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Shoot: Indoor, Window Light

Lesson 20 from: Family Portraits

Michele Celentano

Shoot: Indoor, Window Light

Lesson 20 from: Family Portraits

Michele Celentano

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Lesson Info

20. Shoot: Indoor, Window Light

Lesson Info

Shoot: Indoor, Window Light

this is a really fun space african get kind of a whole room shot we didn't well furniture around here which I would normally dio if I went into a client's home but the key to this room is the light coming from the doors it gives us absolutely starting directional light and we've staged the mantle and the bookcase the ad in texture and color and we have this awesome couch that has beautiful shape on it has almost like leading lines on the arm of the chair we've got a couple of pillows so this sofa is a beautiful put opposing prop for individuals for groups on the other thing I really like about this room is the floor so we're actually going to use the floor's a background the tile is beautiful I'll get up from nice high camera angle I'll do some portrait's using the floor is a background but overall this room has a lot of great texture color depth and so we're gonna use it to photograph today and I think we'll start with uh hese are you ready is that good this is hazy she is going to be...

fourteen soon right um and you're going to in high school next year yes yeah what high school I bash on high school yeah so and what your favorite subject uh subject is waiting waking writing writing oh she like too right yeah so maybe you'll be an author someday well good so you see my book uh no well look at it let me know if it's any good ok ok great we're gonna put you over here I'll take that I'm gonna try not to trip on some wires today so what I wanted to do was come all the way to the edge of the seat and uh I have to take your shoes and socks off that's okay yep because you'll end up being over here kind of like this just leaning on the chair even though I put my feet up on the couch and normally wouldn't do that but that's why I asked to take your shoes and socks off those were cute shoes on high heels no way that's like a high heel sneaker wow alright then that's my mom's kind issue right there high heeled sneaker okay so I'm gonna bring my reflector in from this side just a pop a little bit of light into her face we have uh silver side I'm not gonna angle it quite right at her but I'm gonna feather it just a little bit so I still get that light in her eyes tighten up just a little bit there you go we have a little bit of light but it's just kind of kicking to the side so how do you feel uncomfortable oh you're comfortable okay perfect let alone your ring you see that well it's pretty well of that possum okay so let's have your hand come out to the side it's it's just rested on your ankle just relax and let your shoulder lean back on here so yeah that'll work perfect like that grey it's good exactly the colors your mom and I spoke about in our consultation earlier today I'm just kidding it's okay you can have fun with me there you go all the cameras making a little nervous no okay good but have you tilt your head to the side a little bit and there's sweep your hair right out of your eye just a little bit beautiful chin down just a drop there you go so excited about high school ah what is ah do you have friends that are in high school already gotta be a senior oh wow is that the friend with the horse no this is a beautiful absolute beautiful view of your face you know just turn with me just a little bit more that way perfect I'm just feathering that light just little bit morse we get some death okay oh you've got the serious look going on I love that you used to be in photographs by your mom yeah does she make you do serious face a lot or sometimes but you yeah you have that like just that perfect their lip line and give me that perfect serious face until you had this way this little bit and then try not to smile you're fourteen you're really going to try not to smile aren't you that's it just relax a little bit close your eyes open close open look right here at the camera here you go relax just a little bit turn your face all the way to the window look right out that window beautiful stay right there oh my gosh hazy you're adorable do you feel adorable right now not so much ok when have you stay there trudy come on in guys look awesome I love the colors I actually work with the furniture okay so I'm gonna have you come right in here and your talk I might actually have you take your shoes off too we're doing fooling what's that mixed oh when you're standing next your husband okay so separate your feet out just a little bit then bring one arm here I want you to lean over her just like that and bring your back up just a little bit more and then press your hips back just a little bit and then get a little bit closer to really leaning in this way perfect oh my gosh and maisy I need hese see I'm saying he's amazing it works lift up just a little bit more so you're closer to your mom that's it lead together till your head to her just a little bit little bit more and can you drop a little bit so separate your feet just little bit more and go behind her just a little bit more scoop behind her that's it now in over her beautiful squeezed together just a little bit more ah and then trudy come down just a little bit till your head into her beautiful this is such amazing light put your arms around or you are a big hug and then hold on to your mom's hands right there like oh my gosh tilt your head this way together the same direction hold it right there by myself I was going to fix your hair here you go hold it beautiful wow you guys are good so this is the way to use available light indoors you may have to stage you're seeing in your background to get what you want um you guys can break for a second it's uh any time you have window light and a reflector you have gold I mean really really truly gold if you have I've brought the couch away from the background so that they're not right on top of the background this counter is actually on the wall I've angled it close to the window away from the mantle on the book case so I have some separation between the background on the subjects and that my background will go out of focus since their faces were on the same plane even though I'm shooting at two point eight they're both and focus so that I can throw that background out of focus and because they're exactly on the same plane they're both and focus even at two point eight which is just awesome okay so we have where is kennedy hey kiddo what's up you're are you shy do you wanna talk into the mike no how about I hold it is that the eiffel tower have you been to paris no you want to go to paris so you can see the eiffel tower yeah do you know french and you simply ugo fair I mean you had to say hello goodbye thank you one too so tell me hello banjul van jou you have to go you see some from so do again through there you go uh huh and you are nine right so do you have a favorite disney princess um believe brave oh okay the girl with a big red hair which her name again newly married I remember her I like her too you know what she would rank up there for me too but you know who my favorite princesses milan do you know milan you don't like her she's not one of your favorites can't tell you why she's my favorite because she saves china she's like tough girl she goes in the army is dresses a man saves her entire country no one knows she's dresses a man but she's really woman she saves the whole country now that's a princess but I have to say um merida is a pretty cool princess too because she just doesn't go with the grange does what she wants to do she's pretty cool after I'm going to go along with that I might have to change my favorite princess to yours can I steal your favorite princess cool all right I have a new favorite princess okay I'm gonna put you right here on your little touch to go right in there next to your sister perfect and I'm actually take your shoes off is that okay it was okay if I eat your toes no that's gross huh and then your