Lessons

Lesson Info

Working with Backgrounds

things to be careful of some of the obvious watching things going straight through people's heads, whether it be a horizon or a tree popping straight out the top. Sometimes we get so caught up in the polls and the kid and getting the shot that it's not something you realize until you get home. And I'm not a big photo shopper. I hate it s so I would much rather get it, get it right in camera. So that's a big thing. Watch for objects coming out of weird, weird places. Um, watch, watch how you have been placed things that you're using within. So I would like even on this shot I would be very particular with, like how she's position compared to her. So I had her be, you know, peeking out that amount. Because even if she would have been just a tiny bit and maybe half of her face was covered by a shoulder, it would have kind of lost the shot, and it would have been a six inch move. You know, it wouldn't have been anything big, so I'm really particular about things like that rule of thirds, h...

ow you keep Do I should explain the rule of thirds really quick. People not know if you, if you separate the photo in tow thirds each way. It's nice to have your subject or what your, um, what they're of you to pay attention to on one of those intersections or on one of those lines. So it's something I try and follow. Of course. Then there is that every time you know, break the rule to, so sometimes you don't use the rule of thirds at all. But I would say more often than not, that's what I That's what I watch for in to also make sure that your background isn't competing with your subjects. Because no matter how excited I am for the theme or how excited I am to build the set at the end of the day, that's now what I'm shooting. I'm shooting the kids in the set, so I really try to make sure that that's what you're going to notice first. And I think that's a big reason you so much white and use so much monotone because I can busy it up and I can have random themes and lots of stuff going on. But it's not making your eyes go crazy, so that doesn't mean you have to do that. I mean, there's people that are amazing at putting together crazy, random stuff, and it looks amazing. I just know that that's my safeties, and that's what I do. So I was gonna show a talks. Little about color. Um, I'm really conscious of so you'll notice. Here we have the red of her shoe, which brings up to the red of the way in the red of the fence and then back around to the red on the bottom of her dress. And I like that that flow, how it just makes everything a nice little your eyes circle the exact thing that you're so three looking at. So it's just a nice It's easy. I think it's easy to see what you're supposed to be viewing, but at the same time, it all it all feels like it flows. So, understanding those things, understanding the way the light, I use the light to kind of block out her so that we would know we're supposed to be looking at her so understanding this thing. Light and color and design. That's what's going Teoh. Somebody else could take the shot and shoot it. And it would be a completely different shot if you weren't using those elements to tell your viewer. This is what I feel like. It's important. This is the story I'm trying to tell you. Um, I had talked a little bit about how I do my little Panther move with the light walking around people. Um, because I am a natural light photographer. For the most part, I have to use to come to the light that has given me so using. I mean, I had two years where he did a ton of workshops, and the only time we could shoot was midday, because that's the way that the workshop lined up. So I got really good, really fast it. Shooting had set in like midday sun. Even if you aren't under those constraints where someone's making you, I think it's so important to just shoot shoot late if you haven't. If you have the urge to go shoot, it's not the golden Hour. Who cares to school shoot like get out there practicing all lighting situations so that you know how to minute manipulate the light. You know how. Just because the golden hour might be your favorite. There's sometimes where a harsh light is amazing in a picture. And you wouldn't know that if you are always stayed in your comfort zone. So it's okay, toe shoot stuff that you're just gonna delete. As long as it's a learning experience. There's Gosh, I don't even know how many thousands and thousands of images I've taken and I'm just like next. But every single one led me toe understanding more what I like to an image. And when I did it like, um and then again, color, color, color, color, even if it's not purposeful. Eun, if you're not trying, Teoh, um, notice color will draw the I mean, like when I'm looking at all of you, my eyes go straight to Terry because she's wearing red and the rest of you are wearing beige and gray and why I bet you didn't plan that you want to be the center of attention. They didn't know, but it's true. So when your client show up and that's why I always tell adults don't dress and white because unless you want to be in you unless you want the parents to be the center of your center focus of your images. You guys don't wear white because that's exactly like I've had dads and they're in a white T shirt, and then everybody else is in, like, more monotone. And you're like, Oh, we're going to see in that picture is Dad is exactly what we're gonna look at. So just being aware and ethnics, I mean, clients don't understand that. So just giving them a little too sentence, like just telling him that you know what really draws the item like they don't think of that. They just think of it as being a good color that goes with everything that's not their job, to know those things. So talking beforehand and figure out what they're gonna wear and being able to like, gently push them in the direction that will best suit the photo is always is always a good idea. Um, Design. We talked about the rule of thirds focal points. We noticed in that last image back how I focused on the girl up front even though she wasn't the one looking at the camera. Um, I don't I guess I don't really have a reason behind why I did that. But I just like the way that it felt, uh, because normally your tendency would be to focus on the girl looking at you. But I like the look on her face. She was like, into it, and it just was a happy feeling to me. So using your focal point. And like I said, I shoot really low apertures. And that's one of the reasons that I do is because I want my viewer to know exactly what I think is important in the image. Because I'm telling my might my version of my version of the story. Um, and I'll talk a little bit more. I'm going to do a gear segment a little bit later, but just really quickly todo go ahead. No, we were just talking about that. That sounds great. Maybe we'll bring out your actual gear later. Yeah. Yeah. I was gonna touch just really quickly just on how that works in design. And obviously we talked a little bit. I think it was a question I was shooting about. The lens I shoot. And why? So, once one selection, the compression expansion, your aperture, you choose to shoot your exposure. Your shutter speed. That's another thing that tells part of the story. So when we're going through my gear, I'll kind of explain the pieces I have, how I use them, why I use them that way. Um, but yeah, I do think while you can get great great