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Your digital camera, children at play and the elusive perfect moment: Technique Phototorial
Summary: Portraits of children at play provide wonderful opportunities to use your digital camera to capture the perfect moment. The moment is often elusive because of difficult lighting situations, shadows and physical limitations. This PORTRAITSECRETS Phototorial will show you how one photographer successfully overcame challenges by using experimentation, knowledge of the camera equipment and a bit of luck.
Capturing the perfect portrait of children at play
requires some
ingenuity and a bit of luck. Fortunately, your digital camera's display
provides you with the ability to see your results instantly. That
"instant gratification" aspect allows you to make minor
adjustments to get the results you want.
In this particular setting, the photographer wanted
to photograph the subject at play on a swing set in a city
park. A willing subject and perfect weather held the promise of
success. Unfortunately, the play area was shaded and what little
sun filtering through the leaves of the trees was harsh and at a bad
angle. The challenge was to take full advantage of the situation and
capture the perfect moment despite the problems. With persistence,
thought and a bit of luck the photographer not only overcame the
circumstances, but took charge of the situation and turned a potential
problem into great photos of children at play.  | | Strong backlight from the sun left the subject too dark to see detail in his face. |
Challenge I: Harsh lighting
The swings were located in a shaded area dappled
with filtered sunlight. One area was bright but harshly
illuminated, while another was in deep shade. Using a low ISO
setting of 200 on a 4.1 megapixel camera with a 35 mm autofocus lens
the photographer took several photos to determine the proper color
balance.  | | Using TTL flash to fill the shadows provided detail in the face, but the photographer was hampered by the swing's support pole. The arc of the swing kept the photographer from getting close enough for a properly composed photo. |
Choosing an automatic white balance setting, the photographer chose to
use a TTL flash setting and incorporate a little fill-flash to brighten
the scene. A shutter speed of 125th of a second and a rear curtain
flash synch would capture a little motion to add action to the
photograph. The hoped for result was still problematic.
The harsh backlight from the sun filtering through the trees wouldn't allow the
photographer to get the proper angle for the up close photo. The arc of the swing also kept the
photographer from getting close enough to the subject.
The solution: TTL flash, slow shutter speed and motion
After
watching the arc of the swing, the
photographer noticed that he could reposition himself and stand close
enough to the subject after he passed the problematic support pole.
Selecting a slower shutter speed of 30th of a second and a manual
exposure setting at f16, the photographer pre-focused to the point of
the subject in the brighter light and panned the camera as the subject
swung past the photographer.  | | Using the panning technique of moving the camera at the same speed of the subject, the photographer was able to see his subject clearly as he swung into the perfect position for a photo. The use of rear-sync flash captures the motion while the subject's face has detail. |
Making several exposures and a minor f-stop
adjustment, the photographer captured the perfect moment that summed up
the enjoyment of a child at play.
Challenge II: Harsh light and the telephoto lens
In the same lighting situation as before, the
photographer decided to challenge the situation by using a medium
length telephoto lens.
Deciding to use a ISO of 200, manual exposure and a
shutter speed of 1600th of a second at f4 aperture, the photographer
positioned the subject in a
swing that swung into the bright sunlight of the early afternoon.
The subject would be facing upward into the sun at her highest arc and
be nearly parallel to the ground. The dark background, a result of the
deep shade area, would provide seperation of the subject from the
background.  | | Standing parallel to the swing, the photo was snapped as the subject entered the bright light of the sun. The sunlight draws the viewer's eye to the subject while the rest of the scene is in deep shade. |
That separation would direct the viewer's eye to the
subject, a key aspect of successful portraiture.
Solution: Pre-focus and panning with the subject
The photographer positioned himself parallel to the
arc of the swing, so he could pre-focus for the photo. That enabled him
to follow the subject on the swing. When she entered the bright light
of the overhead sun, the photographer pressed the shutter release. The
continuous shooting mode of the camera helped eliminate the "digital
delay" often encountered while shooting photos of subjects in action.
The fast shutter speed, 1600th, would stop the action no
matter how fast the photographer panned the camera with the subject, so camera
movement would not be a problem.  | | The photographer moved slightly to the right, but maintained the same distance from the subject, to capture the expression of the subject in the swing. |
After several exposures and evaluating the
speed of the swing, the photographer captured the perfect moment of the
properly exposed subject that stood out against the darkened background.
Keys to success:
- Planning
- Using TTL flash technique
- Panning the camera
- Knowledge of camera functions
Nearly all SLR digital cameras have a wide range of
exposure and focusing modes available. Knowledge of how your camera
functions can assist you to overcome challenging situations is
essential in capturing the perfect moment. Read the camera manual to
better understand how to make the camera work to your advantage.
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Good photographs begin with good light. In the digital photography world, the quality of light corresponds to the quality of the photograph. The dramatic light of the early morning and late afternoon can raise the quality of your images. In poorly lit situations use supplemental lighting from the camera's flash in the fill-flash mode.
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Adobe's Photoshop is very expensive at nearly $700, Is it worth it?
Dear PS,
Adobe's Photoshop is very expensive at nearly $700, Is it worth it?
On the cheap in Oregon
Dear On the cheap,
Yes! If you plan to take creative steps in dealing with your images, photoshop and the lastest Creative Suite 2 are simply the best and most efficients image handling programs available. Is it "worth it" to you, that depends on what you hope to achieve with your images. I would suggest the Elements version of photoshop as an entry level position. Better yet, check a local computer store or even the Apple Store an invest a little time in attending a couple of their tutorial classes for a "test drive" of the program. Then you'll be better informed before you spend your money.
Thanks for your question,
Michael at PS
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