04-06-11 – Artsy-Fartsy

Forums Forums Farktography General Chat This week’s contest 04-06-11 – Artsy-Fartsy

Viewing 14 posts - 61 through 74 (of 74 total)
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  • #39160
    ravnostic
    Participant

    U-Man, I have a question; if it’s too personal, kindly decline to answer.

    You often have pictures featuring your keds [sic], and in so many unique ways appropriate to the themes. I wonder, “What are the kids thinking? {Is dad nuts? He’s gone off the deep end this time} How does one propose these ideas to his children? Has he used this as a lesson in life, as well as photography? Or is simple bribery involved? How does the angle of grandma also participating in the art affect things?”

    And a lot of such questions. If you are so inclined, I’d love a little insight into the U-Man photographic experience, as it relates to your family images.

    //I ask, for I’ve been asked to photograph my brother with his kids, now that he’s recently divorced and doesn’t have someone to take pictures of his interactions with his children–and they grow up quickly. Spontaneity will happen, of course, but it seems it would also be fun to aspire to developing (so to speak) an interest in a nephew’s or niece’s appreciation for things like lighting, perspective, and other artsy-farty stuff.

    Posted in the forum because you’re an icon here, and I’m sure others would be interested in your response, if you are so inclined to provide one.

    #39161
    ennuipoet
    Participant

    To be honest, I’ve been thinking I need a couple of kids to photograph after seeing the wonderful work U-Man does. But then, I’m like, well, is the expense of feeding the little buggers really work the votes in the theme…I dunno…

    On a more serious note, I’ve always been impressed by how “not forced” your kids are U-Man, they always have a look of genuine joy to being doing stuff with you. That transcends any vote totals in the Universe 🙂

    #39162
    olavf
    Participant

    I can’t speak for U-Man, but our kids are nearly always up for being involved in a project. Sometimes, the sillier the better. Up to, and including standing in the yard while their mom pretends to hit them with a dead fish. We explain the concept to them and kinda let them run with the idea some where appropriate too, which gives them more ownership and involvement (rather than just standing there trying not to look bored)

    Main things I’ve found about photographing kids, Rav – Patience is a virtue. It’ll take them a while to settle down, if you’re trying to get something posed. And then, you’ll have a limited window of opportunity before they get bored and you can’t keep their attention any more. You’ll learn the signs of when it’s a “good time to take a break” and maybe try again later. Being slightly goofy yourself, and making the experience fun will generally extend this window somewhat, and make them more willing to do it again.

    #39163
    U-Man
    Participant

    Hey I just came back here after voting. I missed the above comments. I’ll certainly respond – but right now the eldest and I are going to go see if the spring peepers want their picture taken. 🙂 If I forget, please remind me. 🙂

    #39164
    Elsinore
    Keymaster

    Congrats to todd_zilla this week!

    #39165
    ravnostic
    Participant

    Indeed; a most beautiful picture. Quite the gap of no entries since Panoramics in August, 2008. Hopefully, he’ll try a few more contests with the better results he received.

    #39166
    Zero_Exponent
    Participant

    Congrats to todd_zilla, for the moon shot winner. Have to also mention soosh’s “fog at sunset”, that definitely belongs in a gallery.

    #39167
    soosh
    Participant

    Congrats to todd_zilla, for the moon shot winner. Have to also mention soosh’s “fog at sunset”, that definitely belongs in a gallery.

    Thanks! Here’s the whole set from that day. It was just spectacular. Just on the drive home from work.

    http://sacredartichoke.com/sunsetfog

    #39168
    Zero_Exponent
    Participant

    Wow, productive day, soosh! Lots of keepers in that set, thanks for sharing.

    #39169
    linguine
    Participant

    Thanks! Here’s the whole set from that day. It was just spectacular. Just on the drive home from work.

    http://sacredartichoke.com/sunsetfog

    Wow, I wish I had scenes like that when Im driving around the Baltimore and DC beltways. Scenes like that make me want to move to Alaska until I remember what Im assuming is the 9 month long winter you go through.

    #39170
    orionid
    Participant

    Thanks! Here’s the whole set from that day. It was just spectacular. Just on the drive home from work.

    http://sacredartichoke.com/sunsetfog

    Wow, I wish I had scenes like that when Im driving around the Baltimore and DC beltways. Scenes like that make me want to move to Alaska until I remember what Im assuming is the 9 month long winter you go through.