leg's gonna go this way and I want you to sit on to your hip this little bit more so sit up just a little straighter that's it come this way just a little bit more and then hey z you're going to sit up a little bit straighter for me trudy you're gonna go behind them a little bit more so see if you can get yep oh I'm gonna put my reflector back actually let's do to them first now add you back him so ah hazy bring your arm around her right there and lean together so this is a really soft couch so it doesn't give us the ability like really pull up from the centre of this fine but I do want toe just her elbows so that it comes down just a little bit I want to see your little eiffel tower because I like that you're blinking girl you like your bling huh I like a little bling nine merida I have to remember that now okay so can you turn your face toward your sister just little bit little bit more keep going follow my hand follow me and keep going yahiko and then hazy lean into your sister with your head just a little bit ah that's awesome stay right there squeeze together just a little bit more there you go captain you are so cute are you like a big fan of your big sister so you guys tight or do you get on each other's nerves who gets on whose nerves the most of course she is she's a nine and she's younger sister and she's probably annoying sometimes because she's bossy and tells you what to do right totally mean together heads together ah there you go perfect okay trudy you're gonna come right in get your head right in their jaw to temple on um hazy side but pull her hair back little bit so you're really reaching in but this is all just your faces that's it but her hair is a little crazy she won't like it so yeah just so it's not in her eyes and then your jaw is gonna come to her temple right there getting really lean in until with them just live it and relax your shoulders in the back and then you've just got one hair coming over her shoulder so took that hair behind on that side on that side right side yep there you go perfect heads together ah ha oh you girls are gorgeous uh oh my gosh they look just like you does everyone say that yeah you get that a lot there we go okay if I touch you yeah okay that's it awesome faces are beautiful squeezed together they go kennedy I love your name all my cars they're so sweet okay um jody jordan got it dude you need a microphone nothing okay you're there also beautifully quiet and well behaved what did you what did she feed you for breakfast uh cheerios cheerios I like your hair man did you do that no I think I'm gonna let the girls take a one minute break and I'm just gonna work with you how's that sound do you need a break are you having fun yet okay all right I'm gonna let you take your shoes oh how about that all right so what's up with you you're in sixth grade yeah what do you play sports I did wrestling robotics robotics heard you're awesome nerd you like science you like taking things apart what's the last thing you took apart and put back together um took apart a think I last took apart a hero the beetle a heat all was taken oh here ok yeah that's awesome and you put it back together I tried but I broke one of the pieces you but so did you play with legos a lot when you're a little yeah building stuff yeah you my daughter built the tower bridge of london you know that big big huge set yeah so you'd like her because she likes the build stuff and so all right cool what's let's have some fun I'm gonna take that okay so then have you sit here at the edge of my couch I'll show you how to do it first ready watch me step over there little light just go off okay okay so you're gonna be here on the edge of the couch right and then you're gonna lean into your need is like that I got it I know you can handle it awesome now what I want to do is put from the center of your spine nice and tall and lean into that knee all the way some of your own that's it huh who that's pop some light in your eye remembering the reflector down just a little bit so we populate from underneath see ya hot beautiful light how you feelin pretty good okay good listen today I'm your hero right because it's because of me that you get to skip school today so I should be like your best friend ever ever ever at least for today not so much huh yeah no okay till your head with me this way just a little bit perfect chin down just to drop you got it oh there you go but pull up from the centre that's fine get nice and tall lean into that knee until your head with me this way just a little bit that's it oh my gosh you did perfect and don't you dare smile at me don't do it okay I'm just kidding okay well let me see your mad face you're a mad face we see what you look like when you're really mad really mad that's not mad like like somebody who stole your stuff not that mad about sad get a sad face for me about surprised what do you look like on christmas morning when you got your favorite present in the whole world are you surprised you know you're cracking me up all right so lift up lean into that knee one more time take a deep breath close your eyes open close open close okay lean all into me relax and let me see your serious face very serious that's pretty serious hang on right there let's do this let me have um hazy and kennedy all right can you you're gonna come right to this side and I'm gonna have you separate your needs just a little bit for me you're gonna stay right where you are but I want to make some space for your sister so she's going to sit right here so way out to the other side they go on you're going to scoot back a little bit further on your hip let your legs come out to the side just a little bit more ofsome and then you're going to come a little bit more to the edge of the chair and so nice and tall for me so tall that your job this pot party here reaches your sister's face just like that awesome you're gonna come right here and you gonna put one foot behind your brother and one foot right here you're gonna stand for me you had it right totally had it right and then from there you can hold on here you gonna lean over that's it already is going to squeeze together here we go all right okay kenny tell your head in this way for me just a little bit I want youto press your hips back and lean into your brother and sister a little bit more that's it oh my gosh here you oh are you guys gonna laugh at me at all today have fun this is fun you got you know what you guys have photograph way too much by your mama okay lean together state all way up and leaned towards me that's it joe right you've got it squeeze together get your heads together hug each other hug each other uh oh you guys are too cute alright let's mix it up just a little bit I'm gonna have hazy sit on the couch and joey and you're gonna sit on the floor I'm gonna give you a little bit of a stools you know you might not even need a stool okay so you're gonna do the same thing come all the way to the edge of the seat well a little bit further back there you go and then separating your feet just a little bit you're innocent right in here can you so you gotta give him some space to sit right between your knees on your hip there you go what your feet come out this way and scoop back all the way and you're gonna scoot over your brother all the way like you like him a little bit more separate uni so he's got space in there you don't even need this and then you're going to the same thing one foot right here one foot right here and then I want all your heads together right in there oh there we go hey jordan I need you to lift up a little bit now there oh my gosh yes ah hazy up a little taller and bring that hand where you can see your fist around your brothers I can't see it but like behind him there you go squeezing together get nice and tall and rich he's looking up at me happy screws together leaning yeah oh come on jordan no nobody keeps a serious face when I'm screaming like a lunatic nobody I'm gonna get you I'm gonna come and tickle your belly until you laughing out loud and I can't even stand anymore how about that is that good he's like no please don't touch me that's it every lift up lean together