images with each any, any any gear if you're talented and know how to use your equipment, I think when you really start diving into it, like knowing which pieces which which lenses Mostly, I guess. And what we dio, um, are gonna help push that feeling that you're trying to convey? Uh, yeah. So did we have some other questions? Anything. I guess we could let me take a quick peek. You want to show the quickly give a teacher on the equipment? Yeah. I could just throw up this kid just a quick teaser, and then we can bring it out with perfect, uh, great. And then I'm gonna have a question. Unless ladies in the audience questions out there. All right, they are quiet. Okay, so one of the questions that we have from and this is sort about how you're working with clients a lot of folks were asking today and yesterday about when you're shooting. Are you shooting for, um, books? Are you shooting for which final product are you shooting for? Or does it depend on the client? It depends on the client. That's one of the questions that's in the questioner is what they plan on doing with their images. So when I'm planning how we're gonna shoot what we're going to dio like, I think I touched on it a little bit yesterday, saying, like making sure that you're gonna have pictures that display nicely whether if they want Big Wallace ways and you make sure that you have set that will display nicely together or albums, making sure that you create images that will make good spreads. Um, a lot of the editorial work and things that I do. It's more about the storytelling, so that goes more into I have to kind of think through the story in my head like, What's my beginning, Middle and end and then make sure I have images that walking through walking through that so cool and then photo maker would like to know. What does Shannon do about insurance on shoots, I suppose. Of course, all photographers need it. But is there anything special that you're working with kids that you have to consider? I don't think that kids make it. I mean, I have insurance. So if anybody got hurt or damaged or anything, I don't think you have Teoh. I don't think there would be Need special consideration for kids insurance wise, at least my insurance agent and act like there would be. But yes, insurance is very, very, very important. Cool. When you're having them jump off things or jumping and do, Yeah, I don't wanna be paying for that broken English. Awesome And photo maker would like to know the Shannon changed her style much to match current visual trends. Not conscience consciously, I would say it. Definitely. It's definitely evolving if you look it. I look at my work from even a couple of years ago, and I'm like, What was I doing like over there thinking? I, um, follow a lot of log like I had mentioned, I don't really follow other photographers. Mostly we'll talk about a little bit more tomorrow, but the whole like doubt and seeing everybody else is amazing work and you're in your Lowell and I found it was easier just to keep my head in the sand and ice forward and concentrate on what I was doing and hope for the best. But I do follow a ton of blog's in its fashion blog's and craft blog's and yeah, all all different types. So as those trends change on those blog's, of course it's gonna influence what I when I'm feeling and what I'm seeing. And like I mentioned before, I don't like to do the same thing over and over. So I guess I'm always looking for that new little bit of inspiration. Toe. Give me that new idea. A new look. Awesome. And now I just want to let the folks out there. No. As's far as the questionnaire that you just mentioned folks, Shannon's actual questionnaire is available for purchase. So we are throwing you guys some really great little bonus materials if you do purchase, and I just want to let you guys know that the question there is definitely one of those. Okay, so, um, we had a question about locations because we're talking about locations earlier, and do you ever find that you have when choosing locations, you ever, ever have to take into effect kids with allergies? Does that ever come up? You know, it never has. But ironically enough, I just did a photo shoot about a month ago with my own daughter and did not realize she was so allergic to the grass. And I ended throughout, like 75% of the shop that she was in because her eyes were like puffy and red enclosed. So I guess I've been lucky. I think parents are pretty aware of because we do talk about locations. First, they would usually know if their child's gonna be allergic or no, We probably shouldn't go into the grass this time of year. Give them some sort of our allergy medication. But no, the only person I had a problem with my own my own good mom moment. OK, so it's a question for you. What? Oh, go for it. I'm just a quick question. Do you ever come across just stiff kids? Not necessarily that they're shy there, just stiff. Do you have any secrets? Anything for that? So, yeah, and there's some kids that are just stiff stiff getting them to laugh and giggle. Loosen it up a little bit, Um, but sometimes you just kind of go with it and just do less posing and try and concentrate a little bit more like on getting facial expressions, shots, getting interaction, shots if you're doing it with siblings or parents or whatever. Yeah, I would say the best thing, though, is to do the play like we were talking about where you play games with them because if it's a stiffness, just because they're just not sure, maybe it's not that they're super Shire anything, but they just don't know what to do with their body in front of a camera. Taking their mind off of it is the best way to do it. So play some games, said the camp camera down for a little bit and interact goof around and then just lightly start, take start taking. And I love. When Jenny was talking yesterday, how Josh shoots and she I needed Jenny. I want Jenny. No respect. Do you ever use a tripod with a remote so the child isn't so aware of the camera? I never have, um, most of my shots. I like them looking into the camera, so I guess it's not really crossed my mind to do that. I think it would lend. It feels really well toe people that are better at those in the moment, like capturing Um, you know that kids just in their element and doing their thing. That's a great idea. I've never have you ever used music and shoot that something I've considered. But then I never tried it and want to know if you've done it. If it was too distracting for kids to have music, kind of getting loosened up dancing, it's fantastic. Yeah, yeah, I use music a lot. Yeah, we just play it. We, you know, try and pick like a Pandora kids station. Or sometimes the moms have music that they'll bring but totally lightens the mood. And especially by the end of the shoot, when it's kind of winding down and everybody's loosened up and you can get some really cute like I have some, you know, group shots where everybody's dance. It's just really cute, like final. Finally, Mr Yeah, I highly recommend. I don't think it's distracting at all. I mean, we don't want blaring it, you know, nightclub style, but yeah, I think it's a great idea. I highly recommend it. I think it makes people more comfortable because it's like those silence moments that make people like one myself to be doing right now. Why is nobody talking? Where should I be? It makes that go away cause there's something else. Yeah, highly recommended.