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Child photography


sprucemagoo1

sprucemagoo1

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As said before, most of the image is boring.
View attachment 33720
White clothes with a white background is bad news.
What do you mean 'a beginner kids photography'? I have never known such a job title, and have never known somebody restrict their clientèle to children. Have you been taught anything, or have you acquired some gear and gave yourself the tittle of photographer?
 
Re: Wham am i doing wrong

I don't know about that Chad.
There are plenty of photographers that specialize in children portraiture.

Tamara Lackey for example is a well know photographer that specializes in children.
She's been interviewed on blogs and featured in videos with Scott Bourne on Photofocus, Scott Kelby's at Kelbey Training and Vincent Laforet to mention a few.

http://kelbytraining.com/course/tlackey_kids/
 
Re: Wham am i doing wrong

Sorry but I just don't understand the mentality. To me, it's just a photographer that is trying to get people to believe that there is extra skill in shooting children, even though children are more likely to act naturally in front of the camera.

As long as the photo of a child was taken by a skilful Photographer, the parent will love the result, whereas an adults would be a lot more critical of a photo taken of themselves. I don't think avoiding harder jobs makes you a spe******t in the easy jobs, I do admit they are very talented photographers, though would they be less capable at shooting an adult?

Why has it edited 'specia-list'? Makes it look like I was swearing.
 
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I was wondering the same. Our version of spam-omatic is apparently on the stupid side. At least that's what I thought at first. But then I discovered your trickery . . .

It pulled c-i-a-l-i-s right out of the middle of a word. Chad, how could you use subliminal advertising methods on us? You subversive spammer!
 
I moved this because it's off topic and unfair to the OP.

Where did you get the impression anyone implied there was an extra skill in doing child photography and how can you argue there aren't photographers that want to specialize in it?
A professional photographer (budding or established) does what he/she enjoys most, and specializes in what he/she is interested in if they can make a living at it.

Just by doing a specific type of photography more than another they're likely to be better at it not because of extra skills but because of more practice.
There are professional landscape, corporate, architectural and portrait photographers.
There are commercial still life and commercial sports photographers.
There are photographers that do nothing but food shots, nothing but cars, nothing but fashion, etc., etc., etc..

The OP of this particular thread enjoys child photography as such is trying to specialize in it.


 
As u might guess, I have strong opinions on this, very similar to Steve's, but we are out of town for the next several days & I only have my iPhone with me, so I can't easily pen a response. Hopefully, this thread will be going strong when I get back to a real computer :-)

Cheers,

Tom
 
It edited the word c-a-s-i-n-o out of a pm the other day. I'm still trying to figure that out. What was it looking for..s-i-n. sin - nope that's not it.
ibclare said:
I was wondering the same. Our version of spam-omatic is apparently on the stupid side. At least that's what I thought at first. But then I discovered your trickery . . .

It pulled c-i-a-l-i-s right out of the middle of a word. Chad, how could you use subliminal advertising methods on us? You subversive spammer!
Click to expand...
 
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Firstly, I took spe******t to mean a person highly skilled in a specific and restricted field, and when they can use the exact same processes to shoot adults, it's not spe******t skill.

'Where did you get the impression anyone implied there was an extra skill in doing child photography'. It's the selling point for the example photographers you gave, as saying you spe******e in something, you are implying that you more skilful in that area.. I don't understand why people would use them to shoot a child over somebody else, unless they believed the photographer had extra skills in that area. Obviously by making this point, you believe there is no extra skill in shooting a child, as opposed to shooting an adult.

'They're likely to be better at it not because of extra skills but because of more practice'. This doesn't make sense. Surely the more you practice, the more skills you get, but these are not skills that are special to shooting children, as they are exactly the same as shooting an adult. They spe******e in shooting people, but choose to shoot children as it is easier.


@Tom Now that it has been moved, it is a perfectly good discussion about photography.
 
I believe both sides of this issue have good points to make on this matter.

As has been stated, it takes no greater skill set to photograph (paint) children than it does adults. All practice photographing children will translate to photographing adults and visa versa. The techniques are fundamentally the same.

Working with children may be an extra challenge but the photography skill level is the same. When I hear the term special-ist applied to a Children's Photographer, I think of a photographer who has the appropriate set props and is skilled at soliciting the cooperation of children during a session and not a photographer with greater photographing skills.

Photographing children specifically is not necessarily a specialty, it's more of a preference. However, per the terms actual definition, special-ist does apply.
 
The 'spe******t' skills involved are people skills, not technical. People skills are important in many types of photography, but they come in different flavors. The artiste who schmoozes gallery owners and their customers is not likely to do well putting a little kid at ease, nor are they likely to do well shooting photos for a piece on LA gangs. In most cases this is not a preference, but is driven by the personality, connections, background/experience, and other intangibles. In the opinion of many people, people skills are vastly more important in life than technical skills.

T
 
Of course people skills are a massive part of taking pictures of people, but my point still remains, there is no difference between shooting children and adults.
 
IMHO, there is an absolutely huge difference. It's just not in the area of technical proficiency, knowledge or skills. It's in the area of people skills.

This is precisely why mall photography companies have settled on hiring people who do well with kids, not techno-geeks. They can preset almost all the technical aspects, but they can't "preset" the interactions between their staff and their customers. This is why people "spe******ts" are so much in demand. It's a "specialty" that isn't obvious to those of us that come from a technical bkgnd.


