learning

two
WHAT ARE YOU CAPTURING?
Welcome back! In our second week we are going to learn about the SETTING and WHO we are capturing.
It is important to be conscious of where we are and who is in front of the camera as this level of connection brings your photographs to life!
Today we will learn about the rooms and items around us, some handy tips for working with mamas and children,
and we have a fun task this week to practice your new learned skills.


We are going to chat about the setting of your photographs. The 'setting' for most people will be their home and all the rooms overflowing with warm memories and bursting with life. Now anyone that has children, especially toddlers, will understand the whirlwind of life. Some days (ahem most days) feel chaotic, a beautiful beautiful chaos! I'm a strong believer in capturing real, raw, authentic memories. So embrace that chaos! And the mess ;)
If you are creating a moment, and you have time up your sleeve, it can be handy to spend a moment clearing that mess so in your photographs the scene is uncluttered and the focus is on your people, no distractions. So move the brightly coloured waterbottle, clear the laundry pile off the bed, tidy up the kitchen bench.
But sometimes, we don't have the luxury of time, and we want to capture a moment unfolding before our eyes. If you want that uncluttered photo, play around the cropping in. This can be done when you are taking the photo by moving yourself closer or by zooming. Or by editing afterwards. One thing to keep in mind, zooming and cropping afterwards will reduce the image quality. I have popped an example above of the kitchen - see the difference when we are cropped in closer to mama and her babes? (I also used the flowers to sneakily hide the toys!)
...
Our second part today is all about people! When photographing others we need to tune into them, their emotions and how they feel in that moment. We want them to be comfortable and confident, which we can assist with by interacting and connecting with them and encouraging them to do so with you and anyone else in the photographs. There's some tips below to help with fostering warm connection.
By interacting and connecting, you can also illicit feeling into your photographs - but more on this in week 4!
But what about when you see a moment unfolding that you want to capture but you don't want to interrupt? Maybe mama is snuggling babe in the rocking chair or the kids are playing blocks in the playroom. This is an exception to the above guide around interacting and connecting directly with them. We can pull out our phones and capture the magic as it is, without communicating with the kids or mama. Sometimes those candid moments will develop into interaction though, as you gently encourage movement and connection between them and with you/the camera. Like prompting mama to tuck the hair behind her ear and breathe in the newborn smell. Or asking the children to build the tower higher to see who can get the highest before it topples over.


tip
Instead of telling off…
redirect with silliness and fun
Instead of pointing to look at the camera…
try fun movement to get them looking
Instead of fishy lips kisses…
lean in close
Instead of looking at the camera in every photo…
look at each other, interact, connect, have fun, laugh, get close.
FISHY LIPS
LEAN IN CLOSE


tip
MAMAS
This little tip is ideal when you are setting up and creating a moment, when you have the time to plan...
- remember to move hair out of her face. Tuck it behind her ear or have her pull it up into a bun. We want to see her gorgeous face!
- remove hair bands and non-sentimental watches from wrists
- Hide away bra straps and clothing tags
HAIR TUCKED BEHIND EAR
HAIR FALLING IN FACE

YOUR WEEKLY TASK
DADS & GRANDPARENTS -
This week, I want you to tune into mama.
For your task, instead of asking her tonight "How was your day?" I want you to rephrase it to something along the lines of "What moment did you have with the kids today that you
want to remember forever?"
Keeping this in mind, over the week, I want you to photograph the moments that mama wants to remember!
When you have her favourite moment captured,
send the photograph through to me!
MAMAS -
This week, I want you to tune into your inner mama feels.
For your task, instead of the usual question we would ponder at night - "How was your day?" - I want you take a few moments to reflect and to rephrase it to "What moment did you have with the kids today that you want to remember forever?"
Keeping this in mind, over the week, I want you to photograph the moments that you want to remember forever!
When you have your favourite moment captured,
send the photograph through to me!
Keeping this a surprise for mama?
You kept it hush hush last week, so we don't want to spoil it now! Use the tips from last week to gently, and sneakily, encourage her to share and then capture the moments with your phone.
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOGRAPH
Email your photograph to
info@kirraphotography.com
with the subject line
"Week Two"
Make sure when attaching the photograph you select "actual size"

SUPPORT
I am always here to support you. Whether you have a question, a concern or you want to show me the images you are taking!
The best way to contact me is via email at
info@kirraphotography.com