squeeze in here we go joe and looking up at me all the way looking up a little higher a little higher lift up your slumping eur slumping there we go don't slump hold it right there trudy come on in who you guys stay right there you're gonna be right here this toe is gonna talk under the couch here this toe left till will come behind kennedy and you'll squeeze in your face this way right here r right everybody's gonna lift up a little bit more ah look at that yeah there you go okay hazy sit up a little bit straighter for me that's it joe didn't get up a little bit taller beautiful relax your shoulders trudy leaning over their faces just little bit more leaning leaning that's it a little bit more towards me gonna adjust adjust my reflector a little bit so I get light on everybody here we go hold it right there perfect everybody feel good and totally uncomfortable are we good yeah joe and here we go and kennedy go ahead and put your hand behind your sister on that side and then hold on to your brother and both of you hide your hands on her shoulder just pulling back a little bit more pulling back pull your hand back sweetheart there you go ready really seriously we're going to be best friends by the end of this day I'm telling you he's like no no okay so kennedy lean your head this when you've a little hair I want you just move that little hair out of your face that's it and turn your face to the window just a little bit and trudy come over a little bit more you've got to really squeeze in there perfect okay you guys here we go canedy looking right up here going big girl don't do it teo don't be princess you're cute I saw I'm saying all right stary their leslie ad in leo I leo think I'm gonna have you take your black jacket off okay okay leo you're gonna have the hard part so have you move this foot out just a little bit more that way you definitely have the hard part but you're taller than me so one leg's gonna be back here one likes coming here and you're just leaning in like this but the key is turn your shoulder all the way out so even though your body is going in this direction you wanna uncomfortably twist back to the camera has that fact how's that sound okay and I'm gonna make jody in a little bit taller awesome hey wow must be nice to have long legs I'm gonna have you sit on that so I wanna just the heights of my subjects because leo is now taller so I need hey uh hazy up a little bit higher which means I'm gonna need jordan up a little bit higher so it was moving in my little blocks we're gonna go right back in that space you're gonna lean over your brother again that's it you're gonna lean over the kids with your shoulder turned towards me you're leaning right in here so wow that looks so good in this tiny little space with one window light one little corner of a couch you have a family of five pose a little bit of a reflector this is gonna be a killer image killer okay you guys look amazing okay hazy up nice and tall leah leaning over I'm hazy shoulder this way just a little bit that's it ah I love it all right hey are you married are you jordan remarried yet no why not having found the right girl yet no no girlfriend all right and he's looking at me that's it leo lean into the kid just a bit more relaxed your right shoulder so let your hand go down a little bit lower and actually could write hold on right there um daisies hand yeah beautiful all right where's my awesome nerd trudy lean over a little bit more bring your nose towards me that's it a little bit more my awesome nerd you have like a cape that says awesome nerd like a superhero now who's the funniest one in the family anybody nobody okay when you're in trouble who are you most afraid of mom or dad mom who gets in the most trouble keep looking at me who gets the kennedys like I'm not pointing to my brother eyes awesome oh she does too she gets in trouble you don't get in trouble at all sometimes who out of the three of you is the favorite child all right every squeeze together lean in big hugs that's it squeeze easy easy just move your hair one drop that's it there we go and squeeze together a little bit more love it squeeze in perfect all right let's break for rake let's show it to mom so she gets an idea of what we're doing because that's always a good thing right does it feel uncomfortable being on that side of the camera for a change it does yeah feels awkward doesn't it all right let's take a quick look at that that's sweet can you see it e do they made you look good you should be really excited you're not that excited you're breaking my heart today kid that's all I'm saying is look at that that's what mom with all the kids it was my great scene all right all right so let's do this all right jordan I want you to tell me which picture we should take next what would you like me to dio who would you like to have a picture with or you done having your picture taken for today tell me just be honest man I'm okay you're being done okay well that's cool I have news for you we're not quite done yet um that's okay all right so I'm gonna turn it over the kennedy who should I take a picture of next give me two people to take a picture of next who should it be you tell me you're in charge yeah do you want it to be you okay you with who you want to take a picture of your dad all right let's do it there we go now we're cooking all right is that your favorite parent yeah I'm just kidding you have to say that we can't have you sit right on the edge of the seat leaning towards me just a little bit yep and then let your knees come out all the ways your fetal come out all the way and I'm gonna make a little space in here for her to sit there you go I might make you a little bit taller so she's going to sit right there on those blocks there right there between your knees yeah let's make it a little bit taller because dad's tall tall aurelio six one km for eleven so how tall this tree oh yeah she's just a little taller than me that's it and I want a screwed all the way back scoot scoot scoot I want to lean this way that's it with your shoulder so lean sue this lean your arm on dad just like that and I want you to wrap your arm around her haha that's it and then leo drop your right shoulder that's it and then lean your head to her so sweetie I need you to sit up nice and tall go back a little further well back a little further on the bench that's it lean this way a little bit so I want to bring your jaw to her temple on that side of her head that's it yeah and then kennedy turn your face this way she's not just a little bit and leo chin up just a little bit squeezed together squeeze leo roll your shoulders down and back pulled from the center of your spine get nice and tall can you need to get nice and tall for me show you how how ready are you sliding for the block sliding no okay ready so sit up for me sit up nice and tall and now stay like that stayed nice and tall lean on dad dad's gonna lean to you it's not lean over her shoulder that's it she not just little bit and get a little bit taller there we go that is kick your foot I'm sorry ah ha there we go that's better now leo turn you lift your face and turn it er just little bit perfect uh kennedy you're a daddy's girl huh you daddy's girl mm perfect look right here in the camera for me leaning together squeeze perfect stay right there we have this set up here is a great opportunity to add in um hazy cale of these children while they're on break from being filmed there reading books that is unbelievable you need to write a book with victoria that is awesome I love it there on books and not technology as brilliant oh most kids airplane an ipad and your kids are reading like books with the actual pages I love you guys write one foot's gonna go here and this what's gonna come out closer to dad you're gonna bring your arm in here and then your head your job right here is gonna go into dad's temple beautiful ha sorry keep walking in front of camera oh hazy come towards me just a little bit more that's it now till your head toward your dad oh my gosh case a leo you've lost little posture put nice and straight relax your shoulders and then um hazy get up a little bit taller