    My best friend moved to Juneau in May a few years back. He was home by January.

    But yeah, It’s definitely on my list of places to visit over and over and over again.

    #39171
    U-Man
    Participant

    U-Man, I have a question; if it’s too personal, kindly decline to answer.

    OK. First of all. Thank you. I’m flattered. I honestly feel weird writing this because, I don’t know, I just have fun with this stuff. I have learned and have an innate ‘eye’ that works OK but I don’t feel like an expert.

    That said; you asked so here goes.

    I am a bit of a goof-ball. Kids like that. I like being around kids and doing stuff and they can tell. (Of course, I can get bossy and peevish with them sometimes, too. But I know I’m not perfect.) My kids know that I do alot of stuff with them and for them. At first, when I needed them for a pic they would frequently get the “This is important to me and I do stuff that is important to you…” lecture. Now, they know what I want and I think they like the interaction as well as the end result. The older kids are pretty easy. Even if they aren’t really into it they can find the maturity to get through it. My middle loves the attention (of course she does – she’s the middle kid). I have definitely bribed smaller kids.

    My kids have seen most of the stuff I post. Forks through Barbie heads, drunk American girls, toddlers getting shot with a foam-ball shooter, battling bananas, etc. They know I have an odd sense of humor and seem to enjoy it. They might think that it’s normal for dads to be like this. Maybe it is. I can’t remember any time that they weren’t up for a goofy photo.

    Some things I have learned:

    Get everything set up (especially lighting) and test it on a chair or adult or something before getting the kid models. I’ve “lost them” while messing around with flashes and such.

    Many people don’t smile really naturally for a camera. I have good luck telling kids to just stop smiling and let me make them laugh. And tell them that when they do laugh KEEP THEIR EYES OPEN AND LOOK AT ME! Funny faces, fart sounds, pretend tripping, repeatedly telling them not to smile…whatever works.

    Really shallow depth of field is nice – but 100 blurry shots of a moving toddler suck. There’s a happy medium.

    Shoot outside in natural light – but get into the shade.
    If you can get your flash off of your camera you’ll get better results.

    I still want to push the kids too far. “Just a few more…” I have to fight that. Sometimes the best pic is the first damn one. Then again, sometimes it’s not. I find that for set-up stuff I should do a short set, let them relax and look at the pics on a monitor. I’ll find stuff to fix or tweak and then do another short set.

    ******

    The Mopsy thing is interesting. We’re competing, but like to see the other one do well at the same time. It has definitely brought us closer together. I’m sure a part of why she started farktography was to strengthen that link between us. But just a part. She likes this stuff just as much as you or I. I bought her a Canon Rebel XSi for Mother’s Day a few years back. She cried – so I guess she liked it. I am really proud of her. How many women pick up a new hobby at 65 that involves learning from scratch such things as Photoshop and image hosts and f/stops and composition. I’m serious. She didn’t know what a right-click was when she started! (that part didn’t help our relationship – computer lessons over the phone are difficult).

    As orionid/kestrana and olavf/justkat can attest. It’s nice to share this photography passion with someone. 🙂

    I don’t know if that addresses what you were thinking. And nothing here is profound. But that’s my ramblings for the evening.

    #39172
    U-Man
    Participant

    soosh – that foggy sunset photo really is fantastic. It jumped out at me on the first night. I like to “call’ the top 10 to myself sometime during the first day. I had that one pegged as a strong contender for #1.

    The whole series is good, but I like that one the best.

    #39173
    ravnostic
    Participant

    U-Man; TYVM for that insight**.

    My brother isn’t looking for pictures for me to use in the contests, of course, but you don’t get the photographer you want, you get the photographer who’s related to you, wants the job, doesn’t need to get paid for it, and occasionally takes a nice shot. And that guy wants him to have some pictures for his album that has his two kids dressed up like the angel and devil (they love costumes) and ‘sitting’ on his shoulders ‘giving advice’, or his daughter, 4 now, holding daddy in the palm of her hand. At least some of them.

    Your advice will be helpful.

    Further, I had no idea Mopsy only started relatively recently in the hobby. I thought perhaps it was she who sparked your interest. I’ll ‘amen’ the difficulty of computer training over the phone. 🙂

    **thanks also to olavf for the additional insight.

Viewing 14 posts - 61 through 74 (of 74 total)
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