People update their family photographs whenever there is a huge family milestone. Today there is a lot of choices when it comes to selecting the right photographer for you. This blog post goes through a series of questions that you might want to ask when your are doing your research to help you make an informed decision. .
Family photography is about capturing those treasured memories and important milestones in the family. That could mean a new member of the family, an important birthday, or just an opportunity to refresh the imagery around the house. Two styles that are the most popular are studio and on-location photography. I explore why I prefer on-location photography to that of studio photography.
One of the thigs that I love being a Canberra Family photographer is meeting a family that greets you with a huge smile and a lot of warmth.
One of the last families that I photographed before the new Covid-19 restrictions were introduced in Canberra (face marks became compulsory) was the Graham family. Together with Tim and Liz, there was Jed, Ellie, Rueben, Amaya, Josh and Toby.
The family session was to celebrate the arrival of Toby (one of the cutest little guys you could lay your eyes on) and the latest addition to the growing family.
I recently had the opportunity to photograph three different family units. The common relationship for the three families is they were all sisters. I was quite nervous as I had never completed a family photoshoot with three different families before. But I was up to the challenge!
Well in this case, it could not have gone better….
It was a crisp winter’s afternoon and we all met at the Arboretum at the Himalayan Cedars. It was the perfect afternoon for the kids that had a lot of energy to burn. Even though there were three families I knew it was going to be a fun afternoon because all the kids had an amazing personality.
The golden winter’s glowing through the trees and the amazing colour palette.
It had to be quite an orderly process and an almost cookie cutter approach to the session to make sure that I got all the shots in. The kids were all cousins and had a great relationship.
Single portraits of the kids are always part of a family photoshoot and just look at how gorgeous these kids came up! They looked absolutely amazing.
A great thing about the arboretum is that I have all these different places that on hand to include in the session.
This must be one of my favourite photos from the day - how much joy is radiating out of all the kids at the wide brown land sculpture. It was enough to give me a warm fuzzy moment.
And here's the thing, each of the families was just so naturally relaxed in front of the camera. The kids were playing little games together when they were not having photographs taken. This was definitely not that totally structured portrait style at all, it was all-natural, organic family moments.
If you would love to create family images for your home like the Lalor family, get in touch with Alistair here.
FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER CANBERRA | MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHER CANBERRA
People update their family photographs whenever there is a huge family milestone. Today there is a lot of choices when it comes to selecting the right photographer for you. This blog post goes through a series of questions that you might want to ask when your are doing your research to help you make an informed decision. .
Your next family photography session may be your next major investment given that you could spend anything up to $3,000 on wall art and prints. But it can end in disaster if you do not select the right family photographer.
Photography is not like the medicine, pharmaceutical services or even the taxi industry. There are no regulatory controls that require photographers to have a certain level of experience or education before offering to take your hard-earned cash. In fact, the industry is totally unregulated whereby anyone with a camera can set up shop and start a photography business.
Outside some images on their website, how do you know that the photographer that you have engaged to capture your key milestones in your life is going to do a good job? Where do you start your research? Website or google? If you type in Canberra family photographer into google, it will spit out pages of information. But how do you know if the first one you select is the right fit for you?
In this blog post, I explore some of the hints to help you select a professional photographer that may be right for you.
Cameras are getting cheaper and more technically advanced, which makes it easier for any person to offer photography services. However, photography is more than just pressing the shutter button. When you are engaging a professional photographer, you are hiring them because of their creativity and their composition.
There are two ways to help your decision-making. Have they studied photography at college or university or are they a member of the Australian Institute of Professional Photographers (AIPP). I have achieved my Diploma of Photo Imaging and Photography from the Canberra Institute of Technology between 2019-2020, which has technically trained me across different genres and camera technics. I am also a general member of the AIPP and I am training towards becoming a fully accredited member of the AIPP. The AIPP has a code of conduct that it expects all its members to follow.
In economics they call it asymmetrical information. This is where one party to an economic transaction possesses greater material knowledge than the other party. It is commonly used to describe the purchase of a lemon.
Unfortunately, a photographer has greater knowledge of their skills and photography background that the general public that may be booking them. One way to avoid a lemon is to see what other people have been saying about their business.
Therefore, it is important to see whether they have any website reviews, Facebook reviews or even Google reviews to help shape your thinking. You should spend some time going through these reviews to see if they are the perfect fit. If they have no reviews or have their comments turned off this may act as a big red flag.
