Doing a "Picture People" type photo of my kids

[MomNeedsVacay]

Hi all! I want to attempt my own "photo session" with my girls---I want the pics toturn out similar to "Picture People" or better quality...Anyone know how I can go about this? Any tips?

 

[tinksdad]

Ambitious project!!

Those are studio shots taken with at least two, more than likely 3-4 different strobes/flashes. Key light, fill light and a background (maybe two background lights to even out the BG) and/or hair light.
The backgrounds look like seamless paper supported at the top and rolled out for the subjects to stand/sit on. Fun stuff, do you have lighting equipment? What kind of camera are you using?

Here's some links to get you started:

http://www.vividlight.com/articles/1615.htm

http://super.nova.org/DPR/

http://www.lightingmagic.com/topics.htm

You could get by with some background paper, and a couple of Home Depot typle quartz lights. White balance your camera to the lights and see how things go.

 

[Miss Kelly]

No offense to the original poster, but I just had to laugh at this post. If your not a professional or at least an amateur photographer, you will never get the same kind of results and quality as a studio (not saying that Picture People are professionals though). Time, eduction, and a lot of money go into professional studio portraits. At the least, you would need 3-4 strobes with accessories (light stands, light modifiers), muslin or seamless paper, backdrop stand, appropriate flooring, a camera capable of producing such results, grey card for white balance, light meter, props, and finally the know how to pull off such a venture. Good Luck.

 

[KrazyPete]

No offense to The Picture People but I find their style to be very sterile. It looks like everyone lives in a Mac commercial. That's just my opinion though.

For the record, I think the OP could take much better pictures.

 

[photo_chick]

Miss Kelly... that was harsh and a little uncalled for IMO. There are a lot of hacks out there with studios that I have seen who call themselves pros. You really DON'T need all that you said get a shot that is similar. Flooring? The Picture People here has carpet. Backdrop stand? A couple of hooks on the wall and a length of pvc pipe will do if you are broke. Lights are hard to fake, but it is possible.. I have seen people with no budget shoot great stuff using work lights from Home Depot and tin foil as reflectors (students will do just about anything!). For backdrops... there are a number of ways to make a nice backdrop without spending $$$. NOT that doing it with those types of materials is easy. IMO shooting with a light kit out of the box and a ready made backdrop is not a hard task. MacGyvering it takes a lot more know how.

I took DD to the Picutre People a couple of times when she was a baby. I chalk up the lapse in judgement to being a new mom and a lazy photographer. Every time I went I did get a couple of cute shots, but the majority were not lit well and several were out of focus. The people who work there just follow a set of set up instructions, and if you have the money for the studio set up you can replicate it yourself fairly easily. You can also fake it but that takes some know how.

That said... I would consider that style but not in a studio setting as the lights and backdrops will cost you some $$$. I have some old peddal cars that I shot my kids in and got "Picture People" like shots. I will see if I can getthe 35m negs to scanned to post. I did it in my backyard which has dappled shade from all the trees. With my choice of aperture I had the trees in the background well beyond the depth of field. I ended up liking these shot much better than anything I ever got at the Picutre People becasue of the warmth of natural light, and I shot them myself.

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

Miss Kelly... that was harsh and a little uncalled for IMO. There are a lot of hacks out there with studios that I have seen who call themselves pros. You really DON'T need all that you said get a shot that is similar. Flooring? The Picture People here has carpet. Backdrop stand? A couple of hooks on the wall and a length of pvc pipe will do if you are broke. Lights are hard to fake, but it is possible.. I have seen people with no budget shoot great stuff using work lights from Home Depot and tin foil as reflectors (students will do just about anything!). For backdrops... there are a number of ways to make a nice backdrop without spending $$$. NOT that doing it with those types of materials is easy. IMO shooting with a light kit out of the box and a ready made backdrop is not a hard task. MacGyvering it takes a lot more know how.

