WIDE APERTURE

The most important part of creating your bokeh lies with your aperture setting.  For the newbie, the aperture is the opening in the lens that controls the amount of light that makes it through the lens and shutter to the film/sensor.  The smaller the f number (or f-stop) the larger the opening. This is usually expressed as f/5.6, f/4, f/2.8, f/1.4, etc.  Typically the larger the aperture the larger the bokeh.  Fast lenses below f/2.8 like my Nikor 50mm 1.4 are ideal for shooting bokeh (and is the lens I use for most of my bokeh shots.)

That is not to say that one can not get great bokeh using lenses with a smaller maximum aperture like the typical kit lenses sold with most entry level DSLRs. The trick is to make sure you are using the largest aperture possible (smallest f number). To do this I recommend switching your camera into Aperture Priority mode (typically labeled “A” or “Av” on the program mode dial) and dialing in the smallest f number possible. With most kit lenses this will be f/3.5 or 4.

GET CLOSE TO YOUR SUBJECT

A shallow depth of field (DOF) , a necessary ingredient of bokeh,  is not only dependent on a wide aperture, but also the distance between your camera and your subject. The closer you are to your main focal point, the more shallow your background will appear, in turn creating more opportunity for some well-defined bokeh.

CREATE SOME DISTANCE FROM YOUR BACKGROUND

Just like the distances between your main focal point and your camera, the distance between your focal point and your background is important to bokeh as well. The farther your subject is from its background, the more bokeh you’ll get. For example, if you were in Golden Gate Park and you took a picture of your child standing on the beach with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background with a wide open apeture of say 1.8, you would still be able to see that it was the Golden Gate Bridge, but it would look fuzzy or blurred. However, if you took the same image on a boat in front of the Golden Gate Bridge using the same settings, it wouldn’t look quite as blurred because the distance between your subject and the bridge is much closer.

Below are some examples of how changing the apeture setting dramatically effects the bokeh in your image. All of these images were taken with my 50mm 1.4 lens, with the ISO set at 250. The only thing that changes is the apeture. I threw in a few of my dogs just because they make me smile! So grab your camera, switch it to the A or AV setting and click away. You will be amazed at the difference in your photographs when you start changing the way you use your apeture settings. Please share this with others who are wanting to step up their photography skills too!

With that in mind, I have decided to create a series of blog posts that will help the average mom capture great images of their kiddos that can be framed and happily displayed next to your professional images as well. I have decided to share some of what I have learned over the years that just might help take your photos to the next level. I will be going over some basic camera skills, some basic Photoshop skills as well as a few tips on how to display images in your home. Again, nothing I will be discussing could replace that awesome session with your photographer but I hope that it will be helpful to all of my KBP followers with their own camera skills.  Most of what I will be teaching will require some knowledge of your DSLR camera and the post processing posts I will be going over require Photoshop knowledge to some degree. So grab your kids, grab your camera and start clicking away!

Mamarazzi Week Number One: 
Finding the Light!

Finding good light is one of the most important things to look for when taking images either inside or outside. Which way the light is hitting your subject can dramatically change the outcome of your image. If you start making yourself aware of where your light source is coming from you will see a HUGE improvement in your images right away.  Depending on what outcome you are wanting you image to have will determine the type of lighting you will want to use. Familiarize yourself with the different types of lighting and practice taking images of your kids with the different lighting conditions.

 Backlighting refers to lighting in your photograph that comes from behind your subject. For example, if you are at the beach with your kiddos during the day, and you position your child in front of the sun so that the light is hitting the back of their head, this will cause your child’s face to be shadowed and dark and you will loose details in their face. However, back lighting can be used to create more dramatic images if you choose like a great silhouette shot during sunset.

Side lighting refers to the light hitting your subject from one side. This type of lighting will cause deep shadows on one side of your child’s face and while it’s not the most ideal condition for a great portrait image, it can add a different mood and feel to your image. Side lighting can create a more artistic feel to your image and add depth as well. You can use side lighting effectively if you move your
subject around at different angles making sure to watch how the shadows fall on their face.

Full frontal lighting is typically the best light for portrait photography. This type of light refers to the light source coming from behind the camera. Full frontal lighting allows you to capture the most detail in your child’s face and catch lights in their eyes. However, full frontal lighting at times can make your image look flat and if you’re shooting during the daytime, may cause your child to squint. In that case, try using one of the other types of lighting to avoid those squinty eyes!

Below are some examples of images shot at the same time of day in the same spot. By repositioning my child in different directions you are able to see the difference in the lighting and the way it falls on his face. Pay attention to his eyes and the shadows. These images are SOOC (straight out of the camera) so no post processing has been done, hence the orange soda lip stains and battle wounds on his forehead! LOL

 This is an example of backlighting. The sun is behind him. Notice how dark his eyes are, you can’t make out what color they are and the shadows that are falling on his face actually enhance the dark circles under his eyes.

 This is an example of side lighting. Looking at this image, the sun is hitting the left side of his face and casting shadows on the right side. You are starting to see the catchlights in his eyes but still can’t quite make out the color of his eyes. You can also start seeing more detail in his face like the eyebrows, lines under his eyes and texture of his lips. While this is an okay image, it’s still not the ideal lighting conditions.

 This is an example of full frontal lighting. The light is coming from behind the camera. Notice the catchlights in his eyes. You can see the color of the iris and his eyes are the first thing to “pop” at you. You can see details in this image like his scare on his forehead and the orange soda on his upper lip. And the entire overall image is much brighter as are the colors. However, you can also notice that the image falls a little flat around his nose and cheeks due to him facing the light source straight on.  Had I turned him just slightly away from the light source, I would have been able to maintain those catchlights and allowed a few shadows to fall on his face. Although this is not a “perfect” image, you can definately see the difference in how the  light that hits your subject makes.

I hope this first KBP Mamarrazi lesson helps you be more aware of finding the light and gets you to start practicing using different lighting to create a different look and feel to your images. Please share this post with other moms who might be interested in learning a few tips on getting those great images of your kiddos. Comments and suggestions for other posts are welcome.

A good rule of thumb is coordinating but not “matchy, matchy”. Choose a color palette and work with those colors for everyone’s outfits. You can even pick a specific color and weave that into each persons outfit if you like. Each person in your family is unique and that should be reflected in their outfits as well. The sky is the limit….well almost. A giant picture of Mario and Luigi on a shirt doesn’t look so hot on camera so try and stay away from “character” type clothing. You want to be comfortable and stylish so that you look like yourselves. Those will make the best memories and wonderful images that you can’t wait to show off! I’m looking forward to seeing everyone for holiday mini sessions and I hope this post helps get those fashion juices flowing!