Babies and children - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

09/04/2009 11:14:49 PM · #1

I know I am a little biased here what with the 3 kids under 2 in my household, but how about a child's portrait challenge? I know we consider it cliche, but then again why not?

kandykarml

Nikon D80

09/04/2009 11:23:01 PM · #2

I too am a tad bit biased w/two kids that are 1 & 2 yrs old.. I think it's a fabulous idea.. No matter how cliche it is, everyone still enjoys seeing cute pic's of kids.. don't they??

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

09/05/2009 12:52:21 AM · #3

At the risk of getting pilloried...yes, I like kids but no, I don't have any or plan to. Something to do with being raised in a large family where the breadwinner was an Ob/Gyn.

Anyway, I feel that too often kids are used as an easy out, a score-getter, with people voting more emotionally and higher simply on the basic fact that many people here have kids, and can relate to the situations faced by the children in the shot. But I guess if you have kids at your disposal may as well make them earn their allowance!

*ducking bullets*

kandykarml

Nikon D80

09/05/2009 12:55:02 AM · #4

Originally posted by snaffles:

LOL........ Yeah, simply taking pictures of a kid is sooooooooo easy, and a "score-getter", I find myself often doing it when I go a long time with out a ribbon.. LOL...

Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM

09/05/2009 08:04:41 AM · #5

Haha!
That's exactly my point. In a regular challenge when you see a kid you think "an easy way out". But when it's a kid challenge a cute kid would not be enough, it would have to be something extra special.

bspurgeon

Fujifilm x100

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

09/05/2009 10:27:29 AM · #6

I'm all for it, I've never considered using my kids in a challenge! ;)

see

Canon PowerShot S95

09/05/2009 10:38:39 AM · #7

This challenge should wait until the beginning of November, when I am expecting my first grandchild, a girl I am told..

Kelli

Canon EOS-D60

09/05/2009 10:39:44 AM · #8

Originally posted by alans_world:

This challenge should wait until the beginning of November, when I am expecting my first grandchild, a girl I am told..

ditto

Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS

09/05/2009 10:46:58 AM · #9

Originally posted by InnaN:

*scratching head* I suppose...but just to clear things, I know it's not easy to shoot kids esp really young ones because they're usually quite fidgety (even I know that! :-) and of course you won't automatically ribbon. But it certainly seems to boost your chances of the pic evoking fond memories in the viewer, ergo a higher score.

For example I fired off about a dozen pix last night to a fellow site member, who is also childfree, for their input. A couple of kids were in one shot. That's the shot the fellow dpcer liked best, because I caught them doing something my friend also liked to do, and I got a good capture.

vawendy

Sony Alpha 1

09/05/2009 10:58:15 AM · #10

Originally posted by snaffles:

Originally posted by InnaN:
Haha!
That's exactly my point. In a regular challenge when you see a kid you think "an easy way out". But when it's a kid challenge a cute kid would not be enough, it would have to be something extra special.

*scratching head* I suppose...but just to clear things, I know it's not easy to shoot kids esp really young ones because they're usually quite fidgety (even I know that! :-) and of course you won't automatically ribbon. But it certainly seems to boost your chances of the pic evoking fond memories in the viewer, ergo a higher score.

For example I fired off about a dozen pix last night to a fellow site member, who is also childfree, for their input. A couple of kids were in one shot. That's the shot the fellow dpcer liked best, because I caught them doing something my friend also liked to do, and I got a good capture.

Actually, I've found that the entries with children actually do worse than the regular entries. Unless they are over the top spectacular, most photos with children seem to be underrated. There are a number of anti-children voters.

bspurgeon

Fujifilm x100

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

09/05/2009 11:12:26 AM · #11

I don't find it easy it photograph children, although it is fun. I also don't find it to be automatic "high score", although that may depend on the individuals definition for a high score. Here are some recent entries with children that I thought would have scored highter but came in below average for me:

I have others but I thought I would post the images that I thought would have produced a higher score in part because of the presence of babies/children.

I think it would be a fun challenge.