I took DD to the Picutre People a couple of times when she was a baby. I chalk up the lapse in judgement to being a new mom and a lazy photographer. Every time I went I did get a couple of cute shots, but the majority were not lit well and several were out of focus. The people who work there just follow a set of set up instructions, and if you have the money for the studio set up you can replicate it yourself fairly easily. You can also fake it but that takes some know how.

That said... I would consider that style but not in a studio setting as the lights and backdrops will cost you some $$$. I have some old peddal cars that I shot my kids in and got "Picture People" like shots. I will see if I can getthe 35m negs to scanned to post. I did it in my backyard which has dappled shade from all the trees. With my choice of aperture I had the trees in the background well beyond the depth of field. I ended up liking these shot much better than anything I ever got at the Picutre People becasue of the warmth of natural light, and I shot them myself.

Thanks for some real info!!!

 

[allie5]

We have a similar company in the UK called Venture and people spend thousands of pounds on their pictures. They are generally taken on brightly lit backgrounds and the colours then saturated / mono'd or whatever in PS.

There are tons of semi pros who now replicate this look for a fraction of the cost - and you can even get similar results with brightly lit outdoor shots if you are photoshop whizz - it really isnt difficult.

Your biggest outlay will be lights and a decent flash (your built in flash wont be up to the job) but the backdrops and other accessories can be done for peanuts. A cheaper way is to rig up a white sheet outdoors on a sunny day and just shoot - try to get your kids jumping about not sat down in traditional poses (a small trampoline like a fitness one out of shot is GREAT!)- a sheet hung on a washing line and pegged down would work if its not windy!! Take loads of shots with lots of accessories of your kids interests. Get them in different outfits and shoot closeups as well as full bodied.

It will take some practise and a bit of photoshopping skills to get "hang on the wall results" but its perfectly possible.

 

[DVC Jen]

A couple of large (queen or king) sized flat sheet - one for the background and one for the floor works well. Just make sure you get the wrinkles out.

When I did my oldest DDs senior portraits - I added the first sheet to a curtain rod and just laid the second over the carpet on the floor.

I did have a set of umbrellas lamps (starter lighting kit) - but I am sure if you just use your imagination or figure out a way to get the sheets outside and use maybe a white poster board with or without it being covered in foil you can get something you are happy with.

 

[handicap18]

Nikon D50 with SB-600 that had the Gary Fong lightspheer II attached. Only thing it cost me was the cost of the blanket of snow to cover the coffee table, but most of it got cropped out anyway.

I'll also use the wall mueral we have in the kids playroom as a backdrop for portraits, though I haven't done one there in a while.

I have to do some of my youngest soon as we don't have any portrait type pics of him for the photo wall yet. I may just bring in the kids wagon and set it up in front of the mueral and go from there. Haven't tried the bed sheet idea in many years, but I may break that out too. I actually thought about doing that the other day. Trying to think of different ideas for the kids portraits. I may see if I can find an old spare tire and throw the kids in that with a sheet backgroung. Could be interesting.

There are many ideas you can do on your own. A decent camera on a tripod with a good flash and a few extra lights to fill the shadows. A room with a lot of windows can also help with extra light. I also would recommend a remote shutter release so you can concentrate more on the kids and get the timing down better.

You can also just take a picture you really like of them then change the background in photoshop or any other post processing software, to get the one color background.

Not the best editing job by any stretch. Taken with a 3.1MP Canon S30 about 3 1/2 years ago. Took 5 minutes in photoshop. Could have done better, but just to illustrate what can be done.

Have fun and use your imagination.

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

Nikon D50 with SB-600 that had the Gary Fong lightspheer II attached. Only thing it cost me was the cost of the blanket of snow to cover the coffee table, but most of it got cropped out anyway.

I'll also use the wall mueral we have in the kids playroom as a backdrop for portraits, though I haven't done one there in a while.

I have to do some of my youngest soon as we don't have any portrait type pics of him for the photo wall yet. I may just bring in the kids wagon and set it up in front of the mueral and go from there. Haven't tried the bed sheet idea in many years, but I may break that out too. I actually thought about doing that the other day. Trying to think of different ideas for the kids portraits. I may see if I can find an old spare tire and throw the kids in that with a sheet backgroung. Could be interesting.

