Photographing Babies

SharadPSharadP
edited October 2012 Posted in » Nikon D3100 Forum
Hi guys,

I've got a 6 month young baby. I've been taking several pictures of her everyday indoor but am not happy with the quality of the pictures. There is enough light in my lounge area during the day but it's poor at night. I have a Nikon D3100 with 18-55mm and 55-300 mm VR lenses. I shoot handheld with VR on. I usually shoot in aperture mode. I think I've not got the perfect setting on Focus Mode, AF-area mode, metering, ADL etc. If somebody could suggest or share their experience as how to take best shots possible with my available lens and setting, that would be highly appreciated.

Also, I lost the cap of my lens and without the cap it has dirt on its glass. Can you suggest how to clean the lens without causing any scratches? I saw a lens cleaning pen on ebay, would it be worth buying?

Regards,
Sharad.

Comments

  • RiddelskeRiddelske
    edited October 2012
    Hi Sharad,
    This site is great for beginners, only thing is you may have to wait a few days for an answer. ;)

    The kit lens is not great in low light, but generally a good all-a-rounder. I wouldn't rate it as good indoor portrait lens though.

    Lighting is the most important part of photography when shooing in any conditions; indoors can be a task. I'm not a rocket scientist but at night it is going to be 10 times more difficult.
    During the day should be ok, but still you need a lot more light. Increasing the ISO will allow you to shoot at higher shutter speeds but at a cost. Higher ISO results in more noise in the picture.

    Shutter speed is is the next thing you should be looking at. If you're shooting handheld there is a rule called minimum shutter speed. To work this out simply multiply your focal length by 1.5 and round up to the nearest stop the camera can do (i.e. 55MM X 1.5 = 82.5 so the shutter speed on the D3100 would be 1/100 second).
    So anything under this will cause blur.
    To reduce the risk of blur use a tripod and turn VR on. If using a pod turn it off and use higher shutter speeds.

    You can get a replacement lens cap on eBay; they are reasonable priced. To clean the lens I would recommend buying a blower then using a micro-fiber cleaning cloth (don't buy a cheap one though).

    Maybe use a cotton bud to gently remove it, it should just stick to it.

    Regards.

  • SharadPSharadP
    edited October 2012
    Hi Riddelske,

    Thank you for your response and time mate. Seems like I now must invest in one of those 35mm or 50mm lenses. I was just not wanting to buy them yet in hoped that I'd still be able to produce good photos with the kit lens if I had better settings.

    What do you suggest about the lens pen? I already bought one on ebay before you replied.

    Regards,
    Sharad
  • RiddelskeRiddelske
    edited October 2012
    The 35mm or the 50mm are great investments. I own a 50mm and the results are a big step up from the kit lens. Don't get me wrong, the kit lens can produce some good images. Try shooting outside in the late evening just before sunset when the light is not as harsh as it is mid day. There is no best setting to be honest, it's all trial and error. Start with using portrait mode if you don't feel confident enough with manual or aperture mode. For portraits I generally shoot in Aperture mode.

    I don't own a lens pen, as I've not really researched into buying one. I tend to stick with a rocket blower and a micro fibre cloth.

    Is the dirt from a water splash or have you manged to go somewhere that's windy or dirty?

    All I can say is be very careful and do not wipe it or use a solution that has a chemical in it. Water and a cotton bud would be fine.

    Regards
  • DocsplaceDocsplace
    Sharad,

    You might try adding a clear filter to your lens. They are much cheaper to replace should anything happen, and will not distort your photo.
  • SharadPSharadP
    edited October 2012
    Hi Riddelske, thank you so much. I managed to clean my dirty lens with cotton buds and water. One windy day I was at the beach and got all the dust particles on my lens. All is well now.

    Docsplace, could you explain what these filters are like? What term should I search to get them on Ebay?

    Cheers,
    Sharad
  • RiddelskeRiddelske
    edited October 2012
    Sharad
    Try looking for the Nikon 52mm Clear NC Neutral Color Filter. You can buy third party filters which are a lot cheaper.

    I suggested this one assuming you will be using it on the kit lens?

    Regards.
  • SharadPSharadP
    edited December 2012
    Hi,
    I finally bought the 50mm f/1.8 yesterday. I again took some pictures of my baby indoors in the eve just before the sunset. The images are much better than those with the kit lens. I wanted to ask you all, what camera settings would you use on aperture mode? @Riddelske, any tips now? I'll try to share some pics on flickr soon.

    Regards,
    Sharad
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