Shooting it all indoors.

We are still almost a year behind on our posts  - working ot catch up! This time of year LAST YEAR and through the winter into March, we were doing mainly indoor sessions. For my photographer friends, clicking moms, and people working to improve their amateur skills, here are a few recommendations from my team and I, for doing indoor sessions (when its no fun to be outside!).

Setting up your "studio" indoors...

1. Consider the light source.

In order to take a "good" photograph, you will need some kind of light. When you are shooting indoors, it is great to use a light set up. If you are not a pro or just done have that kind of equipment, you can use off camera flash (speedlight) or available light. For a number of folks, available light will just have to do.

When using available light, make sure that you are set up properly. You want your subject to be facing the light or to the side of the light, but NOT behind it. You also want to put yourself in a position where you are not casting your shadow onto your subject. Pay attention and move around if you have to.

Also, read your camera manual and make sure your settings are appropriate for indoor shooting using the various lighting methods I mentioned.

Here we used available window light as well as the light given off from the toy. Super fun!

2. Consider the background.

Please consider the background. This applies to all photography situations, not just shooting indoors. When you put someone in a photograph, make sure that the background is pleasing. You don't want any harsh distractions of shape or color, so pay attention to that when you are setting the scene.

You don't have to use a fancy backdrop. You can use a blanket draped over a piece of furniture, a cool piece of fabric, aluminum foil, a giant roll of paper, etc. The options here are endless. Yes, this may mean you will be moving couches, chairs, cribs, and all of the contents of a room to get the right light and correct setting for the image you would like to capture, but it must be done. Further, you don't have to use a backdrop at all. Sometimes the most genuine photographs are of people doing real people things in a real setting.

Here the background is a simple, light colored brick wall. It is not distracting from the scene and does not pull your focus. No backdrop necessary. 

3. Consider the subject.

Consider who you will be photographing and how to illicit their reactions. For little kids and folks who are seated low, you should get low too. For people standing, you should stand. For people in chair - you should stand. You generally want people to look very slightly upward when getting photographed, so be on their level by just a touch above. Make sure that your set up allows this.

You also want to consider the best time of day for your subjects so that they will be willing to sit still and "look pretty" for a few minutes. Make sure everyone has eaten, is not sleepy, isn't too hot, doesn't have uncomfortable clothing on, etc. Happy subjects make happy photos.

Also consider safety of your subject or subjects. Don't try hanging a baby from a piece of fabric or tossing a newborn in a basket without support and the proper safety precautions. Toddlers next to an open fireplace...probably not a good idea. Baby on a tabletop without supervision...also not a good idea. Thing of these things, have safety precautions in place, and illicit the help of an assistant of parents if necessary.

No babies were harmed in the creation of this image. Spotters were on one side while the baby rested in a nursing pillow on a couch. 

4. Consider taking a nap... I mean, shoot away!

Now that you have worked your butt of setting the scene you might want to take a nap. Nope! Now is the time to shoot away. Make sure you are shooting with intention and using the rule of thirds in creating your images. This will help greatly not only in creating images, but learning what works best for you and being able to recreate your images.


More fun to come! In the meantime, check out the website: http://www.artworkinbloom.com