Photography Tips - 3/18 - The Idea Room

How to convince your husband to have family portraits taken…

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A few weeks ago, a friend asked me, "How can I convince my husband to do family portraits?" Often times men will go along with it to make the wife happy, but even if they do, doesn’t mean they are happy about it. I have other friends and clients who just have pics taken of their kids because their husband refuses. This makes me a bit sad because I think it is so important to show solidarity and togetherness with the family portrait. Lets face it, most men don’t love to have their pictures taken. (There are a few select men that I have come across that do).

So today, let me suggest as we focus more on dads this weekend, something that will help the men in your life enjoy family portraits a little more. It’s very simple. Come close and I’ll whisper it….Include something they love to do. Is it football? Frisbee? guitar? Amusement park? Have a family activity photographed. This has become popular with professionals, called Lifestyle photography and I personally LOVE it, but I don’t really get requests for it (I wish I did!) The key is to just play and have fun, might sound much more appealing to the man in your life.

The fact of the matter is…it isn’t really fun for anyone to sit up tall, look straight at the camera, in a cohesive manner, in clothes someone else picked out, and smile. But we women like that perfect shot, right? So for your next family pictures whether you hire a professional or have a "friend with a nice camera" snap shots of you, think of something your husband would enjoy doing. Think more about playing and less about posing.

It is one of the highest compliments to me when at the end of the session, the dad says, "that was fun!" I’ll often include the posed shots for mom, but if I have dad throw the child in the air, or wrestle with the big kids, that is their idea of fun… mixed in with the dreaded. It just so happens, those candid moments are my favorite to capture as well. Even if you don’t have a sports theme just for him, just let them be, it will help them relax. We women have a tendancy to get cranky (and nit picky) when we want that perfect-ness from our family, and it stresses our husbands out, believe me, I KNOW! Tell yourself (I know, it’s hard) there is no such thing as a perfect portrait and just enjoy your family. Let them decide and plan the session.

Though they may not always say it, this is something they may actually enjoy;) If they might also bring up the money factor, you just remind them of those rounds of golf or cycling gear, and save your splurging pennies (and birthday wishes) and he cannot argue to that end. Beautiful family portraits are heirlooms that have no price. What does your husband love to do that would be fun to have photographed?

P.S. Here is an idea for family pictures at home, right in your own backyard.

–Kristen Duke

When Natural Light Isn’t Available—Kristen Duke Photography

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Ok, so I am a HUGE lover of natural light. It’s what I use 99% of the time. But for that 1% (really, I have no idea my percentage, but its small) I need something else. I have had many people ask about photographing products in the evening. Kids are in bed, its quiet time, and the natural light is gone. I’m going to talk about a few options for you today. 1. Dedicated flash Right now, I have a dedicated flash. I show people at my workshops that my Canon 5D doesn’t even have a pop up flash–not even an option for me! I have a hot shoe at the top of my camera ready to receive my Canon speedlight 580 EX flash when I need it. Sadly, I know I don’t use it to its full potential. I just pop it on, turn it ON and shoot.

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Before this, I had a 430 flash, but found it wasn’t as powerful. The cool thing about the Canon 580 (and comparable Nikon SB 800) is that it can be used as a slave, or off camera light, if you ever do set ups with backdrops and studio lighting. The dedicated flash also has a swivel top up and down and right and left. When I use it, I am often bouncing that light off of the ceiling. Seems like an odd concept (did to me at first) but light actually bounces! It just diffuses the light a bit so it isn’t so harsh. It really is prettier. I purchased a lightsphere a few years ago that also works as a diffuser. In my example below, image #1 I bounced the light off of the low ceiling straight up. It bounced back down in an uneven patter. #2, I bounced my light at an angle and it was prettier, but still dark. Image #3, I used my lightsphere and put the diffuser cap on and pointed it straight towards my subject for nice pretty light.

2. Natural Light Lamps These lamps are used to simulate natural light. I have never used these, but have heard great things about them. This seams like a great option to use for those bloggers wanting to take pictures in the evening and show off their product well. They provide controlled light during the day or night. (Lots of people who live in gloomy cities also like these to boost their mood that comes from dreary days–has been recognized as an effective therapy in treating Seasonal Affective Disorder). They are fairly affordable starting at $40 depending on the lamp.

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Here are a few options I found. 3. Lightscoop I just heard about this, but the lightscoop is a little attachment that can be placed on top of your pop up camera flash to diffuse the light upward. I do have my 20D that I will use the pop up flash when its all I have, and for $30, I’d say its worth a try…examples on their site.

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I hope this gives some of you some different options when it comes to photographing people or things at night. I would love to hear feedback on these if you have it!

**Amy here…On Kristen Duke Photography Site, she has posted the pictures she took of my family when she was out here for a visit.

I’d love for you to check them out if you are interested.

Photography with Kristen Duke~Family Reunion Portraits

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Hello Friends! How is the photography coming? How have you improved in the past year since these posts have come out? For a link list of what I have already covered, go here. I’m so excited, I get to go to Utah next week and see Amy (of this here Idea Room), attend a wedding, hold a workshop, chat with my grandparents, along with a few photo shoots. If you are near San Diego or Houston and want to attend my workshop there, contact me ASAP! This week, we will discuss organizing outfits for your family reunion portraits. Summertime is upon us, and I would venture to bet that 90% of us are having a little get together–family reunion style. Inevitably when we get together with family, we take family portraits. If you don’t, then shame on you! Just kidding, but I am a big fan of that idea. Believe it or not, I LOVE planning outfits for family portraits, but having a group of 10 or more does get a bit complicated…but it doesn’t have to! I will give you my special formula for seamless group photos. First, start with a color palette. I say to pick 3 colors, then have a neutral for a freebie. In our case, we used neutrals, so had white as our freebie. Neutrals can be denim, khaki, gray, white, or black…but just pick one of those. Here is our color palette we came up with:

For more color inspiration, I’ve recently seen on Pinterest designers grab color palette’s from home design and nature:

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Check out more at Design Seeds for some major eye candy.

Once you have selected your palette, each family has to coordinate their outfits first with themselves. Here is my family below. I used our selected colors and found something for each person that would go well with the others. It’s a bit of a puzzle, I tell ya. Even looking at this now, I’m not a fan that my husband and older son are wearing something identical, but with my hubby holding the baby (and yes I think of that when planning outfits), it isn’t as noticeable, and I knew they wouldn’t stand together in the big group shot.

Then my older brother worried just about his little family (had no idea what we were wearing). I love how my sis in law threw in a scarf for her teal pop! Teal is a little harder to find for boys, but it

isn’t necessary here.

Then my younger brother and his fam… Love that my sis in law threw the teal in with a skirt to not just give the pop of color to the top half of the group. I believe my nephew has a onesie turned around backwards (I’ve even done inside out). For pictures like this, you won’t see the back.

Then my youngest bro and his wife did great, hers is a dress….

I did have to oversee my parents though. My dad came out with a teal shirt along with my moms teal shirt and I said…"Um, no no no….wear the gray." He had both shirts ready, and we were at their home, so it worked.

Then we got all together for the group shot, and check it out! The main thing I worked with is separating myself, my mom, and my sis in law that had dominant teal on top. (I had just run in the picture–not my favorite photo sessions when I have to set up and run and corral the group that is my family).

I LOVE the way it turned out! Do you??? Just for funnies, here is our family silly shot. Always gotta have the silly shot.

So if you are planning a family reunion this summer, plan to get a group shot, and apply these guidelines and I know it will be great! Let me know how it turns out, too!

~Kristen Duke