And another new grandchild with a grandfather trying to learn

[DanK]

Dave's recent post prompted me to post as well. I too have a new, first grandchild (born Dec 29), and I too have been trying to figure out how best to photograph her, particularly because the room she and I spend the most time in is quite dark. So I have so far used this setup:



Here are a few shots:

5 days:



10 days:



15 days:



almost 7 weeks:



She's developed a lot since, and I have gotten a bunch of iPhone photos and videos sent to me since then, but I have been kept away by a very bad cold (babies have very weak immune systems), and I am chomping at the bit to get photos her her current, ever more expressive self.

Any suggestions would be most welcome.

[Shadowman]

Nice captures and setup. And congrats to you as well.

[bnnrcn]

One more lovely baby, congrats Dan

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Dan,

Nice series.

In your "15 days" shot, it looks like she's 'found her hand' and is focussing on it.


Yes, bounce flash is something I must try, I keep putting it off

I have a couple of old 'manual only' flash guns I could use and since I used to cope in film days, I ought to be able to again.

I guess the major difference with enforced manual flash use, is that every time the ISO changes, I will need to re-assess the flash exposure, or manually set a single ISO and stick to it, to avoid this happening shot-by-shot instead of once per film change in olden days. Having got used to Auto-ISO, I would have to wean myself off it again.

Or perhaps I use this as an excuse to go buy a nice, shiny new TTL flash gun
(what better reason, eh?)

Congratulations to you too.

Cheers, Dave

[DanK]

Thanks, all. Dave, I rarely urge people to buy more equipment, but really, if you don't have a TTL flash, you ought to try one. Your new grandchild is a perfect rationale. I don't think there is anything else that helps as much in taking candids of kids. I think Nikon TTL flashes are more expensive than Canon's, but there are also good second brands. I'm in general a manual-control sort of photographer, but the temptation of TTL is too much to pass up. I just set my camera at something like ISO 100, f/5, and 1/60 and forget about it, dialing in FEC occasionally as needed. That's with FF; I might use a slightly wider aperture with a crop. I play with aperture a bit; I would rather have the entire head in focus than part out of focus, even if this means less background blur than I would otherwise like.

The reflector and diffuser are both Demb products. The former is more important--it avoids shadows where you don't want them, like under eyebrows, and it gives a little catchlight in the eyes.

Dan

[ionian]

Dan - great captures, and a gorgeous little girl, congrats.

Dave - If you don't want to shell out for a Nikon flash, treat yourself to one of these. £60, built like a tank, off and on camera ttl, high speed sync, and master commander mode. There is one drawback - the "set" button is mounted slightly wonkily. That's the only bad thing I have to say about it. Oh, and congrats to you too!

My little one is now 20 months and has hated the flash since she hit 9 months. I use a continuos light these days, just a cheap stand and brolly from Amazon, and let her run into and out of the light.

[DanK]

I should have added that you don't need an extremely powerful flash for this application. I have used a Canon 430 EXII for years, with very good results, so anything with about that level of power would be ample. If I have never used second brands, but I believe many people are pleased with Metz, and some with Yongnuo.

[rpcrowe]

Hi Dan,

Nice series.

In your "15 days" shot, it looks like she's 'found her hand' and is focussing on it.


Yes, bounce flash is something I must try, I keep putting it off

I have a couple of old 'manual only' flash guns I could use and since I used to cope in film days, I ought to be able to again.

I guess the major difference with enforced manual flash use, is that every time the ISO changes, I will need to re-assess the flash exposure, or manually set a single ISO and stick to it, to avoid this happening shot-by-shot instead of once per film change in olden days. Having got used to Auto-ISO, I would have to wean myself off it again.

Or perhaps I use this as an excuse to go buy a nice, shiny new TTL flash gun
(what better reason, eh?)

Congratulations to you too.

Cheers, Dave

A shiny used electronic flash might do the job also. I cut my teeth with manual flash - heck I used flash bulbs when I started in photography. However, I would not use a manual flash for run and gun photography like capturing kiddies.

TTL is just too easy.

The Joe Demb Flash Diffuser Pro that Dan shows on his camera, cranks the bounce flash up one notch in quality...

For folks using Canon cameras, a used Canon 420EX flash runs about $50 USD on USA eBay and is perfect for capturing kiddies portraits... I don't know if Nikon has anything that cheap new or used...

[Mike Buckley]

Great job, Dan! (I'll give more credit to the model when she gets older.)

Dave, I rarely urge people to buy more equipment, but really, if you don't have a TTL flash, you ought to try one. Your new grandchild is a perfect rationale.

Exactly!

I don't think there is anything else that helps as much in taking candids of kids.

High-quality high ISO is ideal but when that's not practical, I agree that the flash is ideal.

I just set my camera at something like ISO 100, f/5, and 1/60 and forget about it, dialing in FEC occasionally as needed.

Yep. It works like a charm!

I should try adding a diffuser to my system, as I just never got around to doing that.

[IzzieK]

Dave and Dan, congratulations to you both for being first time grandparents. Mine is going to be three years old tomorrow. She cannot bend her thumb to her 4th finger before so now she will be officially 3 and it is much easier for her to demonstrate with her hands and say '3' at the same time. Try to take shots of feet on top of one of her parents; have them sit and stretch their feet for comparison to parent and shoot the size. Hands sized -- baby's hand on top of the parents, both or singly...first bootie shot; things to remember as they grow up, when they grow up. Booties of my children were all preserved in silver sort of steel combination (I don't know what compound) with their name, and birth data. Just all I can think of at the moment...

Good progress shots there, Dan.

[Sergio M.]

I can't offer any advice but congratulations on being a grandparent.

Sergio

[NorthernFocus]

My goodness. Even I might be inspired to learn flash and portraiture with grand babies. Congrats and nicely done.

[DanK]

Thanks, all. Another suggestion for people who might want to try this: take a long lens. Even if the flash doesn't bother the baby (used as a bounce flash, it doesn't seem to), it can bother the parents. I often use a 70-200 lens (on a FF), and three of the ones I posted are at or near 200mm. the others I have taken are mostly near the long end of my 24-105.