why should I avoid flash? | madison children's photographer

The dreaded pop-up flash. A professional photographer's nightmare.
The problem with the flash attached to most camera bodies is that it basically pops a big old FLASH of FAKE light right at your subject. While studio lighting can be unbelievably fantastic given the right circumstances, a flash like the one attached to a camera body is not ideal.

For kicks, I shot the exact same subject in the exact same light (frame after frame)- the first with the light in my house (from both a window and lamps) and the second with the same lighting conditions + pop-up flash. These are both SOOC (straight out of camera)

As you can see, the second looks completely washed out. His skin looks pale and NOTHING is the right color. You can see odd shadows between him and the chair and it's quite clear the flash changed his expression to boot.

So here's the deal: I had to TURN ON my flash. Because I shoot with my camera manually, I have that control. I don't normally shoot with flash, EVER. Why? I don't need it. There is plenty of light and my camera is built to expose for light, but I have to SEE it. Some locations have more/"better" light than others. Yes, I take snapshots when the light isn't ideal. I push my camera's limits and it's always worth it. For clients.. even if I get to a location and the light isn't ideal, I have to find it and work with it! That's my job. But I still never use my pop-up flash.

So how do you keep your flash from firing?
On an SLR camera.. read your manual. They're all different. If you shoot in manual, it should be off automatically and you will have to press a button to turn it on.
On a point and shoot camera.. read your manual. There is a button usually that has a little lightning bolt and if you press that, it will rotate between flash options. The problem with turning off your flash on a P&S camera is that the shutter is never going to be as quick as on an SLR camera so if you are shooting a moving subject in a low-light situation, you will likely have less control not only over shutter speed but the shutter release. This can mean that indoors, you simply won't get a photo without motion blur inside without your pop-up flash. If you have to use it to avoid a blurry photo, do it.

When it comes to my snapshots, I'd rather have a flashy photo than a blurry photo. When it comes to my clients, I'll give neither.

photo tip: why poop is better than cheese

Super classy post title, right? I thought so.
No really though, when it comes to taking pictures of kids, cheese sucks and poop is all that (and a bag of po-tat-o chips). Ignore that.

Telling a kid to say "cheese" usually results in a cheesy smile.

Just SAYING "poop" to a kid usually gets a genuine laugh and if you're ready for it, the perfect REAL smile. I know, potty mouth is probably not the best, BUT everyone poops and I'd much rather him show up to preschool one day talking about poop than saying the plethora of other naughty words he's probably heard.

So there it is. Just say poop. Embrace it.

photo tip: fill the frame with the details

Too often I see pictures where the subject does not fill the frame and the background and "clutter" around the subject draws away from the focus. This "clutter" does not necessarily mean mess. Sometimes the clutter is simply a part of the subject that is irrelevant. While the big picture is interesting, some of my absolute favorite photographs are the ones of the details- these are the ones that draw real emotion from me.

Evan is getting so big. So big in fact, that I find myself sometimes forgetting just how little he really is. I want to remember his tiny fingers and the way he drinks from a cup. I want to remember that his whole face stretches out when he takes a bite of an apple and I want to remember that he likes to wear Curious George bandages for no reason and that they barely stay on for more than five minutes.

So the next time you are taking pictures of an ordinary moment, consider what makes that moment so extraordinary. So my kid eats apples.. great! But the way that he eats them makes it special to me.

photo tip: photographer becomes the subject

Getting in front of rather than behind the lens is often the hardest part for a photographer.
I do the majority of the picture-taking in my household because well, my camera isn't exactly easy for anyone to pick up and just start snapping. Not only that, but I take more of an interest in taking pictures than my husband. And that's okay. This sometimes means though, that if I want a really good picture of myself with my kiddo, I've got to do it myself. NOT so easy with a camera that isn't light and that has a 50mm lens. Holding out an arm is just not an option.

When I wanted to take our Christmas card picture, I finally figured out how to use the self-timer on this camera. So easy and I can have up to 20 seconds of delay! Many cameras will only give 5-8 though, so make sure you are aware of how much time or how many beeps you are getting.

You'll have to read your manual to get exact directions on how to use your own self-timer, but I do have some tips on how to get a really good picture.

First set up the shot. You'll ideally want the camera to be between the light source (i.e. a window) and you.
Then focus on your kid or on something that will be exactly where you are planning to land when you run to get in the picture. Adjust settings accordingly. I am a wide open shooter most of the time, which means that I am shooting at (aperture) f/1.8 on my lens. This f/stop has a pretty shallow depth of field which means that if I use this for a 2-person shot, more likely than not, both people won't be in focus. So this is my first concern. I set my aperture to around f/2.5 for a shot of just Evan and I. This way I know we will both be in sharp focus. If you aren't shooting in manual, you don't need to concern yourself with that stuff though.
Now, set your self-timer. Focus. Take the shot, making sure not to move the camera too much. And RUN! Get in the shot. Do whatever it takes!

A lot of times I end up with pictures of me looking rushed and unnatural.
Other times, I get the perfect smiles from both subjects.
And sometimes I get something so much better. A moment. And that's the keeper.


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