But sometimes you just cannot beat word of mouth to help inform your decision-making. Therefore, ask your family or friends if they can make a referral. Or reach out to Facebook group for the style of photography that you are after for recommendations. You may be surprised when you shake the tree what type of referrals that you may receive.
There are two crucial aspects that you should check before appointing a professional photographer – the quality of their work and their services. Their website offers the first port of call for determining both these crucial aspects. All professional photographers will have a website for you to navigate. Do not just rely on social media pages like Facebook and Instagram. You need to find the website helpful with a selection of images in their portfolio. Portfolios can help you make the right decisions about the photographer that you want to select.
Pricing should be clearly outlined on their website and should not be confusing. A key hint is to know in advance of the photo session what is their full price list so as not to be a surprise during the big reveal or when you are ordering packages and prints.
The website should be answering the simple questions that you would like to ask. Specifically, it should answer – Who is the photographer?
What do they offer?
Where are they located?
When I am expected to book a service?
How much is likely to cost?
Do not go into booking a photographer without first getting to know them. This is your chance to check their photography background – whether they are technically trained or have accreditation and membership with the AIPP. If your photographer does not answer the phone, is slow in messaging back to you then this may be a red flag. Another thing to check is their language in their email responses, is it professional or is it very causal? If it is overly causal it may indicate that they the business is more of a hobby-based business rather than a proper professional studio.
A good way to know your photographer is over a coffee during a pre-consultation chat. If the photographer does not offer you a pre-consultation chat then this may also be a red flag.
If you are happy with the meeting, their portfolio and the photographer can successfully shoot your event, then hire them out any doubt.
Photography takes many different forms and styles. First you should decide the style which best suits your personality. While your chosen photographer may have a slightly different style to you, be weary of a photographer that has an inconsistent style as you may not get a consistent set of images back from your photography session.
If you notice a large variation in their images on their portfolio, it may be an indication that they are using stock images as an inspiration of the type of images that they may be able to capture or they may have taken the images at a workshop run by another photographer which sets up the poses and the lighting.
What you want to know when you appoint a professional photographer is that they can recreate the type of images that are contained on their website. This is all that you can ask from a professional photographer.
I hope that I have identified some simple ways to avoid a disaster photo session. I hope that your next photo session goes smoothly and you just adore your images. If you looking for a photographer, please reach out so I can discuss your photography needs.
I do love photographing brothers and their families. On Friday, I was joined by Michala and her two children Cruz and Noah.
Cruz and Noah arrived at their photo session at the Himalayan Cedars at the Arboretum full of beans and raring to go. I knew it was going to be a fantastic photo session the moment that they piled out of the car. All that I need to do was get my camera out and start snapping and capture special moments between the boys and with Mum.
I love to incorporate both formal photos and candid shots as part of my photo sessions. It is one way to guarantee a range of beautiful images that capture the wonderful personalities of the children.
It was such a gorgeous afternoon at the Arboretum with a gorgeous family. We ran around expelling at the energy, chasing dinosaurs and playing hide and seek amongst the cedars. It did not take long for each of the kids to run back to Mum for a huge hugs.
The Arboretum offers lots of photography options for families, whether it is the lake in the background, you are amongst the trees or at the Wide Brown Land sculpture.
After spending some time around the large cedars we walked up to the Wide Brown Land Sculpture which was starting to look fantastic in fading light. It was an absolute fantastic and fun photo shoot with the kids. They were very adaptable.
If you would like to book a session with AJ Nitz Images, please click here or call me on 0403 959 459. For more information on AJ Nitz Images please visit my family photography link in the menu.
There is nothing more thrilling than capturing action sports shots of your children. They are moments that can be hung on the wall for many years. I have been capturing sports photography for the last four and half years and been around kids’ football for more than 10 years. These are my tips and tricks to ensure that you get beautiful action shots.
The first tip is you need a camera that allows you to adjust the shutter speed. If not, the chances of taking really great sports action images are extremely limited. Given the speed that the players are moving, you want to set your shutter speed to between 1/1000 sec and 1/1250 sec to guarantee that you freeze the action. It also means taking your camera off automatic!!
The best advice to ensure that you capture beautiful images is to know your sport. The better you know the game, the better your pictures will be. If you know a lot about the sport you are taking photos of, it helps to anticipate where the ball will be or the action maybe is going. This knowledge helps you get the best shots possible.
Set your camera’s burst rate to its highest level to ensure that you get the best shot possible. Do not wait until the player is ready to kick the ball or throw the ball in or you might miss the shot. In this day and age with digital photography we are fortunate to be able to see our results immediately. So press the shutter down as soon as the subject gets into the frame and continue pressing the shutter button until they have passed the ball or kicked it.
