Guide to Children’s Photographers Techniques

Have you ever wondered how childrens photographers make their portraits look so professional?

It doesn’t matter whether there is one child or four or more, or even if a whole family is in the portrait, they always look, “right.”

Well, they use some basic rules, or guides, to create these attractive images.

This article is going to explain these rules along with diagrams to help you achieve your own portraits that are composed just as well as the professional children’s photographers do.

The basic triangle is the key to a stable image.

Place the subject (child) in the frame (viewfinder of your camera) so that that you can draw an imaginary triangle around them within the frame.  (See the example below.)

Fill the frame.  A good image has the subject taking up most of the frame.  The example below shows a good and a bad example of this.

Another key is to pose the children well.  Below is an example of good posing and bad posing.  Note in the sketch for bad posing the subjects have their heads and limbs cut off.

Frame set-up can make the difference between a professional looking childrens photographs and an amateur’s attempt.

Where the heads of the children are within the picture frame is really important.  You want them to be close, and the eyes of the kids need to be level with the camera.  What I mean by this is it shouldn’t appear like either we (the viewer) are looking down at the kids, nor should it look like the kids are up high and looking down at us.

Finally, below is an example of a well framed and composed picture and an example of a poorly composed and framed image (no triangle, and bad composition.)

I hope these little sketches and these tips help you to become a better photographer and to be able to compose your pictures like the childrens photographers do.

Artist Statement – RGB: Graphic Design Exhibition

Below is the artist statement of photographic designer, Roey Bannon.

Digital images are a powerful tool which enables the graphic designer to enhance text for the purpose of persuasion.

Design is the result of deliberate choices made to communicate an idea. This exhibition explores the use of digital images in advertising design.  To be effective, the design must draw the audience in and communicate the ultimate purpose of the design.  It is important to create interest between the viewer and the subject matter.  An advertising design should “catch the eye.”  It is my desire for the viewer to begin to think of digital images within advertisements as a tool used by designers, and to understand why the subject matter within the image was chosen.

A digital image is a versatile design tool and can be equally successful in different layouts.  The content and composition of a digital image is carefully chosen to enhance a particular design layout for the purpose of connecting the viewer to the subject matter and ultimately persuading him or her to either purchase the product or service or to reach the desired conclusion.  The graphic designer uses the principles of photography (i.e. depth-of-field) principles of design (i.e. continuation) and elements of design (i.e. value) to create effective layouts.  The elements in the layout are chosen carefully and purposefully to create a desired response.  For example, the advertisement titled “Pet Recovery” uses minimal depth-of-field to make the subject stand out from the background.  The foreground, being out of focus, is an effective way to make the text prominent.  Digital images can be used as photographed or can be manipulated to create a desired end result.  The advertisement titled “Chaos” is a blend of two different digital images that have been manipulated using Adobe Photoshop to create a visual feeling of chaos.  All of the design elements are carefully chosen and placed so that they work together to create a strong, unified, successful advertisement.

Copyright R. Bannon

Typography is an integral part of advertisement design.  Although often taken for granted, typography choices are vital to the success of the overall layout.  Color and font choices should complement, not contradict the subject.  The typographic choices made for this exhibition were done in order to correlate with the digital images and enhance each unique design concept.  For example, the advertisement titled “AdventureWorld” would not be as successful if the font color were a muted brown.  The vibrant yellow and red are common colors used in theme park advertising and work well with the blue sky and green color of the roller coaster.

Copyright R. Bannon

A graphic designer uses many tools, including computer hardware and software.  Digital images are stored, manipulated, and transformed into an end product with the use of these sophisticated tools.  Databases are created to organize and catalog the digital images, allowing the designer to search and retrieve specific images or subjects quickly, without having to search through thousands of files.  Programs such as Adobe Photoshop allow the designer to improve, manipulate, and even substitute images within a document quickly.  In order for an advertisement to be successful, it needs to connect with the viewer.  The interactive computer within this exhibition is intended to introduce the viewer to this process.  The program Microsoft Expressions Media has been installed for the viewer to experience using an image management program.  The scattered stock images crawling down the wall and approaching the computer are intended to engulf the viewer in the experience.  Just as a finished advertisement is the sum of its parts, this exhibition is the sum of its parts.  Design matters.

