Really this post could be called my favorite tricks for photographing anything. I have about seven techniques (not included here are holding an object in my fingers against a clean wall (example!) or holding an object in my palm against a cool patterned ground (example!)) that I just cycle through over and over and over again. If you've read this blog for a week or more, you've seen them all... countless times.
For me, it's not about the camera or the filters, it's about getting comfortable with my "go-to" shot set-ups that I know I love and then using them on repeat. Here are 5 of the 7 with Ellerie serving as an extremely willing visual aid.
SHOOT DOWN : I like to stand up, hold the camera perpendicular to the ground and shoot down. Works particularly good on a clean or patterned background. Perpendicular is key here to get the most flattering image.
SET THE CAMERA ON THE GROUND : I have beat this method to death and will continue to. Love the horizon it creates. Love the straight lines. Love that it gets what it gets and I get a surprise.
SET THE CAMERA ON THE TABLE : Ditto to above. The image above is probably one of my top 10 favorite photos of Ellerie ever. #talkaboutaframer. #whydoesshelook8yearsoldalready? #sheiseatingpicklesandparmeseancheese
CROP ON DETAILS : Let there be stuff outside of the frame. Get close in on details for the real magic. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE hand shots. And baby hands are triple good.
CROUCH AND SHOOT STRAIGHT : I do this all the time. ALL THE TIME. Makes for more interesting shots and gives a better idea of what's happening at Ellerie's eye level.
As you can probably imagine, 10.5 month old babies like to MOVE. I just shoot and shoot and shoot. I can't "pose" her or get her to "sit" anywhere so we just sort of get what we get... and I LOVE that.
OH MAN, do I love photos and my girl. These five images from the past few weeks are the ones that I took, looked at in the camera playback and felt my heart stop. Sometimes I cannot believe this amazing tiny human lives in my house and eats all my pickles.
Aside from that first iPhone photo, all of these images were taken with my Canon Rebel XSi and the EF 35mm lens. I added some post processing with the Photoshop Elements actions from A Beautiful Mess which I am newly obsessed with for giving images an extra POP. I tend to use Millie and Nico most often and turn down the "bright boost" on Nico a bit to better match my style.
