Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: The right equipment
Part 3: The happy photo shoot
Part 4: From baby bump to teenager
Part 5: Taking photos indoors
Part 6: Outdoor photos
Part 7: Family life
Family photos
Proud parents
Dad is the best!
Mom is the best!
Sibling love
The dear grandparents
Pets
Merry Christmas! And other occasions
Part 8: Tips and tricks (I)
Part 9: Tips and tricks (II)
Part 10: Archiving, editing and presenting children's photos
Text: Jens Brüggemann
Photos (credits): Jens Brüggemann (147), Leonie Ebbert (44), Elli Bezensek (61), Radmila Kerl (26), Ramona Prosch (5), Kay Johannsen (4)
Sketches: Jens Brüggemann (27)
Part 7: Family life
In North Rhine-Westphalia at least, if you believe the figures, the family is a discontinued model. Only one in three households (35%) still lives in the mother-father-child model (as of February 2010; source: 9th Children and Youth Report of the Ministry for Intergenerational Affairs, Family, Women and Integration of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia).
This change in family life is as much an expression of social change as it is a reflection of better care (demands). Nevertheless, the traditional model should be used as an example at this point, even though you can't tell from the photos whether the man in the photo is the actual father or "just" the mother's new boyfriend.
Even with grandparents, the actual degree of kinship is not decisive for acceptance by the little ones, as trust and "caring" are more important. My son loves all four grandfathers, but the one grandfather he is most fond of is the one he is not related to at all ...!
(Photo: Jens Brüggemann)
Family photos
Unfortunately, when I look at our family photos, I always find that I'm not in the picture (see photo above). This is of course only understandable, after all I am the one who takes the best photos in our family (even if my mother thinks she is in no way inferior to me, which is really a very optimistic assumption ...). (Nikon D200 with 1.8/85mm; ISO 200; 1/60 sec. at Blender 2.8).
(Photo: Jens Brüggemann)
Now that I'm writing these lines, I'm determined to take more family photos with a self-timer, even though I know I won't take my own advice ... I simply don't like this type of photo because the shot is taken "automatically" after a certain period of time; and not by a photographer who designs, directs and animates and waits for the best moment to then pull the trigger.
It's definitely better to go to a good photographer at least once a year to get a really nice family photo, even if you take photos yourself! Because even if such pictures don't have the charm of snapshots, they are always a wonderful document for the family chronicle! (Nikon D2Xwith 2.8/17-55mm; ISO 100; 1/125 sec. at Blender 8.0; studio flash).
(Photo: Elli Bezensek)
Proud parents
Since the birth of our son, there is probably not a single photo in which my wife and I are pictured alone together, at least I haven't found one. Our son can be seen in all the photos, and that's a good thing, because we've been a nuclear family of three since October 2003. Something (someone) would be missing if my wife and I had our picture taken alone.
(Photo: Jens Brüggemann)
Dad is the best!
At least that's what I always say. And sometimes my son too:
(Photo: Jens Brüggemann)
Usually after I've brought him something great to play with from a business trip (for example, the Darth Vader lightsaber from Star Wars with sounds and light effects). Or when I was ill, to comfort him. Or when I took time for him, which is unfortunately all too rarely possible when you are independent. Nevertheless, there are many beautiful memories and, thank God, just as many photos, then taken by my wife (Nikon D2X with 1.8/85mm; ISO 100; aperture priority; Blender 4.8).
(Photo: Jens Brüggemann)
But fathers in other countries and cultures are no less proud of their offspring, as you can easily see in this photo, which was taken in Uganda in November 2009. We humans are much more alike than our appearance or religious affiliation would suggest! (Canon 5D Mark II with 2.8/70-200mm at 148mm; ISO 200; 1/100 sec. at Blender 5.0).
(Photo: Radmila Kerl)
Mom is the very best!
Claims my wife. And usually my son too. Unless my wife has just scolded me because my son is dawdling when getting dressed (in the morning) or is making a mess at dinner and won't sit still (at lunchtime) or hasn't tidied up his room yet again and now there's no clear path to bed because there's a load of Lego Star Wars toys blocking the way (in the evening).
(Photo: Jens Brüggemann)
Sibling love
If you have more than one child, the pride of the parents is shared equally among all the offspring, and what could be more natural than capturing the offspring together in a photo? However, this is easier said than done, because the more children there are in the house, the more difficult it will be to get them all "under one roof".
Even from PEKIP or kindergarten age, the little ones (and the older ones too!) have appointments and commitments: Friends, soccer practice, tutoring, favorite TV show, piano lessons, doctor's appointment, language development, playing Wii with grandparents, swimming lessons, etc.