Digital Wedding Photography Tips

At first glance good digital wedding photography may seem to be a subject best left for the pros.

While that may be true, it is also possible for photography enthusiasts, amateurs, and of course, simply wedding guests who want to capture the special day, to take digital wedding photos like the pros.

An advantage to other people taking digital wedding photography is that you can capture the event from the perspective of a by-stander.

The hired photographer has an agenda which usually consists of a list of standard shots such as the bride getting out of the limousine upon her arrival to the ceremony, the groom shaking hands with the best man, or formal portraits in the garden. However, you do not have those restrictions.

With this freedom of not having the responsibility of capturing every specific desired image, you can use the information below to record a unique perspective of the event, which you can then turn into a nice gift, (say for the couple’s first anniversary, for the parents of the bride and groom…)or simply as a special remembrance for yourself.  The digital wedding photography tips below are just some of many different styles and possibilities to capture these special moments in time.


Think of yourself as a storyteller.  First and foremost digital wedding photography is about telling a story.  It can be a form of photojournalism, and it can transcend into fine art.  It’s all about your eye.  How do you see this event?  Think of your “job” as telling a story to someone who was not able to be at the wedding (or any event, for that matter.)  What do you want to convey to the person who did not attend?  You are capturing the event, but you are capturing the small details that when put together make up the moments that what happened.  Your hands hold the tool that will record this event through your perspective.  Think about that.  If ten people followed these tips at the same event, ten different stories will have been told.  Tell yours.

Realistic documentation or fantasy documentation? Decide from the beginning where you want to go with this project of capturing digital wedding photography.  What is your end result going to be?  Are your images going to be for your personal use?  Will they ultimately be a gift?  Do you want generic images for other uses?  (Such as taking images of the bouquets and using them as wall-art.)   Weddings give digital photographers a great opportunity to get creative.  There are a lot of textures at weddings – fabrics in the gowns of the bridal party as well as guests, flowers, food, displays (buffet, cake table…) Even guests dancing give the photographer many opportunities for documenting the event from a fantasy perspective.  By setting your camera to a slow shutter speed and then taking pictures of dancing, you will get streaky images that will have a strong feel of movement.  They may not be in sharp focus, but that’s not what fantasy is about.  Fantasy is about feeling, and telling a story from a different perspective.

Be an observer.  Often times when a main event is unfolding, there is another, more precious event happening.  When the crowd is focusing (no pun intended) on something, say, the bride enters the church – all of the sudden shutters start clicking, flashes start going off, and they are all focused on the subject.  It’s okay to grab that shot, the point of this tip, is to then quickly observe the crowd – just look around, try and blend, don’t be noticed.  What do you see?  You will be surprised at how many great digital photographic opportunities are right around you!  Is there a tear in the father-of-the-groom’s eye?  Is there a little three year old trying to run down the isle and Mom is holding her from the sprint?  These are the types of little digital wedding photography tips that can turn a mundane group of same-as-everyone-else’s photos, into a unique treasure.  So often these are the little noticed events that will become some of the most cherished memories.  After all, what I am telling you to record often becomes the visual record of the stories that get told long after the wedding day is over.

Be different.  When everyone is taking pictures of the cake, try and take a picture of something different – something related to the cake.  This could be a detail of the cake, or the setting where the cake is.  Another good tip for being different would be to take a picture of the guest who is photographing the cake, for example.  Also, you can take a picture of the same subject, but from a different angle.  Looking at a common scene from a different perspective instantly gets your images noticed.  The viewer recognizes the familiar scene, but because you are presenting it from a different angle, or viewpoint, the viewer stops and notices it. 