that's it bring your arm behind your dad a little bit more in the back that's it and then lean together huh oh beautiful I want you stay right there because it's all completely perfect I just want to adjust your hair so relax the shoulders you know let your hair come back this way do you prefer it on your shoulder or on your back a little bit on your shoulder or all the way over okay I got it we got it here we go huh okay kennedy I'm gonna have to go watch brave again just so that america could become my favorite princess now are you look so mad they're ugo has pair have you seen monsters inc do you like that movie what's your favorite movie brave it's a good movie I agree with you second favorite movie beauty and beast yeah how about you family hunger games that was good you know I didn't think I was going to enjoy the hunger games but I actually did and it's so funny because my girl's read obviously the hunger games that my husband ready and he loved the book and then our surprise because usually the book yeah yeah but it was really good and the whole storyline behind hunger games is just kind of creepy like you know like kids like sacrificing themselves and they and just how the whole story king dio really well done did you see it with him yeah did you read the book and then did you read the second book now oh there's three yeah so will it be a second and third will be think cool all right stay right there okay jordan dude so we've done all three children with mom now we're doing all three children with dad and our kids today are a little bit shyer than yesterday's kids which is fine and it's very very common so I'm spending a little bit more time getting to know you so that you feel comfortable in front of me are you comfortable with me or do you think I'm a crazy person tell me which one comfortable we're crazy just kidding okay so now you're gonna have the hard part right so watch me for a second because your foot your right foot's gonna come right underneath your dad's knee and your left what's gonna come up here and you gonna lean into your dad like this okay possum so on this couch this little corner of the couch perfect and then he's he drop your arm back there and come out just little further and then have you put your knee on this so we get a little bit higher here we go so I use that uh perfect and jordan lean all over your dad perfect I want you to hide that hand behind him this hand's gonna hide behind him right that's it I want you to bring your jaw to his temple so you're all nice and close knows we're on the same plane dad's got a little slump e so leo needs to lift up perfect aha kennedy oh get down in the middle of all these kids it's awesome candy don't you get it I get from my reflector ha now we have light hold it okay already lift up nice and tall in together go ahead and hold on to your dad's arm right there that's it perfect that's it lean into him you got it you got it you got it stay right there that's it until your head with me just a little bit kids give down just a tiny bitter room because his head to get a little lost in there there you go perfect awesome kennedy you're doing fantastic everybody stay right there let's add trudy and yet you probably need your heels for the heels for this one I'm probably gonna put you right here over her shoulder yep and so actually turn this to a horizontal so that I'm coming in right here and then all of faces will be together in here remember you need to sit up nice and tall sweetie let's see where your shoes put you as far as height okay who's having fun raise your hand yeah trudy's having fun so lead over her shoulder turn your back shoulder to me that's it every lead together and then hold on more to her elbow a little bit lower that's it jordan guys are rocking it it's not easy to be model for anything you know have your portrait taken but it's even worse when you're on camera I'm gonna go this way only because I have to back up a little bit here we go how you doing kennedy good huh there you go okay already leaning together right here in me squeezed together squeeze got to go back a little bit further hi I'm in the other room there you go get a and now she's coming out of her shell okay so leo you're a little bit lost and there's no need already two separate just a drop in leo I need you to get nice and tall that's it now or be lean into dad just a little bit perfect that's better a little bit more lean and just a drop more blue here we go reflector reflector okay kennedy who is your least favorite princess every lean in look at me snow yeah me too I'm not I'm not digging snow white or you know what and cinderella not so much either yeah I don't like the real fluffy like princesses who wait for prince charming I like the girls you go out and get their job done like merida and well on what do you think c you're gonna she's gonna be a tough one huh yeah alright jordan I know I'm boring you to tears lean towards me just a little bit this way that's it everybody squeeze it all right let's let's take a quick break and we'll just kind of talk through that really quick um just in this room again using the arm of this chair mean that one little area we can probably use the whole chair and sit back a little bit further into using the opposing stools were able to raise the height of you know smallest child put down in the middle bring mom over using the window light a little bit of a reflector and really you can shoot anywhere if you have the right tools and you know howto put space between your subjects in your background and create texture depth color and light so if one of the main things you get from this is the first thing you look for when looking for location is direction of light that would be awesome first thing you look for his direction of light always most people look for the background first always look for the direction of light first then I'll create a background from whatever is available to me how's that sound okay so now I'm just going to work with you how about that is that good yeah I think it might be okay have fun uh who's your best friend what have you come sit right here on the floor you have a best friend what's your name callie why she your best friend hee hee hee you know on our first since you were two yeah like to lift something that's like six years of your life seven years that's like a lifetime friend for you yeah she funny okay what do you guys do when you hang out together um we easily think about what way we wanted day begins that way we get we don't wear it with games that we don't want you like so you have to think of anyone oh so you're saying that will you get you grow out of games from when you were younger and you have to come up with new ideas that's pretty good so what's your latest idea what your news game um nothing like we ever like really that you live in the wilderness that's a good one okay I'm gonna have you put your feet right over to the side you're gonna sit on your hips you bring this knee right appear lean into your need just a little bit for me there we go they live in the wilderness what do you do when you're in the wilderness you look for different kinds of food that you have to get so what would you eat if you lived in the forest and you had to survive on your own would you eat berries you don't know would you make a fire how with sticks like the old way like rubbing sticks together that is that how yeah would you bird watch no there's so many nice birds in the forest aren't there in the world on this aren't there bears in the wilderness yeah are you free to bears you are so I lean this way with me a little bit that's it uh relax your shoulders just to drop could you be any cuter do you think how do you feel you need so I'm dialing up just a little bit excited dial down a little bit earlier what do you think is this the funniest thing you've done in like two weeks would you rather be here in school you don't know really cause I would definitely rather be here than in school all right that's it I want you lean this way with me just a little bit so what did you say your best friend's name again was callie that's a good name like you know there's a flower