Hot! Hot! Hot!

I learned the following from my friend, Debbie Dixon of Art by Design Las Vegas (www.artbydesignlv.com) that babies just love to be hot. 98.6 that is. So get the space heaters or hot lights, warm clothes or cuddly blankets to keep that comfy while you shoot. Thanks Deb. Works like a charm

It also helps to take photogaphs according to their schedule, so Mom's when you are planning photos with your photographer think about what your new born or infant does at what times of the day. If they are always fussy right before lunch do not schedule before they have had lunch. If they are dead asleep right after they eat schedule it for an hour later, unless you want sleeping pictures. That can be good for newborns, but once they are alert and looking around it may not be what you would prefer.

Last of all, be prepared to act stupid. Cooing and movement, crazy faces and toys are all part of helping your child look where you want and smile for the camera. Just make sure that there is only one person doing the distracting. You want to control where they are looking.

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Use Diffuse Sunlight

An easy way to use the sunlight to diffuse your photograph is to go behind a not so wide column or wall and let the sunlight come around it, like I did here in this photograph.

The column is approximately 5' wide. It was midday and the sun was shining straight onto the column. The narrowness of the column allowed the sunlight waves to bend around and light the bride and groom from both sides. No flash was necessary.

This is one way to eliminate the need for lugging around equipment and setting-up  during a shoot that requires quick maneuvering and adaptability. For this you do not even need the second person to hold a reflective surface. Sometimes giving direction to a second person takes time a photographer does not have -- especially if you are just starting out and cannot afford the equipment and the second person.

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You are Art

A photo that tells about you as a person or a couple does not necessarily need to show your face. Consider this photograph of a couple who enjoy riding horses, wearing jeans, and kicking it in their cowboy boots.

Any number of effects can be added in Photoshop later to fine tune and customize the photograph until it is a piece of art they will be proud to hang in their home.

For this photograph we started in the early morning to get a softer light, then I added diffuse glow and sharpening to the photo.

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