Shooting babies... not the violent way

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six6six

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Sam
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Not sure where to start, but my in-laws has just had a newborn.
They hired the hospital's photographer to take some photo's and when they had the prints arrive weren't very happy with the prints.

Anyways they've asked for me to take some photo's as she is changing her facial features already and this morning I popped down for the first time since the baby arrived. I found myself not being able to use my auto-focus on the tamron 17-50 as it is noisy, sort of like the nifty fifty auto focus. So I've resorted to using the manual focus for the first time. I wear glasses and found it a little bit of a struggle trying to focus on the eyes / face and did not want to resort to upping the ISO or using flash and risk waking her up and or blinding her with the flash.

After reviewing the photographs, I haven't done too bad, there is only 2 photo's out of 20 that her face / eyes are not in focus.

:help: My question is do you just practice, or is there a trick to using manual focus? I did notice the focus points illuminating on some of the shots I took, but not all.:shrug:
 
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I'm having the same problem. I have been taking pictures of my new grandson. Had trouble was was nearly blinding the poor thing. I have been using my 50mm lens in aperature mode. Only thing is I can't get hang of getting lend into focus. It's been a bit of pot luck.
Nikki
 
Depending in your camera, you could try using live view (if you have it) and zoom in using the buttons. You can then move around the image to check the focus. :)
 
Maniacfest said:
Depending in your camera, you could try using live view (if you have it) and zoom in using the buttons. You can then move around the image to check the focus. :)
Click to expand...

I had forgotten about live view... :lol: but even if I did remember, I forgotten how to enable it on the 50D.. :thinking::bonk:

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Edit:

Also just remembered I have a silent function for the shutter when using live view.. bah!.. the things you remember afterwards ..
 
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get a good lens, not to low iso (400 should be ok) priority shutter speed so you will know you will be fast enough to avoid blurry pictures
 
What's the problem with AF? It's not that noisy! I've never had any issues with babies
 
I often photograph my niece's children using the Canon 50mm f1.8 on MF.

I find the best way is to set the focus on the eyes, or eyelashes if they're asleep, and then move my body back and forth a little to get perfect focus.

I also often go up to 3200 ISO on the 1Ds Mk II and used to regularly use 1600 ISO on the 450D I had before.

I do this to enable a high shutter speed to avoid blur.

That way I find I can get good focus a lot of the time.

.
 
You hit on the point - MF is only useful when they are sleeping - but then if they are sleeping they won't hear the AF :)

Easy way to get fast shutter speed is get the baby in front of a large softly diffused window - or use flash. High ISO shots can be nice but I'd look for light every time.
 
Try using longer lenses than 50mm for a start and get a little further away.....if you were a toddle a big scary person with a big black thing would freak you out too.
 
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