called a cali sounds like her name would be like named after a calla lily what do you think you don't know what your favorite flower daffodil the yellow ones those are pretty you have some of your house like in a garden really that's awesome to go pick him and give him to your mom know you just leave him there do you like just run through the daffodil field fire ten daffodils no you gotta pick him and save him put him in a glass of water and put it next to your bed so when you wake up in the morning you see pretty definite ls what do you think maybe okay so what do you think you want to be when you grow up a teacher what kind of teacher math teacher science teacher gym teacher kindergarten teacher a third grade teacher why do you like about third grade do you like your teacher with her name mrs osborne turn your face to the light you look out the window can you look up right here where my fingers are look over that way this guy standing like okay I'm gonna have I'm gonna have hazy come in and do the same thing so this is a great is a great awesome example of having to work a lot harder to pull expression and you know work with kids is this is awesome this is so good because this is what we all face all the time right it's it's never as easy as it was yesterday but this is so great because they're a little bit on the shy side I've gotta work a little bit to pull them out of their shells which is really fun you're making me work for every penny today kiddo did you have fun it will take a break I'll bring you back in a bit so let's do the same thing yeah perfect I'm actually gonna have you go over just a little bit more and I'm gonna end up on end up needing a chair I'm gonna come off my tripod just for a minute because I want to use the um I want to use the floor as the background and it's faster to come off my tripod for a second and step up on this chair that's right here next to me then it is tio heightened up the tripod all the way so if I'm going to stand on somebody's piece of furniture all generally take my shoes off so here I am all the way up and then have you lean all way to the floor a little bit more that's it and scoot to the window just a drop more perfect let your hand go all the way but that shoulder drop just a little bit in your head's gonna tilt towards the window beautiful so now I'm using the floor as the background and I turned to face back with me just a drop t j beautiful and tilt your head to the window just a little bit so even though I'm now shooting from my cameras to post the tripod every time we take my shot I still bring my camera down so it could talk directly with hazy what music you into country and pop so like who's your favorite artist taylor swift okay I really like her but her latest song kind of gets on my nerves doesn't it what's that for older albums her more country stuff like that new song you know like the never what does it never again or yeah we're never getting that way I never ever ever it's like so annoying when you're in the car have to change it but I do like her earlier country stuff so your favorite song I was thinking sarah morella's yeah oh yeah do you like ed sheeran yeah he's got some really good stuff out to tell you how with me just a drop more that's it looked down for the floor and then perfect and then I cz just back up a tmi and chin up just a drop there you go awesome using the floor as a background is awesome so we have this beautiful light there's still little reflector on her face just enough you can see how we feather it khun see how by changing the direction of the reflector we open up more shadows but we close more shadows we still keep that catch light in her eye because their eyes coming this way we didn't have a reflector here and there goes the catch light that's it perfect watch as we turn back catch light is right there and she still has a gorgeous shadow on her right side of her face but if we move the reflector all the way we now have lit up her face completely so learning to work the reflector is incredible thing to learn how to dio catch light no light open it up cool all right so from where you are I want you to back up your seat just a little bit more and then I want you teo come all the way up onto your knees michelle yes we have some awesome questions and prays for you from the internet okay my energy act for love that first of all they love watching you work in this entire session but maybe if we if you could explain like what's going through your mind and why you're having her just like little by little and what light you're looking for kind of like your thoughts would you say that a little bit with the reflector but also these guys are a little shyer than yesterday so I'm spending a lot more time pulling them out and talking to him and get him comfortable and every time I'm moving the face just a little bit I'm looking for an angle to third view of full face view so I'm either trying to get the eye to the edge of my frame or I want her face all the way or I'm just trying to work with her getting her a little bit more comfortable the direction of light here is simple it's a big panel of windows mostly kicking back in a fill through the reflector I'm using the couch one as opposing prop two is a background using it on the floor of the background and now I'm also using the floor and just positioning her bodies that we get an angle on her shoulders so if you pull your hand out to the side again for me and see how now we have an angle on her shoulders and relax that left shoulder there you go so creating angles in the shoulders always a good way to create movement in the body as opposed to just straight to the camera but now I'm gonna have her back up just a little bit keep backing up keep backing up hey joe that's all that this is actually gonna work out really well snow want you to take your arm and lead it all the way in lift up nice and tall turn towards the couch just a little bit more so as I'm turning people I'm looking at how their body looks in this position so I'll keep tweaking and turning until I get the best angle that I really want so I want you to lift all the way up nice and tall and lean into the couch with both arms and bring your ring finger over this hand at six I like that ring and then tilt your head with me this way a little bit perfect so this is just a higher camera angle obviously much higher camera angle that's it and then let's take your left right right right hand and bring it up right underneath your chin that's it but instead of leaning on it I just want you to almost pretend you're leaning on it bring it back a little bit further that's it and then tilt your head with me this way perfect so a lot of times when you ask people to lean on their hand they go ahead and they do that squishy thing where they squish their face all the way you want to say it's more of a pretend you know you're just like resting either in the hand or bring it back to the neck um because that's normally what will happen but that's such a beautiful image right there I love that how do you feel you're comfortable good awesome michelle I noticed that when you brought her face over this way more that the light change from from the window light from off the reflector gets more of reflective light is definitely more reflector like so now and if we move it just little bit more see how I have now almost a split light on her face there's still a catch light but her face is almost split lip and then if we turn it this way just a little bit turn your face now she's in a two thirds profile two thirds view of the face I've lost my catch late so I want to bring this back a little bit too just get that catch lightner I there it is and then to third view of face catch light in her eyes but she has beautiful directional light coming from the window that wait main light is the window because her face is mainly lit on this side yeah the internet loves this it's really really wonderful good natural lighting is just gorgeous and and speaking of like the reflector and everything they're dying to know a little bit more about this reflector stand if you could go through yeah why do you choose chose this one