Snapshop Peeps: July 2015

If you are like me...the only TRUE and REAL reason you ultimately own a "big girl/boy" camera is because you want to take amazing pictures of your own kids!

You didn't invest money in that camera body or fancy lenses so that you could just look cool while you were on vacation...you aren't necessarily passionate about taking pictures of bumblebees on flowers...I would venture to say that you are aiming your focal points towards the plates of food you eat every day...

NOPE...you aren't in this "photography thing" for any of that...

You want to document the lives of your kids...of your families...in an AWEsome way!

If you are like me, you want scrapbooks filled with pictures that your kids swoon over and want to look through over and over again...you want your facebook albums and instagram feeds to look like a magazine shoot so that you can just stare at your family and count your blessings over and over again!

We LOVE our families...and if we're honest, we DO like PRETTY things...we want our pictures to look PRETTY...to be AWESOME!

The first step on your way to reaching that goal, is learning your camera/equipment! If you follow this blog, it means you've probably already attended a Snapshop and have learned those foundational concepts...it's not just about snapping the shutter button at the right time...it's about exposure, metering correctly, focal points, aperture/shutterspeed/ISO and determining how you will use the settings together to create the image you envision...

These, and a whole lot more, are all things we cover in a Snapshop #1 or Basic Mentoring class.
We also spend a considerable amount of time on composition and photo recipes (Snapshop Grads, check out your booklet for examples)

For the purpose of this post, I'd like to elaborate just a tad more on some tips for photographing your own kids .

1. THINK COMPOSITION | Have your kids interact with one another...tickle, tell a joke, push on the swing, pull the wagon, play cards, throw a snowball...whatever you do, make it fun...don't make them hold hands if that isn't their thing...that's the quickest way to make that photo go downhill...remember we're documenting LIFE...make it REAL and FUN for them!

Get them engaged in their environment. You've seen this picture before...it's about capturing a moment in their surrounding...you can't even SEE her face...because that's not what this picture's story is about...don't stop them from the action in which they are involved...and help them be active in the space instead of perhaps just sitting and having them stare at the camera lens.

Alter your perspective. Change your vantage point. Get out of your comfort zone, try to "see" in a different way.

Get on their level. You hear this all the time, but it's true, not just for the image itself, but for you as mom or dad...SEE what they see...I guarantee that their view is a LOT different than yours...and it might just change how you ask them to interact in that moment.

2. ANTICIPATE THEIR NEXT MOVE. This can be difficult, especially for beginners...but before you get out there and start clicking away, take a moment to take inventory...be aware of your surroundings and try to determine what your kids are going to do...are they just sitting there examining a lady bug...then you know what your settings can be without getting blur...Are they going to start jumping and running? if so, be prepared with what you know about shutterspeed and your light source. Have your camera ready before the moment takes place if you are able.

3. DON'T FEEL ENTITLED TO A GOOD SHOT | RELAX This is a hard one and one that I struggle with...I feel that when I take the time to 'set up' a shot, doggone it those kids should cooperate and I should get a perfect image!!! (insert stomping of feet) Does anyone else ever feel this way? yes, well...it's gotta stop...we aren't entitled to anything just because we happen to SEE something in our minds eye...and I've had to let that go thousands of times...because that is yet another way to ruin photography for my kids when I make the experience all about the IMAGE instead of the MOMENT!

4. SHOOT MANY FRAMES IN A MOMENT We now live in the digital age...so, by all means USE IT...you don't have to pay for rolls and rolls of film anymore...you can snap away...so do it....keep that trigger finger happy...you are bound to get something in there as you are first learning how to utilize all your settings in manual AND keep all those other things in a line as well.
Plus, you end up getting some pretty sweet timelines...

5. FOCUS ON THEIR EYES If you want a good focal point, go for the eye...toggle to that eyeball, pull those elbows in, steady yourself against the table or a tree...go for the shot!!

6. PHOTOGRAPH YOUR OWN KIDS OFTEN | LIKE A LOT, A LOT
I know many of you are rolling your eyes at this...the thing is, the more your kids are comfortable with you, with a camera in your hands, the more they will begin to just ignore that fact and continue in their moments...which is EXACTLY what you want them to do. People ask me all the time if I have my kids trained...well, in a sense I do...they really just don't care that my camera is with me...it's ALWAYS with me...they are now to the age where THEY ask to carry it and take pictures...it's just part of our life.

7. PLAN A MINI SESSION | UNDER 10 MINUTES
We've talked about being IN the moment, but I understand that you want SOME pictures of them looking at you...of their darling expressions...So, start planning...be prepared...Set up an area near a good light source ...then just ask your kiddo to come and have a seat in that spot...(you'll already know your settings because you'll have tested it with a stuffed animal or something) All you need to do now is engage them...get them talking about their favorite things, tell a joke, make a funny face, sing a song...All the while you are snapping away...do NOT make them stay longer than 5-7 minutes...just see what happens...it's great practice...and I think you'll be surprised...

Here's one I did back in 2012 with my youngest...

8. LISTEN TO THEM | Something I've learned (which HAS been a learning curve being the talkative person that I am) is that sometimes it's just better to listen...I have my own ideas, I KNOW what I want in a picture...but, that means NOTHING if I haven't connected with my girls...Sometimes it means letting THEM set something up and just going with it...LISTENING to their ideas and incorporating that into what I "see" as well.

In the last post we discussed when we might use an AUTO setting...

To sum up, AUTO can be used for many things, not just the "green" setting on the dial...there is auto FOCUS, auto WHITE BALANCE, auto FLASH...

