hala_b Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 i have a shoot to photograph a 3yr old baby - is it best to use a large soft box, centred, for full coverage, or are smaller softboxes better for photographing babies? maybe 2 small ones on each side with a ratio of 1:1...? must baby photography have ratios of 1:1? any suggestions would be great. thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gluteal cleft Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 It all depends on what you want to achieve. Large softbox, small softbox, umbrella, no modifier, they're all tools that give you different effects. The choice is between which effect you want to achieve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giggles Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Hi Hala - I use one large softbox most of the time and I agree with Scott that is just personal preference on the type of look you are trying to create. I prefer one large catchlight with some subtle shadows. I position my softbox about 4 feet from my subject and often to the subject's front left. I then use a large reflector on the other side for some fill. Please feel free to view my portfolio for plenty of examples of baby portraits. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giggles Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Oops - I mean Steve instead of Scott - I was trying to go off of my memory which is obviously not good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hala_b Posted February 21, 2007 Author Share Posted February 21, 2007 thank you for the tips - i thought at the end of the day - soft an even lighting should be the aim with little harsh shadows, with light and dark etc. i was told that one should get down to the same level of the child/baby when shooting - why is that? and that one should avoid shooting from up to down... etc.... thoughts on why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giggles Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 I always shoot at the same level as the babies. I rarely stand and spend most of the time laying on the floor. I don't know the "rule" behind this. I just know that "up the nose shots" are not appealing for the baby photography. I also think it is easier to get eye contact when you are at their level. I always am making strange sounds or asking the older ones questions when I am photographing them. I try to help them have fun and am not very structured with my portrait sessions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now