T
 
You do know that both children and adults are people don't you? How can the difference between shooting adults and shooting children, be people skills?

Have you quickly read the posts and jumped to the wrong conclusion?
 
I get where both of you are coming from but I dont think you are looking at it the same way. Think spruce is more referring to the technical side and rightfully so there is no different setting in camera for shooting kids.

However you have to be a trustable person to a child act a bit Goofy to get the kids to smile etc and not all people have that patience jesus I get really annoyed when I am doing my shopping and there is a kid screaming its head off and trust me this happens in photography studios as well.
There are all sorts of courses teaching you about child photography and there is some technical differences as well.

For example you may get a bit more creative using wide angle lenses, shooting kids from different angles that are not considered technicaly correct because children tend to offer that bit more flexibility on technical aspects. This does not mean it is easier just saying kids tend to photograph better with weird shooting styles than a senior portrait would look with same method. And yes there are spe-cia-list that also focus on senior portraits, maternity, baby and toddler, kids, pre-teens and teens, But most photographers that may market themselves as 1 of them is still in my eyes a family portrait photographer. Because lets face it everyone that takes there baby in to be shot would also like a picture of the baby with brothers and sisters and then whole family.

Same as Pet Photographers and yes they exsist as well they tend to be family photographers as well but market for the pet portrait side. It is whatever sells. so you are right spruce technically there is not much difference in shooting methods but there is a difference on the way you can interact with kids and gain their trust. also setting up the back drops and props will need to be more suited to the subjects.

And this thread has probably been flagged on the fbi or Cia detection system now as we have been using terms like shooting children a lot so the computers may not pick up the reference in photography.
 
sprucemagoo1 said:
You do know that both children and adults are people don't you? How can the difference between shooting adults and shooting children, be people skills?

Have you quickly read the posts and jumped to the wrong conclusion?
Click to expand...

Everyone has agreed with you that there are few differences in technical skills needed to competently photograph children (vs shooting adults). However, your last post, attached above, shows that you either:

(a) truly don't understand that there are different people skills needed for successfully interacting as a photographer with different groups of people; or,

(b) you don't want to admit that there are differences; or,

(c) you are pretending that you don't understand something so obvious to try to incite heated discussion instead of constructive discussion, say, on the most effective ways of dealing with kids in a photo session.

In any of these cases, it's obvious that further discussion on this topic with you is pointless, and readers of this thread will easily be able to determine for themselves the merits of your points.

T
 
I'm not a photographer, but the basic principles of being a spe******t apply here. Granted, both are people, but when you go to the doctor today, chances are, at least in this country your going to end up going to a spe******t. Doctors all go to medical school and study one common thing-human beings. Then they branch off and learn their various specialties. Some specialize in children, called pediatricians, some older people, generic spe******ts and so on. Skills particular to dealing with various types of patients and the malady are essential. Don't think for one minute that a doctor that is a pediatrician can be successful if he doesn't have the specific skills for dealing with these human beings called children. If the kids don't like him, chances are that mother isn't going to like him either, and out the door goes the patient and along with it the fee. (Let's face it too, that is mostly what it boils down to today..the fee) He may be the most learned doctor on the block when it comes to knowledge and how to but it he doesn't have those people skills he's not going to be there long. My two cents.
sprucemagoo1 said:
You do know that both children and adults are people don't you? How can the difference between shooting adults and shooting children, be people skills?

Have you quickly read the posts and jumped to the wrong conclusion?
Click to expand...
 
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I can't believe you are trying to make out as though the differences in treating children and adults medically, are the same kind of thing as photography! I don't think for a minute think that a person who takes photos of adults will one day shoot a child and and administer an overdose and kill them. If there are so many big differences, just name them instead of using analogies of things that aren't even relevant. Especially when we have free health service over here. Doctors don't see dollar signs when a patient walks in. My 1p worth.

As hoogle said, children can be awkward, but so can adults!

@ Tom- I think the 'people skills' extends to being good at communicating with a particular type of person. What's the use in being good with kids, if they can't communicate with the adults that bring them, cos lets face it, it's the adults that are the customers. I'm not going to change my opinion just because you have a different one, which doesn't mean I'm trying to create heated discussion, or just trying to be awkward. I just don't think it's a spe******t skill if you can do the exact same thing with an adult and get the same level of standard in the results. I'm sure people have made a lot of money selling books and tutorials in this 'field', but it's not like people try and make money out of conning people is it?

IMHO I think your last post is an attempt to get people to think my posts as argumentative and idiotic. You don't need to state that people can make their own mind up about something. It's a forum, people do that anyway! I really don't need you telling me the '3' possibilities on why I don't agree with you, as it is so much more simple than either three. I think your wrong.

You think further discussion is useless, but felt the need to try and ridicule me first. I appreciate the professionalism.
 
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That's ridiculous. I was simply drawing a parallel. Unfortunately we don't live in A, A , wherever that is.
 
A,A is facebook registration this site doesnt dive into facebook to get your personal information just email address so it states location as A,A and yes over here in the UK we have free Healthcare as well as insurance based private healthcare for the better off people lol.

I really do think this is turning into a stubborn debate with no results to either parties that have their own views so please lets stop this before it gets out of hand, I am well up for good debates and discussions but I dont see this going anywhere else, And we are told not to close threads unless we really have to.

So who is using cc Yes I am diverting off topic here.
 
Going nowhere, serves no purpose.
 
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