kids in the swimming pool

The wife has put me under presssure to do a pool session with her and a couple of babies.

I know what they say about animals and children - still any recomendations on port / lens combo , set ups etc. be appreciated,

Whatever you do, don't wear yellow... that's likely to stir them critters into a nasty feeding frenzy...

I do this sort of work for a baby swimming organisation in the UK and I use a 20mm on a Nikon F90 (they prefer 100 ISO print film for some reason). It works a treat. I have on occasions done some digital for them on my Canon 5D and used a 17-40 zoom usually in the 20-24 range. We use a blue backdrop (plastic sheet)

to make it look like the tropics (!) and for portraits, using two SB 105's on quarter power, I usually use f16 to f18 @ 1/160. You can see the sort of stuff I mean if you look at www.waterbabies.co.uk

We work with very young kids, mainly three to six months and they behave very well underwater at this age for maybe three or four "dunks". They get a bit fed up after that. When they get up to a year old, the normal human fear of water has developed and they don't co-operate as well. I mention this as, depending on the age of your kids, it may be helpful to pre-plan your shoot to maximise your opportunity.

I've used the 12-24mm before for 4 yr old.

Jim, where did you find a Swimming pool that would let you take the pictures?

I have a fiend who wants me to take some 'artistic' pictures of her underwater, but i cant find a pool!

I would hate to miss the opportunity!

That sounds like one heck of a fiend Scuba_SI! Don't pass that one up.

Cheers

James

hehehe,

I know James, she was once in FHM as a 'high street honey'

hahahaha

fun fun fun

Peter:

Check out Zena's website for infant photography: http://www.urchinrock.com/

HTH

James

I had the most success with my kids using the 10.5mm fisheye (Nikon shooter) and a big dome port. I really liked split-levels of my kids, and the dome and wide lens made this easier.

Going under and having them dive down while shooting up also worked well. The wide lens works well as you are not worried about spooking them.

Have fun and experiment.

For Scuba_Si

Hi - I don't find the pools - the company have arrangements with several and I just go where I'm told. Sorry can't help further on that one

I had the most success with my kids using the 10.5mm fisheye (Nikon shooter) and a big dome port. I really liked split-levels of my kids, and the dome and wide lens made this easier.

 

Going under and having them dive down while shooting up also worked well. The wide lens works well as you are not worried about spooking them.

 

Have fun and experiment.

Hi, Do you have some images online with that setup & conditions?

I'm going to take photos of my little baby girl in short time and thinking to use this lens or the 18-70 kit lens for that purpose, I thought that the 10.5 is too wide for that purpose but I'll love to get wrong.

I shoot lots off baby stuff in Sweden.

I use now my Nikon d200 with a Nikon 16mm before i have used a Tokina 12-14. One hartenberger 250 strobe.

Depens off background and idea i use F9- f13 1/100 to 1/160

Take a look att my underwater potrfolio att my webpage www.apneaimages.com

My first time shooting in the pool, I found the need to wipe the bubbles off the dome port constantly, every minute or so. Never noticed the need to diving, but I found many pool pictures were ruined by bubbles clinging to my dome port...

Take care,

John

Hi, Do you have some images online with that setup & conditions?

I'm going to take photos of my little baby girl in short time and thinking to use this lens or the 18-70 kit lens for that purpose, I thought that the 10.5 is too wide for that purpose but I'll love to get wrong.

No time to update my website unfortunately but here is one in the pool with the 10.5. It doesn't look very fishy despite the fact that he was inches from the port at the time.

Hello Jim, I am looking at doing a baby swim photography in Australia. The camera I am going to use is a Canon 400d with the canon 10mm to 22mm lense (Using a 9" dome port) . Do you think that this wide angle lense would be appropriate for this?

Matt

I do this sort of work for a baby swimming organisation in the UK and I use a 20mm on a Nikon F90 (they prefer 100 ISO print film for some reason). It works a treat. I have on occasions done some digital for them on my Canon 5D and used a 17-40 zoom usually in the 20-24 range. We use a blue backdrop (plastic sheet)

to make it look like the tropics (!) and for portraits, using two SB 105's on quarter power, I usually use f16 to f18 @ 1/160. You can see the sort of stuff I mean if you look at www.waterbabies.co.uk

We work with very young kids, mainly three to six months and they behave very well underwater at this age for maybe three or four "dunks". They get a bit fed up after that. When they get up to a year old, the normal human fear of water has developed and they don't co-operate as well. I mention this as, depending on the age of your kids, it may be helpful to pre-plan your shoot to maximise your opportunity.

Hello Jim, I am looking at doing a baby swim photography in Australia. The camera I am going to use is a Canon 400d with the canon 10mm to 22mm lense (Using a 9" dome port) . Do you think that this wide angle lense would be appropriate for this?

 

Matt

Hi Matt

Don't know anything about that lens but the angle should be fine - anywhere around 20/24mm (35mm equiv) seems to work well. Best of luck

Hi Jim, thanks for the reply. I am pretty new to this game, but am slowly getting the info.

Thanks again,

Matt

Hi Matt

Don't know anything about that lens but the angle should be fine - anywhere around 20/24mm (35mm equiv) seems to work well. Best of luck