Listen.  What is being discussed about the wedding by the guests?  If guests are talking about Uncle Elmo who has put the centerpiece flower in his hair, get a shot of that.  You get the point.  Often the subject is handed to you by the other honored guests.  Listen. Act. Shoot. 

Look for sentimental moments. Often people try to hide their emotion.  With this in mind, look for people who suddenly become quiet, or whose body language tells something is going on with them.  Observe their face – is there a tear in their eye?  Are they getting choked up, do they glow of love and pride?  These are the moments that are better captured with a telephoto lens.  Zoom in, take the shot.

Be Complete.  If you take a close-up shot, also take a wide-angle shot.  This puts the event in perspective.  The wider shot gives the close-up a reference point.

Look for funny moments. The spontaneous, mistakes, and comedy that inevitably happens during weddings make for great pictures.  Accidents happen.  Capturing them can be a little bit of like being in the right place at the right time, but you can stack the cards in your favor for capturing these moments by being observant, listening, and anticipating what might happen next.  After observing the crowd as the day goes on, certain individuals may start to emerge as having a greater chance of being the subject of these funny moments.  Keep an eye on them.  You know where I’m going with this…

Don’t discount the formal shots.  If you are in a position to take some formal shots, by all means, go for it.  Here is a list of some of the more common traditional shots that a wedding photographer might take:

Bride alone, bride with her mother, bride with her maid of honor, groom alone, groom with best man, the bride & groom, bride with her attendants – couple with attendants, bride with siblings, groom with siblings, bride & groom with their siblings, bride with her family, groom with his family, bride and groom with each other’s family, bride and groom with both families… the list can go on-and-on.

The Obvious Tips. Charge your camera(s) before the event.  Make sure your digital media cards are empty.  That means download any images that are currently on your camera’s memory card.  Bring extra batteries and digital media cards.  Do maintenance on the camera before the event, such as cleaning the lenses.

I hope these digital wedding photography tips help you to take better images of special events as well as your photography in general.

PS – Share your digital slr camera with a kid.  Kids feel special when you entrust them with a digital slr camera.  And it’s a real, “Bordum Buster” too.  Adults get a kick out of seeing a kid with a, “grown-up” camera and with the camera set to auto, some pretty cool pics can come out of it.  Children understand you are allowing them to use something valuable and they want to “pay you back” by taking care of it and making you proud.  But most important, by sharing your camera with a kid, you are encouraging and connecting with a child – what a great feeling.

Thanks, Andy, for the suggestion. There are always more digital wedding photography tips to be shared.

Aperture Photography Basics

At first glance, understanding aperture photography can be confusing.

However, there are a few tricks to remember that can make it easy to understand.

Once you understand what aperture photography is, you can use the principles to create photographs that are more effective and professional looking.

First, “aperture” simply means a hole, or some kind of opening.  Cameras control the size of the opening of the lens to let in a specific amount of light.

In low lighting situations the camera needs more light to capture the image, and in bright situations the camera needs less light to properly expose the image.

There is a standard measurement of the size of each hole, or aperture.  That measurement is called an F-Stop.  Now, here’s where the tricky part comes in.  One would think, then, the smaller F-Stop number would correspond to the smaller hole, but that’s wrong!  The opposite is actually true.  A small F-Stop number gives you a big opening, and a big F-Stop number gives you a small opening.

So, if you think of aperture photography as being dyslexic, then you can remember F-Stops are opposite of what logic would dictate.  Also, just remember something funny or catchy, like, “criss-cross-apple-sauce” and that phrase should help you to remember that the higher the F-Stop number, the smaller the aperture, or hole, is and the lower the F-Stop number, the larger the aperture, or opening, is.

One last concept to help you understand the basics of aperture photography – think about when it is really sunny out – you tend to squint your eyes.  A lot of light need a little opening, and if you think of an F-Stop number as being, “Fun in the sun” than the F-Stop number relates more to the sun, or amount of light coming in, rather than it does to the opening of the lens, or aperture.

