Whether you’re gathering for a family reunion, celebrating a birthday, or capturing your favorite sports team, a group photo is always a good idea. The problem is, a successful group photograph can be a challenge for even the most experienced photographer - from impatient subjects, to closed eyes, bored expressions, bad light, and blurry images, what’s a person to do? Don’t worry, with a few tips and a little practice you’ll feel confident about directing the group and your pictures will look fabulous.
Archive for the ‘Kids’ Category
Photographing Groups
Saturday, October 3rd, 2009My BlogHer Photo Contest Winners
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
The three main areas we covered in my Digital 101 class at BlogHer were light, composition, and authenticity. My talented students picked up on the lessons very quickly and either found prior photos that would be appropriate or created new ones for submission into my BlogHer Photo Contest. After much deliberation the winners are…. drum roll please!
First Prize - Bridget Ivey aka QueenofHaddock
Very beautiful. I love the late afternoon quality of light and the timeless feel to the image. A candid shot often incorporates a person in a personal moment, unaware of the camera, and you’ve captured this moment as if it’s a memory the viewer is experiencing. You won a F.J. Westcott 42″ 6-in-1 Reflector Kit!
Second Prize - Cindy Streams aka CityStreams
This little boy looks so sweet and the image really tells a story. You’ve created a compelling composition with him in the foreground and the family visible, but blurred in the background. His expression is very authentic….as if he’s excited and proud to have a new baby in the family. You won $50 worth of Digital Photography Titles from Wiley!
Third Prize - Tara Gerner-Ziegmont aka FeelsLikeHomeBlog
Great shot! The color is vibrant, the composition interesting - nice use of the rule of thirds and the angle creates energy in the image. You won a dSLR Gorillapod from Joby!
Honorable Mention - Virginia DeBolt aka Veesees
The relationship between Mother and child evokes a warm and fuzzy feeling and the S-curve of the hand and little baby foot creates an interesting composition. Nice job. You won a Gorillapod Original from Joby!
Remember that all my BlogHer students win a premium subscription ($40 value) to Club Smilebox. Email me for details.
Thank you to everyone who participated! I enjoyed meeting you all and look forward to seeing more of your wonderful images online.
Engage
Friday, March 13th, 2009
It’s Girl Scout cookie time! I was running errands today and noticed a group of girl scouts sitting outside the local bank who looked bored, tired, and slightly embarrassed in their “cookie” sales role. A dedicated Mom was standing nearby trying to provide encouragement. There was a large brown box full of thin mints and trefoils and the goal was to sell all the cookies before they went home. People walked by and might have guessed they were selling cookies (it happens every year), but without a proactive effort by the girls, no one was really paying attention—hence their lingering supply of unsold cookies. After buying a few boxes of cookies I gave them a little pep talk about engaging with people and communicating how wonderful their cookies were. I also tried to get them excited about the outcome, i.e. sell all the cookies and you get to go home. They seemed mildly entertained by my enthusiasm, and as I drove away I waved in encouragement.
This scenario reminds me of the problems we face as adult creative entrepreneurs trying to sell our photographs, art, or other creations, without the Girl Scout legacy or an advocate to help us out. To sell anything, you need to call attention to your product and engage with your potential clients—find out what they want, offer ways to solve their problems and answer their questions. Now that internet connections are faster, and social networking websites have gone mainstream, why not take advantage of the many ways you can market your work online, and connect with potential clients for FREE? Start a blog, a newsletter, open up a Facebook account, upload videos on YouTube – put it out there! Otherwise, people are not going to know about your fabulous product or service, and you aren’t going to be selling any cookies.
www.facebook.com
www.wordpress.com
www.blogger.com
www.youtube.com
The Making of the Canon XSi Videos
Thursday, November 20th, 2008I had the opportunity to work with a great crew of people while shooting these videos. You can see some of them in these behind-the-scene images from the set of the “How-To” Youth Sporting Event.
The “How-To” Portraits of Kids video was a blast!
Check out Mr. Blue Eyes…