When discussing different "settings" on your camera, try to determine towards what aspect you are referring...is it an "exposure" situation, is it a "color" situation, is it a "focusing" issue? This will help direct you to the correct section in your camera's manual as you try to determine where a specific issue may lie.

Let's review a little about AUTO as it pertains to getting the correct EXPOSURE.

When you are in the AUTO setting on your camera's dial, you are allowing your camera to make all the decisions about an image.

This mostly has to do with the exposure triangle (do we all remember that your camera is only a light sensor? it doesn't have eyes, it does not SEE what you see...it just sends out it's "tractor beams" to measure the light where you have pointed the lens)

You should all have this cheat sheet somewhere :)

AUTO mode | this means that the camera decides all the settings in order to get a properly exposed picture. So, you may ask, why is this a problem? Well, depending on what metering setting you have chosen, depending on where the auto has determined the focal point, depending on whether you have a still or moving subject...it could be a recipe for disaster in a picture....

your camera doesn't know if your subject is moving...

your camera doesn't know that you want the dark brown teddy bear, sitting on the beach...

your camera doesn't know that just because there is a person in front of your daughter, you don't want THEM in focus, you want your DAUGHTER in focus

Once you've invested in a "big girl/boy" camera...your goal should be to get off auto as quickly as you can...you've spent too much to just let the camera decide the important moments of your life. Only use this in emergency situations where you MUST get a shot and you are completely at a loss and figure that you can "fix" it in photoshop later.

AV/A mode | In this mode, you get to choose the aperture...and then your camera determines what it needs to do with the other settings (shutterspeed & ISO) to make sure your image is correctly exposed. This is a great mode to practice in! Especially with a prime lens.

As I mentioned before, in the earlier post, this is great when there is adequate light. When it doesn't work so well, is when you have moving subjects in an environment of LOW LIGHT...your camera can't SEE remember? So if you are relying on the camera to make the decision on how fast the shutterspeed will click, when you don't have the light you need, and you've got moving subjects...you will get a blurry picture.

TV/S mode | I do not use this mode at all...there is no reason for me, especially when I have a prime lens. Perhaps sports people like this indoors...but, if that's the case, you might as well go to Manual anyway!

Manual mode | This is when you use that beautiful "exposure triangle" up above. Memorize what those numbers mean and how it affects your exposure. You choose your ISO, your aperture and your shutterspeed based on what YOU can SEE, what YOU want to be exposed, and what YOU want in focus.

If you haven't taken a Snapshop Class yet, be sure to take one soon...you won't be sorry! It's a worthwhile investment to take control of your camera and learn how to document the life of your family! If you HAVE taken a class before, take a refresher on a Snapshop class when it's offered (it's only an additional $45 to sit in another class, hang out, eat, get the updated notes & added pages to your booklet) Or even consider a mentoring session...

It can be overwhelming at first...but I know, from experience, that once the information is broken down, into manageable segments...it's easier to understand...and in turn, easier to practice...which leads to confidence and ultimately capturing the important moments of your life!

In my Snapshop Class, we talk about all the different shooting MODES...

Ultimately, our end goal, is to eventually feel comfortable in MANUAL mode...

But, let's be honest, it can be intimidating with all those buttons and the action happening so fast!

So let's talk about WHEN we "MIGHT" use another mode, other than MANUAL! or perhaps when
AUTO IS OKAY!! (Did I just say that???)

1. It's more important to GET THE SHOT than anything else..remember when I said that?

Practice Manual mode when you have the opportunity to practice...when something major important is going on and you don't want to miss the moment, that's NOT the time to fiddle with manual mode...as you get better and better during your PRACTICE time, when those special moments arise, you'll be more confident to spin it to M.

*AV or A MODE; this is also a good "practice" mode to use because you only have to think about your aperture...nothing else...the camera calls the rest of the shots. This is especially useful with a prime lens because you can have a wider aperture, ensuring the bokeh/blur, but not having to worry about the other settings. Being outdoors with LOTS of available light is also a good time to practice AV or A mode before going into Manual as well...because with lots of a light, and only allowing the camera to choose shutterspeed (not aperture) the camera will make sure to speed it up so that you not only get your blur from your chosen aperture setting, but you capture the action too.

*if you are indoors, low light, and a moment is unfolding and you don't feel comfortable yet with what you've accomplished in your PRACTICE time...please don't feel badly using AUTO...yes, that silly pop up flash will pop up...but, so be it...AT LEAST YOU GOT THE MOMENT!!!

2. AUTO WHITE BALANCE

photo credits: kristen duke photography

There is no shame in AUTO WHITE BALANCE...It has been my experience that Nikon is sometimes more blue/green and Canon is more yellow when it comes to their interpretation of the color of light...but more times than not, Canon actually does a great job with white balance...and even if Nikon hasn't quite figured that out just yet (only in my opinion) I mainly keep it on AUTO...it's an easy fix post processing and I don't want to have it on shade, only to move into the sunlight and not have time to change it back. It depends on how long you are in your area of "colored light". You can play around with it for sure...but, do not fear AUTO in this case.

3. AUTO FOCUS

I think this gets confusing for people sometimes. Often people confuse auto focus with auto settings...it's not the same thing! Auto focus means that the motor inside the camera is buzzing around when you push the shutter button down half way (or use back button focus) Auto settings means you are allowing the camera to determine the exposure settings BEFORE you take the picture. Therefore, being on AUTO FOCUS is a GOOD thing...and pretty much all photographers (outside of nature photogs or macros lens users) stay on AUTO FOCUS. You just have to make sure that the switch on your lens is moved to the AF setting. That's it :)

Hope that's been helpful a bit...perhaps clears some things up...maybe encourages you to practice, but focus more on the MOMENTS unfolding than anything else!

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