Can anyon recommend a book for portraits (mainly kids)

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Dale_tem

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I keep snapping my kids, but rarely am I happy with the results. The results are technically right, but the pictures aren't great. It's mostly composure and framing, but also getting the right exposure, not a correct exposure.

So I'm wondering if there is a book that can give me some tips.
 
I'm not sure of books (there are probably loads), but Annabel Williams is pretty well known for her portraits (specifically of children). I think she's branched out somewhat, but her website is useful www.annabelwilliams.com
You should also check out a guy I follow on facebook called. Aleksandras Babicius, his people work is lovely.
 
An update from me....

Purchased some books on Kindle, some good, some bad

Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It by Scott Kelby - Starts off saying you only ever need 1 light, then has a book full of shots done with 3 lights??? So the photography side isn't the most useful, but he does go through touching up the photos in Photoshop which is useful, various bits I didn't know were there or how to use.

Lighting for Digital Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots - Reading this one at the moment. Goes over various areas, talks about different lights and how to use them, lots of great simple examples (reflectors etc.) and lots of photos showing how they effect the photo. I'm only half way through this book, so will update later.

Natural Portraits - Joe Scriven (member on here) - My favourite book so far, its about taking portrait photos of families and kids using no a additional equipment, just the camera, so talks about positioning, settings and how to focus and take photos of different settings, looking through the book, was like looking through the photos I want to take on my average visit to the park with the kids.
 
It's tough, but the best way to improve is to get honest critique on your photos and develop a thick skin for criticism.

Put up the photos you are not happy with and try to learn from the advice given, then take some more and do it again. Repeat until you look at your own photos and can critique yourself.
 
Thanks for your reviews.
 
ShawWellPete said:
It's tough, but the best way to improve is to get honest critique on your photos and develop a thick skin for criticism.

Put up the photos you are not happy with and try to learn from the advice given, then take some more and do it again. Repeat until you look at your own photos and can critique yourself.
Click to expand...

I know whats wrong with them, but wasn't sure how to improve. Some of it is photoshop, most of it is lighting and the relationship between them and the background.

I'll put some photos up soon :)
 
Dale_tem said:
An update from me....
Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It by Scott Kelby - Starts off saying you only ever need 1 light, then has a book full of shots done with 3 lights??? So the photography side isn't the most useful, but he does go through touching up the photos in Photoshop which is useful, various bits I didn't know were there or how to use.
Click to expand...

This is probably my most disappointing photography techniques book purchase to date. The lighting and photography portions are dwarfed by post-processing, so much so that it feels like a Photoshop book with a bit about photography and lighting tacked on to appeal to a wider audience.

Of the books I've read on lighting, I'd recommend Syl Arena's Speedliter's Handbook if you're getting started. Obviously it's speedlight-focussed, but I found it way more useful for lighting setups than Kelby's book. Also, anything by Neil van Niekerk is a pleasure to read.

PS. Thanks for the reminder to pick up Natural Portraits.
 
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