(Photo: Radmila Kerl)
And once a free appointment has been found and everyone has been rounded up, there's stress and arguments, and you (or the foreign photographer) have your hands full preventing a fight ...
But once you've managed it without any major incidents, you can look back on this beautiful souvenir photo for decades to come! You won't be thinking about the hassle of capturing everyone together in one photo for a long time to come!
(Photo: Elli Bezensek)
The dear grandparents
Grandparents love their children, but they adore their grandchildren! And of course, grandparents also want photos of themselves and their grandchildren! So, if you want to make your parents or parents-in-law (and therefore the grandparents of the offspring) really happy for Christmas or their birthday, then give them a photo of them with their grandchild (or grandchildren)!
(Photo: Jens Brüggemann)
An even nicer gift would of course be a cross-generational photo where the grandparents stand in front of the camera together with the child and grandchild (Nikon D3 with 2.8/105mm; ISO 400; 1/500 sec. at aperture 4.5):
(Photo: Jens Brüggemann)
A photo like this, presented in an elegant picture frame or mounted on canvas, is guaranteed to be a lasting (beautiful) memory!
You can be sure that a simple gift like this will bring much more joy than all the vases, bottle openers, diaries, rheumatism blankets and books that you have given your mother or father in the past for all sorts of occasions!
Pets
Pets are part of the family for most people, so it's only natural that they should be photographed together with the children. You can photograph the kids taking care of the animals, feeding them, playing with them, or simply when both dog and child are sitting as models for the photographer, as in the photo above. (Canon 5D Mark II with 2.8/70-200mm at 90mm; ISO 200; 1/100 sec. at Blender 5.0).
This photo (taken against the light and brightened by an unleashed system flash) is particularly effective due to the low camera position, which impressively emphasizes the size of "Berroth". This is further emphasized by the girl's upward gaze towards the dog.
(Photo: Radmila Kerl)
Bear in mind that animals are usually just as restless and spontaneous as children - and usually can't hear any better. So prepare everything for the photo so that as soon as the child and animal are ready in position, you can quickly take the shot. Don't assume that you will have many attempts or time for (exposure) corrections.
Merry Christmas! And other occasions
Taking photos at family celebrations is actually a must if you are serious about photography and this is well known among your relatives. I can still remember how disappointed everyone was when I turned up at my mother's birthday party without any impressive camera equipment.
I had done a lot of professional photography in the days before and was just happy to leave my camera locked in the safe so I could relax.
But I hadn't reckoned with the many disappointed (and some almost reproachful) faces of my dear relatives (including my mother), who had firmly assumed that I would take beautiful souvenir photos as I always had ...
(Photo: Jens Brüggemann)
So: Just avoid all the "why" questions and take photos at the family celebrations too! If you're "on the ball", you'll be able to take great snapshots of the kids, who will of course - as always at celebrations - be in a good mood and "fired up"!
(Photo: Jens Brüggemann)
If you take photos at children's birthday parties, make sure that you photograph the birthday cake before (or during) the candle blowing and especially before the cutting!
(Photo: Jens Brüggemann)
I love telephoto lenses (as fixed focal lengths), and indoors I prefer to use a fast 85mm portrait telephoto lens. But since I was asked to photograph a party of 43 people, which I didn't expect beforehand and which is why I only had telephoto lenses with me and therefore worked up quite a sweat because I couldn't get far enough back to get a good shot of everyone, I always have a wide-angle zoom lens like the 2.8/24-70mm with me too!
On vacation you have the chance to take lots of great photos in new and interesting surroundings! Use the unusual locations for new picture ideas, or simply to finally take some nice souvenir photos of your loved ones. The locations don't even have to be tourist attractions. In the following photo, I liked the white columns in front of the entrance hall of our hotel in Greece. (Canon G11; ISO 200; 1/125 sec. at Blender 4.5; manual setting).
(Photo: Jens Brüggemann)
If you are traveling in other (especially exotic) countries, do not photograph the locals without asking, but ask for permission. If this is not possible due to language barriers, use hand signals to let them know what you intend to do.
If you respect the locals and make your request clear with a friendly smile, most of them won't mind if you "shoot" a portrait of them. On the contrary, the interest in the other person will tend to be mutual, as you can see from this photo! When photographing black people, you cannot automatically rely on your camera's automatic exposure settings, which generally assume a medium brightness value.
It is therefore better to set the time and aperture manually or use exposure compensation (for this subject: approx. minus 1) when using program, shutter speed or aperture priority. (Canon 5D Mark II with 2.8/70-200mm at 85mm; ISO 500; 1/200 sec. at aperture 3.5; manual setting).
(Photo: Radmila Kerl)