today I kind of like the make and model I had was different than the one you used yesterday yeah this is the one I this is similar I used this one yesterday as well you could take a quick little break um easy if you want this is similar to the one I used I used this one outside yesterday too but I don't need a an assistant for this reflector it's on a stand you know I can take it in someone's home if it's not a windy day it's perfect if you have a windy day this thing is going to take off like a kite so it's not advisable but if you're out and it's not a windy day you can always pop this out this is actually I've had this one for years and I don't think it's like a popular name it's called aurora a u r o r a light bank um I know larson makes on uh larson and ah the reflection there was another I lost my train of thought anyway there's a lot of different companies that make reflectors like this you want to be this all comes apart so you can change it this is a fun little thing right this all comes apart and it breaks down into something that's completely mobile and the legs fold up so you can take it with you anywhere this side is white if I wanted to change it to a white side you can do a black panel you can do ah he could do a ah the gold panel if you want to use it uh company also makes a silver and gold mix which is really nice um you can actually use it as a translucent panel also I have the translucent panel for it the problem with that is the uh the stand kind of gets in the way and can create a shadow through the translucent panel but if you hit it just the right angle you can use it but I mean isn't it also just so cool yeah and I have and that's perfect for photographers out there who have assistance because that's the question that zack over and over again is what I don't have a nexus in panel and has a little and any size will work because it just works with the uh extension of this and it had this has two sizes on it okay so and if you purchase now will send not one but to know I'm kidding not possible but I just feel like I didn't infomercial so I felt I got to say that but wait there's more no but people do love the way you communicate that you're so natural about it and you're like very thorough in your instructions with your um you know just like explaining the reflector in addition to how you pose your clients so they always understand and trust you oh good to have any other questions we have a few questions tailing off you showing hazy with the light on her face they were asking about the perfect balance between a natural shadows and highlighting it and making it look more natural unless contrived a reflector is always going to look more natural that's why I like using a reflector is opposed to flash it's always going to be softer if you use a silver side and so harsh light you're going to get a more direct harsh light on the subject we have right now are overcast so the silver is pushing back in just a soft amount of light if we had direct sunlight coming through the window and I was really bright I would flip this over to the white side and soften it a little bit it's really matter of seeing the light and it's um it's a hard thing it's a hard thing to teach because you have to watch the face and that's why if I'm working with new assistance let's see trudy come on in here um I'm gonna have you sit right on the floor and we'll we'll do a demo with you if I'm working with new assistance I actually spent a lot of time saying to them watch watch for the light watch for the catch light so have a seat right there with your feet going out towards the window rolling onto your hip that's it and go this way a little bit further so scoop that way there you go and let your feet go out a little bit further that way so you're kind of facing me a little bit more and let right beautiful and I was like my worst directions yet on yeah uh huh yep beautiful but they were just if we're looking at trudy's face without a reflector at all looking at camera angle the light is a little bit higher than her and I actually think we have a couple little spotlights on but if you lower your changes to drop and turn your face this way a little bit she's totally in shadow here if you feel look here she's totally split light so she's gotten right light on this side and she's got chattel on this side if we really wanted to you take the black side of the reflector like we use the other day and you can actually do subtracted lighting so if we really wanted to make this more dramatic lighting we'd open this up we'll use the black side just for the sake of showing I'm just going to use this but black will actually take a little bit more light out of her face you can see that that's actually little reflective um but now the eyes are the main part of the photograph so if we have catch lights in the eyes that's a really important thing so I might turn this reflector in just so I got I get a catch light and it's right there and sometimes it's a matter of angling the reflector just the right way to get that catch light so if the light is coming from above us will need the angle of the reflector to be in the direction of the lights we get a little catch light if you want a feather it we move the light a little bit off to the side so the reflector is now facing mostly the window but a little bit of it is hitting her face and she's getting a little bit of a catch light in her eye if we really want to light her for on a flat light her I'd bring the reflector in nice and close and now she's pretty flat lit because they're eat the flight is even all over her face so it's a style preference no you know and it's also a facial preference if a full face you might want to light with a little bit of shadow profile I mean just you got to play with it there's so everyone's different every shape faces different when I'm working and I'm looking at her all perfect just a little bit of light and gotta play with it there's no hard and fast rules just play there you go perfect till you hear one of her go this way just little bit chin down this little bit here ugo that does that help answer that question and people responding to that you gotta love the reflector reflector is your best friend and there you know what reflectors on one of the cheapest things that you'll invest in for sure you know they're so easy to use was a no name reflector but I think that now everyone in the chat room I uh I know I don't even know they exist anymore but any of the good reflecting cos larsen has great reflectors like I mentioned um you can just go online and look for them but you want something that could be portable mean I carry this all on the airplane I broke it all down it's in a little you know like tripod bag type of thing and I carried it all on the airplane so the on but that's a nice thing this actually almost fault folds folds down smaller than the disc in a way it's just a different shape right because you just folded up so how you feeling where's the little baby girl let's get her back here e have you slide towards the edge that way just little bit more that's it canedy oh there you are okay so you have technology ha ha here we go baby are you the baby okay so I want you to sit on your hip right there next to your mom that's it and I just lean on her lap oh oh baby oh gonna do the camera huh that happens to me all the time so happen to you that's why I keep it on the tripod because I never have to run around looking for where my cameras that so we go back to my tripod I love that that stuff that we just did with hazy is beautiful I'm all tied up here gotta loosen everything there we go hungry yet now did you have breakfast don't tell me she don't tell me no no no no don't tell me what you have for breakfast I don't wantto e I guess okay I guess so lean over her little bit bring your arms all the way around her that's it and leaned towards me and get your head in closer and lean back toward your mom just a little bit I'm gonna work this a little bit more there you go and turn your face back to the window just to drop it and loudly in together and lift up and lean towards mom just a little bit there you go so okay now don't