People
I set out to learn something about taking photos and believe me… I learned alot on this one. I included the lessons I learned below the images.
Lessons:
Wide Aperature vs Multiple Subjects
I love blurry backgrounds when it comes to portraits. The blurrier, the better. However, when it came to the photos with two or all three family members, I realised that the distance between the subjects was substantial enough to put one of them out of focus. This was the first time I noticed this firsthand. It’s a small and amateur lesson, I suppose, but nothing is more exciting than seeing and learning lessons by yourself.
Beautiful Unplanned Moments
All of the best photos from this shoot happened when it wasn’t planned. I know this might sound like a cliche, but when it comes to children and learning this first-hand, I understand why it’s a cliche. So much personality shines through when you capture an unplanned moment.
Balance
During the shoot, I’m glad that I allowed myself more than enough time to play around with settings and learn what I liked and didn’t. Particularly in the review or editing process. I am guilty of wanting to send the perfect photo immediately, but after the first round of edits, I’m glad I reviewed it again. I spotted many things I could remove or improve overall. Even now, after sending the photos to the family, there are more things I could change. It's a balance between drafts and perfection.
Continuous Mode
I didn’t want to miss any crucial moments, especially with young Amelia. So I set my camera to continuous high burst mode, snapping photos like a madwoman. This resulted in two problems. 1. SO many photos and 2. No intention. It turns out that most of the photos I edited and sent to the family were taken without this mode anyway.
Editing Colours
This is not a lesson I learned specifically, more an insight, and I think a lesson will reveal itself in time. I was incredibly excited to sit down and review and edit the photos. However, I struggled to emulate the white balance and keep a consistent tone across all photos due to the light dipping behind the clouds or shining through the trees and changing directions.
Overall
I want to thank the family for taking the time to meet me and allowing me to capture these beautiful moments. I am incredibly grateful to give you these photos that you can send back to your family in your home country. Life flies by so quickly, and I feel empowered to know that in many years, when young Amelia is grown, you can look back on these photos and reminisce.