Slip and Slide

[Dobick]

These were just some fun shots of my niece and nephew -- when I saw them running and splashing, I had to go get the camera (mainly cause it was the only way to join in the fun as I didn't have a suit available)

I ended up shooting these on iso 800, and f/2.8 on aperture priority, because the idiot in me got in a hurry, and forgot to change back from the night shots I was doing the night before.

Other than that obvious oversight, if you have any comments or critical help, I would appreciate it.

Haven't done much post to these at all.

[steckler]

Yea, when shooting kids I often have the same problem... the scene would be gone if I had to fiddle with all the settings and so i often take shots before getting the camera set up properly. That's one reason I only shoot in raw mode.

I think if had been me, I would have just camped out at the end where they stop... you'll get some great facial expressions. Probably not the best when they're sliding, but just after they get up and are smiling wide.

my only advice for shooting kids... you can't shoot enough.

[RobyMD]

I agree with the comment above. I love the perspective and the cropping on most of them I also like. But more shots of the face where you can make out the faces a little better would have been even better. Great shots.

[JenJohnson79]

Not to hi-jack your thread, but I did the same thing at my niece's 5th birthday party about three weeks ago. .. just camped out at the end of the slip and slide and shot away. . . here are some of my favorites. . . the two in the matching bikinis are my daughters, the itty bitty thing is my neice, the older child is my cousin, and the little boy is my neice's cousin by marriage. . .

[Dobick]

Thanks for the comments everyone. I've literally got a close to a 1000 images of my niece and nephew, in all sorts of activities. I wanted to break out the camera this day, because of the splashing and all of the water. I camped out at the head end of the thing for a while, and even then, I wasn't really looking for the face shots, as much as I was looking for the interaction with the water, especially the way the light was coming in under the trees, but over the fence in the backyard, and the way that it would sparkle and cause some crazy tiny points of glare on the lens.

I did get some other shots of them both having their attention to a bug at the edge of the slide, and the yellow reflection from the slide was just cool looking as it came back up on their faces.

The ones from the start side of the slide were done to try to draw focus on two things, one was the arcing water spray and tiny droplets of water, and the second, I was trying to come up with an expressive element of a playful situation without showing faces, and decided that the toes might work.

What I am hearing from the comments is that it really didn't work on that level. I guess if you ever have to narrate a photograph, then you should go back to the drawing board to figure out how to include that narrative in the image itself.

[Dobick]

By the way Jennifer,
The shot of her drinking is an absolute classic! Very well done capture!

[steckler]

Yea, the closeup of drinking is a good classic one...
You DID manage to capture the very interesting water, drops and splashes...

But for the whole to really work you need a good/great facial expression or body language in addition to the water droplets...

one idea that comes to mind (now, long after the moment is gone) is to try to capture the water (arcing, droplets, etc.) along with a kid's anticipation / getting ready to dive, etc. just a thought for next time.

nothing wrong with trying, that's how you learn and grow...

[steckler]

So you inspired me to try to catch some of the same water droplet kind of thing...
here's two that came out ok...