tell me what you had for breakfast I'm gonna guess you had frog legs no you don't eat frog legs then trudy just tipped with me just a little bit to announce us to drop you don't like frog legs was wrong with you how about um elephant toes no how about pepperoni pizza you know like pepperoni pizza for breakfast no do you eat the liver scraps no how about aunt legs no dog food now you know like dog food I do I sprinkle dog food on my cheerios and morning no I'm just kidding that'd be really gross wouldn't it yeah it would be squeezing towards mom just a little bit squeeze squeeze into her just a little more so lift up a little bit kennedy that's it now squeezing her yep uh all right ha hazy ready all right okay I want you to come right here you're right me behind your mom your left knee right in her knee and you're gonna lead into really good we look good together e that's how we get to know each other ah that was perfect but he's a given a little bit of space that's it and then lean to me just little bit a little bit more than turn your face to your mom just to drop okay kennedy there's my sugar girl there is my princess and then he's he just hide your hand behind your mom's arm back there that's it kennedy don't you dare look at me and don't you dare be happy about it trudy chin down just a little bit there you go and then he um he's you come towards me just a little tilt your head and you think that's funny huh I can't believe you guys are not really more appreciative of the fact that because of me you don't have school today you should be like hugging and kissing me because I mean when I was your age if I don't have school like it was the bomb yeah and it's like not even vacation or anything for you ready lift up lift up kennedy at there you go perfect stay right there ok I need you again I'm sorry am I boring you he's so funny all right I told you not to tell him a smile that's right yeah it was perfect I need you I need you to be the pain in the butt mom okay stay right where you are not like that not that face you're gonna come right here stay right where everybody was lean back towards me and you're gonna be this knee comes right behind your mom see how I'm tucked in here and you gonna lean in like this so this leg here it's like here camera I'm ready for my close up okay so your job is hard because you have to lift up and lean into your mom that's it nice and tall get close to her she won't bite you today a promise yep get in close and get your chin right next to her head closer and hide your hand back there behind her that's it get a little closer hazy come towards me towards me jordan up higher towards me on peanut where are you what's that face oh now she's making silly faces perfect jordan lift up and towards me a little bit keep going put your arm hold on to your sister's shoulder right there and put your other hand behind your mom that's it now turn your back shoulder to me but release your back shoulder that's it now already come together heads together heads together a rab yes khun somebody excited please join doing right now do it don't hold back on me man don't hold back don't know but I'm gonna get you chin up shut up joe didn't lean into your mom late in I'm going to find you a girlfriend today that's what I'm gonna do know I'm not allowed to have a girlfriend you know of course not that's exactly why you need to have a girl and I'm just kidding all right take a break this location like I said was fine because we're able to use the floors background were able to use this chair is a prop um you can see how we just staged the plants and the texture and color back there so I mean this is not a spectacularly beautiful room it's you know a normal room you'd find in anyone's home but as long as we have a little window light we can really get some good use out of it so angle the furniture if you're gonna work in a client's home feel free to say we need to move the furniture to make this work because in most cases the couch is going to be against the wall and you don't necessarily want the wall is the background and somehow we talked about yesterday is moving your subjects away from the background to create a separation between them and that you actually can create that texture and depth so we've done that hears all purposeful I move the couch that was against that wall all the way to the window on an angle away from the background that I wanted we text your eyes and colorized the background and then created our own light everything was set up purposefully purposefully so one question and then we'll photograph mom and leo and I'll somehow manage to get all the family in this one I promise alright alright the one question is going to come from a fashion tv from singapore but also quite a few others in the chat rooms had similar questions michelle mama removed her specs during the session just now how would you handle a family who turned up with glasses on and insist on having them during the shoot how do you handle several glasses all at once without them catching too much reflection from the light source practical advice yeah you have to continuously move the faces so you're you're directing each and every face so I would say you know treating your face this way down a little until reflection was gone somebody was on this side I would have a move their face you just have to work every single face in the group if everybody just facing forward you haven't adjusted anyone's face that's definitely gonna be a problem I always start with do you wear your glasses all the time if they say no I say it would be better if we didn't wear them for the photo if they say yes I wear my glasses all the time first I'll say can you pop out the lenses some people can easily take they have little screwdriver they could pop out the lenses will pop him out so he's still the frame on but no glass to add reflection if they can't do that we're on to plan c so plan a is do you wear a mall the time no let's take him off plan b is yes okay but can you pop the glass out of that answer that is no we go to plan c which is moving the faces until all the reflection has gone in each side of the glass is there's a little bit left over something we couldn't control in camera there's always a little photo shop all right explains that thank you was that leo leo leo what's up okay let's everybody break right here look leo I think I'm gonna have you back here and this role feet are slightly separated so right toe is back here left toe is here and you're just you're in a be a knot for far enough away from here so there's space tow lean over so it's gonna feel weird cause you're gonna feel like your butt is going back and it is but I won't see that from camera angle okay trudy you're gonna be right in here and I might actually push this back just a little bit so you're gonna be a little bit more settled in here can actually sit on there a little bit of that so you're gonna have to back up a little bit more so you can leaning over my shoulder a little bit more I might actually prop you up a little bit hang on this is the beauty off the blocks ok happened there on your hip legs going out to the right perfect leaning on the arm that's it so I like the way you're leaning over but I would need you to relax your shoulders a little bit so so drop your hips a little bit there you go okay sure you can push back just a little bit further there you go okay leo you're gonna lean over her just a little bit more but around the shoulders down and back there you go I'm gonna come in and just you because your dad just the way it works sometimes so dip your hips down a little bit yep maybe you're shot you're shot okay so we need to wrap lean and squeeze get your draw to her temple ok when you're asked to rush just get it done leaning together all the way trudy lean towards me leo up a little bit taller and what I need to do squat back there is what I need yes now lean over shoulder just a little bit that's it much better perfect treaty chin down just a little bit squat a little bit more enroll those shoulders back but now lift up lift up that's it now lean towards me yes and that's a wrap alright guys who grades so