SPANISH TRANSLATION:

Traducción al castellano (Espanol):

Básico de Fotografía de apertura:

A primera vista, la comprensión de la fotografía de apertura puede ser confuso. Sin embargo, hay algunos trucos para recordar que puede hacer que sea fácil de entender.  Una vez que usted entienda lo que la fotografía es de apertura, puede utilizar los principios para crear fotografías que son más eficaces y de aspecto profesional.  En primer lugar, “apertura” significa simplemente un agujero, o algún tipo de apertura. Cámaras de control del tamaño de la apertura de la lente para que en una determinada cantidad de luz. En situaciones de poca iluminación de la cámara necesita más luz para capturar la imagen, y, en situaciones de luz de la cámara necesita menos luz para exponer correctamente la imagen.  Existe un estándar de medición del tamaño de cada agujero, o apertura. Esa medición se denomina F-Stop. Ahora, aquí es donde viene la parte difícil pulg.  Uno podría pensar, entonces, el menor número F-Stop, que correspondería a los pequeños agujeros, pero que está mal! Lo contrario es cierto. Un pequeño número de F-Stop le da una gran apertura, y un gran número F-Stop le da una pequeña abertura. Por lo tanto, si usted cree que la apertura de la fotografía como disléxico, entonces usted puede recordar F-Detiene åre contrario de lo que la lógica dictaría. Además, acaba de recordar algo gracioso o pegajosas, como, “Criss-cross-salsa de manzanas” y esa frase debería ayudarle a recordar que cuanto mayor sea el número F-Stop, cuanto más pequeña es la abertura, o agujero, y es el más bajo el número F-Stop, la más grande la abertura, o la apertura, es. Un último concepto que le ayudará a comprender los conceptos básicos de la fotografía de apertura – pensar en que es realmente soleado a cabo – que tienden a estrabismo en los ojos. Una gran cantidad de luz necesita un poco de apertura, y si se piensa en un número F-Stop como “Diversión en el sol” que el número F-Stop se refiere más al sol, o la cantidad de luz que entra, en lugar de que no a la apertura de la lente, o de apertura.

Olympus Stylus SW Accessories

I found some really great accessories for the Olympus Stylus 1030 SW (and other models) camera. Okay, so you bought this great little underwater camera and it is waterproof, but not drop proof.

Imagine enjoying the water and oops… you drop it… and watch it sink to the bottom. All you can do is watch it drift further and further – ten, 20, 30 feet down… Bummer.

Well, I did some research and found an inexpensive solution. I call it a little life preserver for the Olympus Stylus 1030 SW (Stylus 720 SW, 770 SW, 790 SW, 850 SW, Olympus Stylus 1050 SW, and others.)

You can see a picture of it on the left. Its called, “Olympus Floating Strap” and it wraps around your wrist.

You attach it to the camera and voila! Your camera and investment are safe. I found a great deal on a five piece accessory kit that contains the strap as well as spare Li-50B Li-Ion Battery and additional backup, padded soft camera case Precision design, and a 5 piece lens cleaning kit.

This is all you need to capture your vacation – both in digital images and video. Having a back-up battery is also one of the main accessories I suggest everyone has in their camera kit.

I found a great deal on Olympus Stylus SW Accessories, all in one convenient kit, click for more information.

Olympus Stylus 1030SW

Wow – I love this camera!  The Olympus Stylus 1030SW is an underwater digital camera – really!

It is also shock resistant, although I don’t plan on testing that claim.

If you are looking for a, “Grab-n-go” easy camera to take on vacations, or just to have on hand, this is the one.

Click Here For Latest Model Deals

As the name suggests, you get ten megapixels and a shock and water resistant camera.  Oh, did I mention, it even takes videos.  Can you imagine taking a simple to use camera with you on vacation, deciding to go snorkeling, and just grab the camera and voila, you have images and video of pretty little fishies swimming by.  The beauty of this camera is you don’t have to worry about taking it out in the elements.