There are many ideas you can do on your own. A decent camera on a tripod with a good flash and a few extra lights to fill the shadows. A room with a lot of windows can also help with extra light. I also would recommend a remote shutter release so you can concentrate more on the kids and get the timing down better.

You can also just take a picture you really like of them then change the background in photoshop or any other post processing software, to get the one color background.

Not the best editing job by any stretch. Taken with a 3.1MP Canon S30 about 3 1/2 years ago. Took 5 minutes in photoshop. Could have done better, but just to illustrate what can be done.

Have fun and use your imagination.

You all have such great ideas! I can't wait to start experimenting!!!

 

[Miss Kelly]

Miss Kelly... that was harsh and a little uncalled for IMO. There are a lot of hacks out there with studios that I have seen who call themselves pros. You really DON'T need all that you said get a shot that is similar. Flooring? The Picture People here has carpet. Backdrop stand? A couple of hooks on the wall and a length of pvc pipe will do if you are broke. Lights are hard to fake, but it is possible.. I have seen people with no budget shoot great stuff using work lights from Home Depot and tin foil as reflectors (students will do just about anything!). For backdrops... there are a number of ways to make a nice backdrop without spending $$$. NOT that doing it with those types of materials is easy. IMO shooting with a light kit out of the box and a ready made backdrop is not a hard task. MacGyvering it takes a lot more know how.

I'm sorry you feel that way. I don't think it was harsh at all. It was just my opinion. I forget though that this is not a semi-pro or professional forum so my views are different than yours. If the OP had posted elsewhere on other forums, I fear he/she would have received worst treatment. I take great pride in my work. I didn't just up and decide that I wanted to replicate someone else's work.

Hmm.. and I would disagree about the "light kit" not being difficult. Maybe your lighting kit is different than mine but I meter each of my strobes individually. I don't just guess at the right f stop.

 

[Miss Kelly]

Just to add- there is a difference between natural light photography and studio shots. IMHO.

Good Luck with your photographs.

 

[photo_chick]

Just to add- there is a difference between natural light photography and studio shots. IMHO.

Good Luck with your photographs.

OHHHH.... so you think you are a professional and I am not..... got it. And you make it pretty clear your opinion is not so humble!


Ok, might get flames or regret the sea o'snark that might come from this...

Yes there is a difference between natural light and studio shots and yet more difference between those and available light. And no, it is not difficult to set up a light kit acording to a diagram or books and get decent results. It is hard to get creative with it and hard to get outstanding results. (I have had studio lighting classes in my work on my BFA in photography so I have some experience here)

IF you read my post, you would see that I point out why I like the natural light BETTER than the studio lighting.

Don't dog on my chops, you have not seen any of my studio work. I don't post most of what I shoot and have never posted any of my studio work anywhere online.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I've been experimenting with studio flashes for a couple of months now. I have to say that I find it quite difficult. I've got to worry about the size of the lights (bare bulb, softbox, reflective umbrella, shoot-thru umbrella, the distance of each light from the subject, the distance of the subject from the background, the angles of the lights, etc, etc, etc. I still haven't gotten any shots that I feel really happy with. Part of that is because I'm picky. Part of that, I think, is because lighting does bring a pretty steep learning curve.

It's true that the people at the mall often don't know what they are doing, but the lights have all been set up for them and they have pretty nice gear to shoot with and simple formulas to follow.

If you are starting from scratch, I think you either need to set you expectations relatively low or plan on a lot of work. Start with a good book on lighting and another good book on posing. Working with bright lights is much easier than flashes, but you'll have to worry more about the color of the light and making your studio hot. The great thing is that it is WYSISYG (what you see is what you get). With flashes you need to either experiment a lot or meter each flash.

Another thing that really helps is attaching a PC to your camera so that you can see a full screen version of each shot as you take it. That reduces the round trip time for each shot.

I would also recommend that you start with a single light source and practice with it. Then add another light (or reflector) and practice with it. Don't try to do too many things at one time.

