Get the "AWW" with Infant & Toddler Photography

When you pick up a parenting or baby magazine, how many times do you say "I can take better pictures." Well what's stopping you? Childrens photography is one of the biggest photography market today, other than weddings from my previous blog posting. Being a parent myself, I've been trying to capture my daughter's expressions. From my experience, it's a WHOLE lot easier when they are infants because they can't move much. My daughter is a toddler now and quick as a fox. So this brings me to the challenges of children photography between infants vs. toddlers.

For infant photography, my general rule is:
1) ISO settings are between 100-200 because infants barely move and you should be able to capture them relatively with ease.
2) Limit the use of flash and only use as needed because infants and kids remember the big bright blinding flash.
3) Make sure infants are fully fed and rested, this makes it easier cause they are happy and full. If the infant refuses to sit alone or feels uncomfortable, try taking out their favorite toy/stuffed animal or if needed have a parent hold them and you can get a close up shot.

For toddler photography it's more of a challenge because they are constantly on the go in any environment. How many parents out there find it tough when trying to photograph their kids on a swing or running around in a park? Here are some simple tips:

1) Up the ISO to 400-800.
2) Owning an Image Stabilizer lens helps with panning and motion stillness.
3) Have some favorite snacks handy because you'd be surprised what toddlers do for something candy coated.
4) Most important, anticipate where the toddler will end up and catch them in the end.

With toddlers, you'll probably end up with more of a photo journalistic style because of the range of unexpected motions. This can be a good thing for a more natural feel of photography.

In The Moment Shots with Weddings.

Wait for it... Wait for it... NOW! For those photographers who basically wait for the right moment or have trouble looking for the "moment shot", my rule of thumb is just shoot it and worry about it later. Because if you wait too long, you've missed everything. You missed the bride walking down aisle, you missed the exchange of rings, you missed the traditional seal the deal wedding kiss. The "moment shot" is that one shot that tells an entire story. That one shot can pretty much sum up the entire wedding. I aim to photograph the right moments in retrospect to composition. I take as many photos as the situation will let me, anywhere between 5-10 shots and move to different location. I must admit though, it's a lot easier if a photographer has a keen sense of what's going on. I usually put myself in different situations of placement. What if I were in the crowd taking pictures? What if I were right up front with bride and groom? What if I were on the 10th floor looking down at wedding? And within these positions you tend to find hidden moments that happen in a blink of an eye.

With the digital SLR technology today, it's almost hard to mess things up. I tend is always shoot in color and when I process the RAW files I can adjust the black and white settings using Adobe Photoshop. It's just easier to have options to turn color into black and white, rather than be stuck with a monochrome image initially.


Weddings by far are one of the most stressful photography sessions any photographer will encounter. It is your job to make sure you photograph all the beautiful people, especially the bride and groom. Be patient, calm down and just have fun with the moments that come in waves. When you're calm and having fun, you'll really start to get creative.

(Equipment: Canon 5D, Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L, Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L, Canon 50mm f/1.4)

Nothing beats a Maui Sunset

My second time in Maui staying in Lahaina for 6 days, I'm trying to figure out how I can move there and live off sea water and beach sand. Hawai'i time is so relaxed and comforting. 3 hours behind west coast and 6 hours east coast and 1 full day behind Europe time zone. One day I'll be able to say, "Working from Maui home."

Bay Bridge Night Shoot

Once in awhile I like to get out with a friend to do a night photography session. We basically try to get out to the city before sunset and just shoot. Starting from the waterfront to wharf to downtown is usually the route we take. You'd be surprised to find a lot of landmarks and candid areas where you can capture some great photos.

Do you like the blur in your background shots?

I've been a photographer since the first Canon Digital Rebel came out and knew this was for me. After years of body upgrading and "L" lense purchasing, I'm freely able to come up with my own sense of style. From weddings to ebay postings, I've shot them all, but the simple art of the bokeh takes my breathe away.