Even if you don’t intend to go underwater, I suggest purchasing this camera.  If you are by a pool or beach where water and sand is splashed/blown around, your camera is protected.  If it suddenly rains, or even snows, you’re good.

Whale Video taken with Olympus 1030 SW Digital Camera

Click here to see more whale watching video and photos taken with is great camera.

Update:

Check out the latest Olympus SW model

Graphic Design and the Poster

Posters are a great communication tool.

The worth of a poster can be measured in many different areas from sociology to graphic design and pop culture.

History is often subtly captured within the frame of the poster, from economics and political movements to fashion trends.

Difficult economic times are reflected in the poster by use of limited resources, such as single or two color posters, rather than full color prints.

Smaller poster sizes are often used during economic rough times because it costs less to produce when you use smaller sized paper.

Many political movements can be traced back using examination of posters. Posters are an inexpensive and quick way to get information out to the general public.

There are many different methods in which posters can be produced. These methods vary and some can be done on a small scale, making it easier for small groups to express their political views. How a poster is designed can greatly enhance the ability of the poster to communicate a message.

Color and font choice can make or break the successful design of a poster.

It’s important to keep certain things in mind when designing a poster, such as who is the audience, where will the poster be hung and viewed, what lighting will the poster be hung in, will it be exposed to outdoor weather, how large will the end product be (this is important in relation to where it will be, for example, a poster with a lot of small type will be illegible to someone passing by in a moving vehicle,) etc.

A little history of the poster:

1881 – France – Freedom of the Press Law removed a lot of censorship limitations so posters could be put up in most public places

Some Famous Poster Design Artists:

Jules Cheret (1836-1933) Father of the modern poster

Aubrey Beardsley(1872-1898) Famous for exotic imagery

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) Famous for posters of the Moulin Rouge

Camera Reviews

What types of cameras are you interested in reading reviews on?

Photography is a vast subject and there are many varieties of photographic cameras.

Examples of cameras are digital, film, SLR, digital slr, underwater, disposable, etc.  Professional and entry level professional digital slr cameras are popular now for many reasons.  Although there are many “point and shoot” cameras that do a great job of capturing the perfect image also.

There are many things to consider when trying to find out what camera is best for you.  First consider what the purpose for the camera is.  Are you going to take pictures of family gatherings?  Will this piece of equipment be used as part of a new hobby?

Photography is a wonderful hobby.  In fact, many professional photographers started out with photography as a hobby.  They soon realized they had a talent for it, and loved it.  One thing led to another and their hobby became a nice outlet for extra income or even a full time career!  And it all began with that first camera they picked up.

Many people find cameras become more important in their life when big changes happen.  For example, getting married, or having a baby, awakes the desire to capture memories in print (or digitally, of course.)  One of my favorite categories for the need of a camera is vacation.

The needs for a camera to take on vacation are different from other purposes.  A camera that would work well on vacation has features such as:

small size

lightweight

easy to operate

waterproof

shock resistant

photo/video

One of my favorite “vacation” cameras is the olympus stylus 1030sw, although there are newer versions of this model.  This camera, although perfect for vacation, is also a great camera to have handy laying around the house.  It takes video and still photos.  The price point of the Olympus Stylus series makes them a great camera to have as a general purpose item.  Keep it on a shelf, or even in your purse, to capture those unexpected moments that bring joy to our lives.

If you want more control with the creativity aspect of taking photos, then an slr, or single lens reflex, camera may be what you are looking for.  You can still get them in film formats such as 35 mm.  However, the popular models being produced today are digital slr cameras.  It is important to understand how they operate when choosing a brand.  They are not all alike.  Once you choose a brand, the next thing to consider is the lens.  With slr cameras you can buy separate lenses to accommodate your project.  For example, if you are doing portrait photography, you will probably want a fixed length lens, at 85mm.  Brand becomes important when purchasing lenses, because it is all about the quality of glass.

Whatever your needs, there is a model that should be right for you.  Camera reviews are an important step in the buying process in order to get the best fit for your lifestyle.