Photographing kids

[Zoesmama03]

I'm planning a trip to Disneyland this summer and want some nice snaps of my dd on the rides more close up. What lens have you used? And which would you recommend? I would be renting so price not so much of an issue. I prefer my prime and plan to purchase another 2 primes(85 and 35 probably) and eventually a 105mm macro. I just don't see a zoom being practical for my typical uses to make a purchase. I do plan to do some wedding 2nd shooting soon so I can imagine the only zoom I'd ever really need is the 24-70mm.

Oh I have a Nikon D80 if that makes a difference on the lens selection.

I used my 50(only own it and a kit at the time) while at Sea World and MK last June and got some snaps of my dd and my friend's kiddos on the kiddie rides but couldn't get close enough on many for my 50 to get a decent up close shot.

I'd imagine a zoom would be better than a long lens like a 200mm or 300mm fixed lens right?

 

[disneyboy2003]

I'm planning a trip to Disneyland this summer and want some nice snaps of my dd on the rides more close up. What lens have you used? And which would you recommend? I would be renting so price not so much of an issue. I prefer my prime and plan to purchase another 2 primes(85 and 35 probably) and eventually a 105mm macro. I just don't see a zoom being practical for my typical uses to make a purchase. I do plan to do some wedding 2nd shooting soon so I can imagine the only zoom I'd ever really need is the 24-70mm.

Oh I have a Nikon D80 if that makes a difference on the lens selection.

I used my 50(only own it and a kit at the time) while at Sea World and MK last June and got some snaps of my dd and my friend's kiddos on the kiddie rides but couldn't get close enough on many for my 50 to get a decent up close shot.

I'd imagine a zoom would be better than a long lens like a 200mm or 300mm fixed lens right?

I guess it depends on where you'll be, relative to your child on the ride.

If you're going to ride with your child at the same time, then maybe a wider zoom lens would be worthwhile (for example, if you & your child are both riding Dumbo, teacups, It's a Small World, etc). I shoot Canon, so I'd suggest the Canon 17-55mm f/2.8. I believe Nikon has a similar lens (link to LensRentals).

If you're going to be on the ground, outside the ride, while your child is on the ride, then you'll probably want a telephoto zoom lens. I'd probably go with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens (link to LensRentals). Or, if you want a very versatile travel lens and you expect to be doing a lot of outdoor rides during the day, you can consider the 18-200mm lens (link), but it might not be ideal for dark/low-light rides.

I'm not sure I'd get a 200mm or 300mm fixed lens for the trip. That's a lot of lens to carry all day for just a handful of photos. Either that or you'll be asking your DD to stand WAY WAY WAY back so you can take pictures of her.

 

[zackiedawg]

I agree - a zoom seems like a better, more flexible choice for such purpose than a prime. Because your distance to the ride will vary with the different rides, it's best to have a lens that can vary too. I personally use an 18-250mm zoom on my Sony A550, which has the same crop factor as your D80 - it gives me 27mm to 375mm equivalent, which has excellent flexibility for just about any distance you may find yourself from the subject. It'll let you use extreme zoom for super close ups on rides like Everest (250mm):

or more midrange zoom for rides like Kali (55mm):

Or Grand Prix (100mm):

yet you still have the flexibility to shoot while riding the same ride with someone, with the wide-end capability down to 18mm.

I'd recommend a flexible zoom like this, that is small and lightweight, but can handle a wide range of duties - use your primes when you want to get serious on a shot, but the zoom can be more of an anytime lens for walkaround duty or for specific needs like capturing your kids on rides!

 

[mom2rtk]

I do love having a wide angle on the camera for when I'm sitting in the ride car with my child.

I second the idea of a nice wide range zoom!

Nice shots Zackiedawg! Love the one on EE!

 

[dmccarty]

If you are ON the ride with the subject a wide angle lens works best. I use a 24mm for Expedition Everest, Test Track, and Thunder Mountain. I have used my 50mm but the 24mm is better since you dont' and cant frame the photo easily when being bounced around. Wider is better. BUT I have a full frame camera. The D80 is doing to make a 50mm hard to use on those rides. A 24mm would be better. Maybe even a 20mm.

Be careful with zoom ON the ride. Zooms might not be able to focus as close as the person next to your or behind you. Keep your shutter speed up at least 1/600+ off the top of my head. I get lots of good photos of the kids laughing on the ride.

Taking a photo while off the ride is going to depend on the ride.

Later,
Dan

 

[Zoesmama03]

Oooh thanks Zackiedawg for the samples. I had forgotten about that one, price not too bad so rental should be low for a weeks time with insurance. That would be ideal I'd think for the multiple purpose of taking photos when I'm off the ride as well as on the ride. My 50 didnt work too well on the tea cup ride at Sea World because obviously I cant get back far enough. Though I'm not sure I want to brave another tea cup ride with my dd and her best friend(my best friends son) ever again. I almost lost it the last time they never slowed the spinning at all.