Class Materials

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Michele Celentano.pdf

Ratings and Reviews

Beckie Sibley
 

Michele is a true artist in every sense of the word. While her photography skills are exceptional, it is her ability to work with families that absolutely had me mesmerized. She is a natural with people of all ages. Her teaching style is second to none. I especially appreciate that she had the CreativeLIve attendees jump in to pose the first family. With many of these courses, I find myself feeling completely inadequate because the instructors make it look super easy. When the student photographers worked with the family, they represented ME. This was such an encouragement. I also was thrilled that the second family was more of a challenge as it showcased Michele's talents perfectly. The business section was insightful and inspirational. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this course. It was a deal at $129. Thank you CreativeLive! And thank YOU, Michele. You are the best of the best.

Beckie Sibley
 

Michele is a true artist in every sense of the word. While her photography skills are exceptional, it is her ability to connect with families that absolutely had me mesmerized. She is a natural with people of all ages. Her teaching style is second to none. I especially appreciate that she had the CreativeLIve attendees the first family. With many of these courses, I find myself feeling completely inadequate because the instructors make it look super easy. When the student photographers worked with the family, they represented ME. This was such an encouragement. I also was thrilled that the second family was more of a challenge as it showcased Michele's talents perfectly. The business section was insightful and inspirational. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this course. It was a deal at $129. Thank you CreativeLive! And thank YOU, Michele. You are the best of the best.

Courtney Zito
 

I love this class! I am transitioning from film & television to photography, specifically children and families, and this class is wonderful! I am only on Day 1, class 6 (The art of posing) and I have learned so much that I have already applied to my own photography. If you're like me, you have come across other's photos and thought "meh", and then you come across some and you are like "wow!". What is the difference? Well there are many factors that make a great portrait, but one aspect I hadn't spent as much time thinking about was posing. You don't think about how important posing is until you see it in action here. I am looking forward to the rest of this series and soaking up all of her experience and knowledge. She's cute and quirky, and very organized in her teaching. Thank you Michele, great class!

Student Work

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