Get down low and shoot up to get a more dramatic shot. Watch all the professionals and they are sitting on a short stool. The lower perspective gives the photo excellent depth. Depending on the lens that you are using, consider purchasing a monopod, and use it, even if your lens and camera are not heavy. It will provide balance and stability.
Single focus will not cut it for sports photography. Continuous autofocus keeps the subject in focus as their distance from the camera changes. Most modern-day DSLRs and mirrorless cameras will have the capacity to shoot continuous autofocus. Also, try back button focus.
Warm-ups are a great opportunity to grab those shots when kids when they are mucking around and being silly before the serious stuff starts. It is here when the players are usually smiling and laughing so you get some really good facial expressions. Forget about catching up with your fellow parents before the game starts. Rather use this time to take some of the pre-game photos which no doubt will be some of your favourite images.
Where you sit is one of those dilemmas. In general, you want to be in a position that puts your subject facing you. I prefer to sit behind the goals and towards the corner post. This way you catch the players running towards and goals and you are in the right spot if a player scores and runs towards the corner post to celebrate with teammates. The other school of thought is to position yourself around the ¾ mark or just outside the goal square. This way you can capture the action around the middle of the ground and follow the action until the goal is scored. Nothing better than capturing those goal celebrations.
Do not forget the guy or girl that is responsible for the team. When taking pictures of the warm-up and the action shots, do not forget the coach. They volunteer their hard-earned time and effort to teach your kids how to play the sport. Images of the coach interacting with the kids make a good end of year footage for presentation night. They invest a lot of emotional energy into the game and your kids so it is really nice to capture the relationship between the coach and the kids. And when something goes wrong, it is great to see them being supportive and encouraging.
Most cameras will be perfect for shooting kids football providing it shoots in manual. However, as the kids get older and faster it would be preferable to use a camera that shoots at more than 7 frames per second to ensure that you get the shot. Something like a Nikon D500, Canon 7D Mark II are ideal cameras as they are less expensive than their full-frame cousins and they shoot at 10 fps.
In sports photography, it is all about length due to the distance between the field of action and the sideline where parents generally standing. As a result, the minimum focal length that you need for capturing football is a 70mm to 200mm length. While it is ideal to use a fixed aperture of f2.8 to ensure that you get ample separation between the subject and the background, you can get away with an f4 lens.
While you can get away with a 70-200mm len as you can crop your images, the optimal lens is something that is greater than 300mm. This allows you to fill the frame with the action shot without too much cropping.
While a zoom lens is critical to ensuring beautiful action shots, do not forget to carry a wide-angle lens in your kit for taking those stadium-wide shots to make your viewers feel like they are right there in the stadium.
My current set up is a 70-200mm f2.8 len and a 200mm-500mm f5.6 len is allows me to get in tight.
We are all learning and after the event is the perfect time to analyse your images to see if there are any keepers for your portfolio. It is not unusual that I will take 1000 pictures during a football game. Out of those, about 150 or fewer are provided to the game organisers, and only about 5 get added to my portfolio. The point to remember, dissecting your images in the perfect time to find out what is working and what is not. Also, try to find a pattern of success and failure to understand what you need to work on.
Canberra is a fabulous place to live. We are at the foothills of the Brindabellas giving us sensational views (especially in winter!). There are breathtaking views of the city from Mount Stromlo and the Arboretum.
There are however times of the day that are better than others in order to guarantee sensational family photographs. So what is this time of the day?
Photography is all about light and the two best times of the day is golden hour.
Golden hour is the period of daytime shortly after sunrise or before sunset, during which daylight is redder and softer than when the Sun is higher in the sky.
The best way to think about it is the last hour of the day where there is that silky sunlight which makes you look gorgeous and stunning. I did not refer to sunrise as I understand no one wants to get up that early in the morning!!
During this period of time there are no sharp shadows falling across you or your family.
My preference is to schedule my outdoor family sessions during golden hour. During the winter months, golden hour falls quite early in the afternoon. However, during summer golden hour is not until it is quite late in the day. If you have a small family, you might want to schedule a little nap and a snack before the family session.
It is not possible to always schedule your family photo session during golden hour due to planning conflicts or the little ones cannot stay up until late.
I understand light and how to master light. As such, I am able to serve your family and deliver beautiful photos no matter the time of day.