BTW, a recent find related to the In the Style of

Heida challenge, she still managed to stay within her dark palette yet kept the mood upbeat. Not easy at all in my opinion:

Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro

09/05/2009 12:35:45 PM · #12

Originally posted by vawendy:

Originally posted by snaffles:

Originally posted by InnaN:
Haha!
That's exactly my point. In a regular challenge when you see a kid you think "an easy way out". But when it's a kid challenge a cute kid would not be enough, it would have to be something extra special.

*scratching head* I suppose...but just to clear things, I know it's not easy to shoot kids esp really young ones because they're usually quite fidgety (even I know that! :-) and of course you won't automatically ribbon. But it certainly seems to boost your chances of the pic evoking fond memories in the viewer, ergo a higher score.

For example I fired off about a dozen pix last night to a fellow site member, who is also childfree, for their input. A couple of kids were in one shot. That's the shot the fellow dpcer liked best, because I caught them doing something my friend also liked to do, and I got a good capture.

Actually, I've found that the entries with children actually do worse than the regular entries. Unless they are over the top spectacular, most photos with children seem to be underrated. There are a number of anti-children voters.

Although I won't automatically vote down a pic with a child in it, overall I don't vote high on staged shots, no matter what the subject is. I am a huge fan of the lucky capture shot, of subtlety. I like the winner of Fear because it's just such a shot, the girl's face does transmit fear without going over the top.

To my eye, in many kid shots the subjects are over-mugging to such extreme exaggeration that it's a turnoff.

*crawling back under rock*

slickchik

Olympus OM-D E-M1

09/05/2009 03:57:40 PM · #13

Originally posted by kandykarml:

...everyone still enjoys seeing cute pic's of kids.. don't they??

No, I don't enjoy looking at pictures of people's kids. Sorry :-)

Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro

09/06/2009 10:03:19 AM · #14

Originally posted by slickchik:

Originally posted by kandykarml:
...everyone still enjoys seeing cute pic's of kids.. don't they??

No, I don't enjoy looking at pictures of people's kids. Sorry :-)

That's totally ok. I, for example, am not a pet person and don't enjoy photos of other people's pets. :) :) :)

slickchik

Olympus OM-D E-M1

09/06/2009 12:20:57 PM · #15

Originally posted by InnaN:

Originally posted by slickchik:

Originally posted by kandykarml:
...everyone still enjoys seeing cute pic's of kids.. don't they??

No, I don't enjoy looking at pictures of people's kids. Sorry :-)

That's totally ok. I, for example, am not a pet person and don't enjoy photos of other people's pets. :) :) :)

LOL, I'd have to agree with you on that one too.

Pentax DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6ED AL [IF] WR DC

09/06/2009 04:55:30 PM · #16

You know, on second thought...
The only challenge I would truly enjoy is one consisting of only MY kids.

LOL

fldave

Pentax K5II

09/06/2009 07:01:33 PM · #17

Originally posted by InnaN:

You know, on second thought...
The only challenge I would truly enjoy is one consisting of only MY kids. LOL

So let's have a huge DPC GTG and everyone can photograph your kids......??? ;-)

09/06/2009 07:04:02 PM · #18

Now how about we clarify things a little more...I have no children of my own, no human children...but I do have two adorable cats whom I consider to be my kids and who cause me all the grief/stress/anxiety/$$$ of real human children.

So howsabout we have a challenge featuring Druli and Lily? ;-)

Pentax D-FA* 70-200mm f/2.8 ED DC AW

09/07/2009 02:49:48 PM · #19

Originally posted by fldave:

Originally posted by InnaN:
You know, on second thought...
The only challenge I would truly enjoy is one consisting of only MY kids. LOL

So let's have a huge DPC GTG and everyone can photograph your kids......??? ;-)

Why, that sounds like a FABULOUS idea!!!

K3Master

Pentax K-3

09/07/2009 03:21:59 PM · #20

Originally posted by fldave:

Now that's a crazy idea that would be completely impossible to put together, but would be UNBELIEVABLY fun to do.

Can you imagine having a challenge where every DPC'er gets the SAME human model, and has to shoot it their way?

Haha. Logistically undoable, but damn. That would be a heck of a challenge.