 

[Gdad]

I was not familiar with "Picture People" but I took a look at their website. I think the best bet for an amature photographer without any kind of studio setup (like me) trying to achieve this look would be outside in full sun with a fill flash. Anything taken with a bright background in the sun would be easy to burn out with some basic post processing software. I'm at work so I can't really do it but if you started with something like this...

 

[MICKEY88]

I personally would not use work lights from home depot or any other store, I own several of those for purposes other than photography, and if you read the instructions, , they quite clearly state" DO NOT AIM AT PEOPLE", and then go on to say that they willl cause cancer...

 

[MICKEY88]

I'm sorry you feel that way. I don't think it was harsh at all. It was just my opinion. I forget though that this is not a semi-pro or professional forum so my views are different than yours. If the OP had posted elsewhere on other forums, I fear he/she would have received worst treatment. I take great pride in my work. I didn't just up and decide that I wanted to replicate someone else's work.

Hmm.. and I would disagree about the "light kit" not being difficult. Maybe your lighting kit is different than mine but I meter each of my strobes individually. I don't just guess at the right f stop.

I agree it was harsh,

and I've never been to a semi-pro or professional forum , so I can't speak about them,

but I do know that from my experience in the real world, any professional photographers that I've encountered have always been eager to help other photographers in a positive way, never resorting to negative or mocking tactics...

 

[fitzperry]

I was not familiar with "Picture People" but I took a look at their website. I think the best bet for an amature photographer without any kind of studio setup (like me) trying to achieve this look would be outside in full sun with a fill flash. Anything taken with a bright background in the sun would be easy to burn out with some basic post processing software. I'm at work so I can't really do it but if you started with something like this...

This is pretty much what I was thinking as well.

I may be mistaken of course, but my guess is that the op is an amateur who is trying to save a few bucks, in which case investing in lighting and other equipment might defeat the purpose (except that such things can be reused for future portraits).

Anyway, it seems that the clean background is the key to that "look," which could be achieved with a couple of sheets as others have suggested or simply a bright uncluttered outside background. Also, IIRC (I took my kids there once several years ago and frankly wasn't thrilled with the results), they have some cute props--toy cars, wash basins for the kids to sit in and such--stuff that could likely be found on the cheap or that the op might already have.

Personally, I almost always prefer the look of beautiful natural light to studio lighting. In fact the most successful (and best) professional photographer I know uses available light almost exclusively in her portrait work. Simply setting the kids up near a window in the morning or late afternoon could produce some surprisingly nice results.

 

[jann1033]

op, i know nothing about lighting since as yet i don't even own an external flash but i try to work with what i have...i have used a lens with a larger aperture for indoor natural lighting shots...i have also used trouble lights my hubby has for work and bounced them off something but really i think the natural light is best if your lighting is limited. this was not posed obviously but in the middle of my mother's living room, i could enhance it in pse5 to imo be as acceptable as some others i have seen from "in studio" on here...i think with the sheets and either in a semi shady ( vs bright blinding outdoor light) or well lit with lots of windows room like this one you could do a passable job...and if you don't cut off their heads, feet and hands like the aforementioned "photographers" do in my area, you are already a step ahead of them

f4 1/25 100mm prime lens here...not saying it's a masterpiece but just trying to show you can take a photo indoors without fancy smancy lighting,

 

[MarkBarbieri]

If you're not really particular, the simplest and cheapest setup is something like this:

1) A window with bright, non-direct light or with direct light diffused by a thin sheet. Use that for your main light source.

2) A neutral, non-descript background. This could be another sheet or just a wall. Make sure that the subject is a good 6 feet from the wall.

3) A big reflector. This could be a white poster board or a piece of cardboard covered with wrinkly aluminum foil.

If you can, set the camera so that your subject is in focus and the background isn't.

Have the subject sit with the window in front of and to the side of them. Move the reflector in as close as you can without getting it in the picture. Aim it to remove as many of the shadows as possible.

Take some shots and adjust the relative positions of everything to make adjustments.