In that case, AJ Nitz Images will schedule your family photo sessions in the morning around 9am and 10am before the sun gets too high in the sky and harsh shadows start to form. This is also a time when kids are the most energetic and radiant.
I have been lucky to document Maya and her family on three separate occasions now, but today has been one of the most satisfying experiences. Even though it was a cold wintery morning at the top of the Arboretum, Maya was bustling with energy and kept Ary and Antonio busy while I had the most important job - documenting their last day in Canberra. Maya was so photogenic that it made my job a breeze. Best of all we were able to spend some time warming our hands over our hot drinks after the photo session. We will miss seeing you guys in your old stamping ground of Gungahlin.
Morning fun
At the Arboretum
Canberrans are spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting a location for their precious family photographs. It does not matter if you live on the south or northside, everyone is 20 minutes away from a fantastic spot.
As a father and photographer, I am acutely aware of how much we treasure photos of our family. I have a bunch of locations that I have used or want to use.
I am regularly asked where the best place is to hold family photographs around Canberra. I have therefore compiled a list of locations that future clients might wish to use as inspiration for their family photo shoot.
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These are my top 5 places to locations.
1. Arboretum
This is my all-time favourite location in Canberra for photographs as there are numerous locations that you can select. The Arboretum is found just off the Tuggeranong Parkway on Forest Drive. My two favourite locations are the Himalayan Cedar forest and Cork Oak Plantation. Your kids can run amongst the Himalayan Cedars which comes alive during sunset. When they are exhausted it is time to head up the Wide Brown Land sculpture for the last of the photos. The Himalayan Cedars are located at the end of the Himalayan Cedar Road.
Sensational view from the Himalayan Cedar forest
A short drive down the dirt Cork Oak Road is the Cork Oak Plantation. The forest has stood almost as long as Canberra itself, planted in 1917 on the northern end of the arboretum. Once you enter the Arboretum, just follow the sign to the Cork Oak Forest. It is a popular spot for families and it is a great place to explore. A perfect spot for walks, picnics, or to sit under the trees and breathe in the forest air.
2. Yarralumla Woolshed
This is an oldie, but a goodie is the Yarralumla Woolshed, which is a unique piece of Canberra’s history and a fantastic place for photographs. It is located on the south side of the lake with the property located at 208 Cotter Road, Yarralumla.
The external area of the woolsheds is just perfect for rustic style photographs. It boasts wide-open areas where children can run around and sit on the stairs or the old sheep run when exhausted. Big shade trees have helped produce some of my most stunning images, but there are also plenty of open spaces to serve as blank canvases.
The side of the Yarralumla Woolshed
3. Weston Park
Weston Park, like the Arboretum, has numerous sub-locations that are just perfect for photographs. Located in Yarralumla, off Weston Park Road, park your car in the car park off Pescott Lane and it is a short walk to the beautiful pond area that is surrounded by luscious trees where you can capture beautiful reflections.
The Pond within Weston Park is a favourite for families and couples
There is a beautiful grassed area that is perfect for kids to run around. Then it is a short walk down to Lake Burley Griffin for some photos by the lake and stroll amongst the pine trees.
4. Old Parliament House
The rose gardens in the Senate and House of Representative’s courtyards of Old Parliament House represents another idyllic location for family photos. There is ample space for kids to run around and have fun in the open lawns while the parent access the seating pavilions or pergolas. The rose gardens have plenty of wisteria arbours, cross paths and trellises. The location comes alive from October to March when the roses and wisteria are in full bloom.
Old Parliament House rose gardens are located either side of Old Parliament House on King George Terrace, Parks
House of Senate Garden of Old Parliament House
5. Kingston Foreshore.
The final location in my top 5 spots to have your family portraits taken around Canberra is Kingston Foreshore. Kingston Foreshore is a bustling cultural, social, and residential hub located on the southeastern edge of Lake Burley Griffin. Located in Kingston off Wentworth Avenue the foreshore offers families a variety of options different environments. If the photo shoot allows for two locations, it is possible to have some photos around the old brickworks buildings of the old bus depot and gigantic old building of the Powerhouse before crossing the road to have some photos amongst nature and the lake.
The added advantage of the location is that right after the photo shoot it is a short walk down to some of the best restaurants in Canberra or post photoshoot coffee.
Recently I had the pleasure to photograph Jess and her family at Weston Park, Yarralumla. It is a fantastic day with the sun shining after some smoky days leading up to the photoshoot. Enjoy the images from that day.
If you want some memories for your family, please contact me.
