because i own a 'big' camera and take a few photos with it, my mates assume that i would be good to take their family portrait photos! now i dont do people! in fact i mainly do flowers and other objects which dont move around a lot!
anyway, my mate has asked me to go over and take some photos of her three small children (aged 6 months, four and seven!). i havent got a clue, and despite me protesting that i cant actually take photos of people she is insisting that it will be fine!
so, any tips? when i have tried in the past they always end up out of focus (presumably because they wont stand still long enough!) or i get one in focus and the rest out of focus (aperture too large?)
i obviously want a nice blurry background, but what settings should i be using to ensure that everyone in the photo is sharp and in focus?
anyway any advice would be gratefully appreciated!!!!
nic
ps. im planning to take photos outside if poss maybe in the park of something.
for the blurry background, either use an aperture of 1.4 or as wide as possible or stand farther away and zoom in with a 5.6 aperture.
If you're worried about having one out of focus, make sure they are standing parallel to you (side by side to each other) or use an aperture of 8 or 7 to widen the depth of field.
you need to shoot at at least a 3.5 aperture, unless you can be absolutely certain that everyone will be on the same plane- usually that is tough in a larger group, so i would stay with a 3.5-4.0 aperture and an iso of around 200...that should give you the blurred background...also, have your group stand with a slight distance from the background and focus on them...that should work- good luck! if you are shooting them seperate, set your cam to AI servo(the focus will keep up with the movement of small children, and shoot away at 2.0-2.5- i usually have pretty good results with that and my whole project is my 4 kids...you can look at my work and see if it is what you are trying to go for...HTH:)
I would also try a higher ISO. With children, you can't assume they'll stand still. If your camera doesn't get too grainy, I would go up to ISO 800. That with an aperture of around 5 from 5 to 10 ft away on a cloudy day should give you enough sharp shots with a nice DOF to pick from. Good luck! :)
What kind of equipment do you have? Do you have a nifty fifty (50mm)? I use that for portraits, but I have also had success for years with a kit and zoom. I do everything to get the kids to act normal. Most of my shots are done as observer during family play time, with the staged shots thrown in. With kids, find their currency. What will they do for fruit snacks? (Talk to the parents about that.) Also find out what makes the kids laugh. (For my kids I have to make bodily function noises.) Make it fun so the kids stay involved. Anyway, sorry for the random thoughts. Kids and dogs smell fear, so try not to be afraid or nervous. Plus, allow a lot of time, but don't drag it out. Make it in a familiar place. If you don't have a cloudy day, find a neat place with awesome shade!
I think your friend wants professional photo's for free, that's fine if YOU feel comfortable doing it but I get the impression you are being backed into a corner!
My advice is do it if YOU want, otherwise turn your friend down, If they are a true friend they'll understand.
@preston@meshinka@4stories@silvina@cfitzgerald@pete21 Many thanks for all your advice! I think I will try a higher ISO, I know my friend's kids will not stand still for me!! @cfitzgerald I do indeed have a nifty fifty, unfortunately it is manual focus so no good for hyperactive kids!
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If you're worried about having one out of focus, make sure they are standing parallel to you (side by side to each other) or use an aperture of 8 or 7 to widen the depth of field.
My advice is do it if YOU want, otherwise turn your friend down, If they are a true friend they'll understand.