I'll check my local shop and then online rentals if I can't find it at my local shop.

Otherwise I've heard good things about the 70-200mm which I know the shop rents. I like the option to go pretty wide too. But I will have a 35mm f/1.8 so it would be good on low light rides and a little wider than my 50mm so might take care of my "on" ride shots. However like you say great for walk around lens. I found I had to run ahead to get them all in the shot and a wide lens would solve that so I don't spend my time running ahead to get a shot I can spend more time having fun vacationing. I was considering renting the 24-70 though for walk around purposes. I will see how I like it when I rent it next month for a project.

 

[Zoesmama03]

Dan,

Now you have me wanting the 20mm 2.8. AHH I think I'd like it more than the 35mm. I'm going to throw my kit on 20mm and walk around snapping now. Just when I think I had a plan for my tax refund photography budget I find other options. Maybe I'll pass the 35mm and get a 20mm.


I LOVE the landscape shots I saw on pbase.com not that my photogrpahy is that skill level yet(or maybe my editing lol) I'd like to see more close up portraits. I dunno about low light though, but I am getting a speedlight too. Too many decisions.

 

[WDWFigment]

I really like going ultrawide for ride shots. I think a 2.8 lens is good for that; you also have to be careful to not introduce too much distortion (although kids probably won't care as much as adult females):

 

[Zoesmama03]

Amazing shots WDWFigment. I've wondered what Soarin looked like, I'm assuming that is Soarin in the 2nd shot. on that or Test Track which I really wanted to. I guess I'll get my chance at Soarin at DL(going to both parks) until I make it back to WDW. Thanks for sharing. That's a 20 or wider? I was playing with my kit at 20ish(where I'd guess) and 24mm and I can see how it would work soooo much better for being on the ride and close. I'm really starting to see I'd love the 20 for a lot of purposes other than the trip.

Is the learning curve tough on the distortion stuff? or is it something you have to turn on with a ring or something? I'm completely clueless about wide angles.

 

[Gdad]

I like using wide or ultrawide lenses on my kids at Disney all the time- including rides. Nothing else can deliver the same sense of subject in relation to the environment.

 

[Master Mason]

Did you use your dslr for this. I've only rode the ride once, but I was terrified to have my camera out on it.

 

[Gdad]

Did you use your dslr for this. I've only rode the ride once, but I was terrified to have my camera out on it.

I did- but I was afraid to take my 28/1.4 so I took a (much less expensive) 20/2.8 lens. My camera is fairly well weathersealed but I held my booney hat over it for the big splashes anyway.

 

[eeyorefan74]

I thought this might be a good place to ask for some tips. I just took my daughters out to take some pictures in a local botanical garden. My DD3 just got glasses and in almost every shot of her there's so much glare you can hardly see her eyes. DD8 also has glasses and it doesn't seem to be as much of a problem with her. She's nearsighted and DD3 is farsighted. Not sure if that makes a difference. Anyhow, is there a way to reduce the glare in the future? I'm just using a Canon point and shoot camera, nothing fancy.

 

[MICKEY88]

several easy options...

1.. tilt the glasses slightly in a downward direction, by raising the earpieces slighly above her ears..this will cause the flash to bounce downward rather than back into the lens...

2. have her head slightly angled rather than straight on to the camera
this should also cause the flash to bounce off at an angle..

3, put a piece of tissue paper over the flash to soften it, this may or may not work..

4 remove the lenses from the frames..

5 remove her glasses..

 

[disneyboy2003]

I thought this might be a good place to ask for some tips. I just took my daughters out to take some pictures in a local botanical garden. My DD3 just got glasses and in almost every shot of her there's so much glare you can hardly see her eyes. DD8 also has glasses and it doesn't seem to be as much of a problem with her. She's nearsighted and DD3 is farsighted. Not sure if that makes a difference. Anyhow, is there a way to reduce the glare in the future? I'm just using a Canon point and shoot camera, nothing fancy.

A couple ideas:

See if you can ask your daughter to tilt or turn her head in one direction (down, left, or right) to see if that helps eliminate the glare.

If you're using flash on your camera, don't shoot with her glasses pointed directly at your camera. Otherwise, the flash will just bounce right back from the glasses back to your camera. Again, try the head tilt idea above.

If you're not using flash, see if you can use a circular polarizer for your camera. Circular polarizers can sometimes help reduce the glare that bounces off glass (or glasses).

Ultimately, think of glasses like a set of mirrors. Watch where the light is coming from. The angle that the light hits the glasses is the same angle that light leaves the glasses (from physics: "angle of incidence = angle of reflection"). So try to position yourself / your camera so that the your camera doesn't see the reflection of light from your daughter's glasses.

See if that helps. And please post some sample pictures of the problem you're encountering.