So my wife did it...

PhotoXopher · Jul 14, 2009

She took the kids to a photo studio today

It was my goal to get good enough to start taking the yearly portraits of the kids and apparently she doesn't think I'm there just yet.

Oh well, maybe next year... but I still think I'm going to take a day off work, pick the kids up from daycare for a couple hours and see what I can do.

I'm not defeated until I get a chance to play! :lol:

enufced904 · Jul 14, 2009

Did she not even give you a chance? Hahaha.

PhotoXopher · Jul 14, 2009

Nope!

So now I have to do this on my own... without any help, and the kids are 6, 2 and 1 - should be interesting.

I think I'll take them at a place called the Plummer House near where we live.

http://horticulture.cfans.umn.edu/gardens/gardens-southern/Plummer-House-of-the-Arts-Gardens.htm

I don't think I'm THAT bad... this was an impromptu shot without any setup at high noon... if I had my lighting equipment and 50mm lens I could have made it even better.

Samanax · Jul 14, 2009

When you do the shoot, fill more of the frame with your children. The main subjects are you children, not the stuff around them.

Kerplunq · Jul 14, 2009

I would take what the wife did and not look at it too negatively! Use that to your advantage and it may give ya a little drive to work on your portrait ability. So then next year, you can really wow her

Clawed · Jul 14, 2009

Noooo!

Well, I can say with all certainty that I would be insulted. I am definitely not the greatest kid-picture-taker-guy out there, but that would be like a slap in the face to me if my wife disregarded photography as my passion and decided to not even give me a chance.

Oh well, next year I'm sure you'll be that much closer to where you want to be so you do not have to flush your hard earned money down the ****ter :lol:

I'm sure the pics will turn out great though so it's all good

NateS · Jul 14, 2009

Yeah, you need a little more work from what I see posted here....don't worry though. Hang around here and keep practicing and you'll be there before you know it. I'm stunned at how fast some of the people on here improve....very humbling.

PhotoXopher · Jul 14, 2009

None of these shots were set up, just quick photos while the moment lasted.

I'm hoping to get out my lights and umbrella kit once the weather clears up and practice, practice, practice!

Definitely not mad at the wife, I don't blame her but it would be nice to have a little more support :lol:

NateS · Jul 14, 2009

N0YZE said:
None of these shots were set up, just quick photos while the moment lasted.

I'm hoping to get out my lights and umbrella kit once the weather clears up and practice, practice, practice!

Definitely not mad at the wife, I don't blame her but it would be nice to have a little more support

Yeah, I know what you mean. We went to a pro when my son was born but I was only a couple months into photography and had A LOT to learn still. While we haven't had or done formals since, my regular photos are now good enough to make my wife happy. Only problem is that it's kind of tough to get family portraits with a 2 year old and a timer, tripod, etc.....

PhotoXopher · Jul 14, 2009

Yeah true... and next to impossible by yourself.

I've only been serious about shooting since around December so I do realize I have tons to learn and keep picking up new things here daily!

Thanks for all the input too, I appreciate all of it.

choudhrysaab · Jul 14, 2009

lol ... i feel your pain. my wife did the same thing and booked a photo shoot appointment with Sears AND dragged me to it as well

i'm so happy that she didn't like the end result and now its up to me to work my magic with the camera =)
i hope mine come out better than Sears. one lil problem i have is that my daugther is only 5 month old and moves a lot so i'm gonna have to do something about that when working on the family portrait.

WISH ME LUCK and I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST!!!

farmerj · Jul 14, 2009

Plummer house. Nice choice for a back drop.

For those NOT familiar with it. There were taken there in August 2008. It will be most interesting to see your shots and how they turn out.

RJohnston · Jul 14, 2009

Want to learn fast how to get good photos of children?

Its long out of print, but one of the best books Ive had.

josef schneider: child photography - AbeBooks

PhotoXopher · Jul 14, 2009

Wow, small world there farmerj!

I'll be checking out that book too, I need all the tips I can absorb. The Modern Way or Made Easy?

choudhrysaab, best of luck to you as well and congrats!

farmerj · Jul 14, 2009

N0YZE said:
Wow, small world there farmerj!

My GF is originally from Rochester. That was the first thing we did when we started to date last summer. It was the SCA's Day of Fencing that they have every couple years there. I took that with her Kodak P&S pocket camera.

I didn't get much of the interior, but that is sooo much nicer than anything I could have taken. I can see several areas that would be nice to take family portraits there. Inside and out.