MF for fast Children Portraiture

Nigel Harley · Jan 30, 2008

For years I have used Bronica SQ succesfully for landscape work and outside portrait work. But recently I have being doing more lifestyle work with children and am missing so many shots due to focusing.

I love the weight and the simplicity of the Bronica but was wondering do I persist or can anyone suggest alternatives? A case of finding the right tool for the job or trying to work with the tools that I have?

The problem I have is focusing... especially in 'lowlight' ie indoors with natural lighting. I prefer 6x6 format, I have tried the add-on eye level viewer, but the extra weight does not allow for quickly responding to the constantly changing situation.

David A. Goldfarb · Jan 30, 2008

You know, now that Melchi is almost 14 months old and is moving around a lot more than he used to, I find I do better with my 5x7" Press Graflex than my Bronica S2a (with prism and quick focus lever). The bigger groundglass of the Graflex, quick rack-and-pinion focusing, and simplicity of the camera just make it easier to get the decisive moment, even though it takes longer to cock the shutter and sheet film is slower than rollfilm. I use a 12-sheet bag mag usually.

Here's one of my favorites in 5x7"--

Nigel Harley · Jan 30, 2008

Interesting but that would also mean a costly investment in the darkroom too. But thanks for the input.

Low light, no problem it's when they move!

dpurdy · Jan 30, 2008

If you have some money to spend and you don't mind 645 you could get an auto focus Hasselblad. Or if you have even more money to spend and you like 6x6 you could get the autofocus Rolleiflex. I photograph kids and my favorite camera is a Rollei TLR. My problem is that if kids are that mobile and there is no way to stop them, you have to keep adjusting the lights.. or keep putting them back on the spot. One kid was so impossible that his Mom ended up spinning him round and round and round till he was so dizzy that when she sat him down he sat there for awhile watching the world spin round.

David A. Goldfarb · Jan 30, 2008

They make smaller ones too, and you could get a 4x5" adapted to a Graflok back and use rollfilm backs on it.

Actually, I did find I could work faster with the Bronica by using the bellows instead of helical focusing (on the S2a these are interchangeable) and the brighter chimney finder instead of the prism, but then I realized I had just turned it into a 6x6 version of the Graflex, so I went back to 5x7".

BrianShaw · Jan 30, 2008

I might be a wimp, but I can't do it. For my kids it's 35mm or I get no pics. On rare occasion -- very rare occasion -- I can get them to sit for MF or LF.

stillsilver · Jan 30, 2008

I too have dug out my 35mm gear to chase around my 15 month-old little boy. I was using too much film and getting bad negatives. I still try using my SQ but until he slows down a little, I’ll be using the small format.

Mike

Nick Zentena · Jan 30, 2008

Didn't they shoot sports with TLRs? How did they manage?

Mike Wilde · Jan 30, 2008

or more light for more DOF

The focusing is not as much a problem with more depth of field to fiddle with.

I know kids hate flash , but there are electronic sqeulch units that fire so fast you almost can't blink.

I have Metz ct 60 that I put on a stand with a smallish AmVona cheapie silver umbrella with a white face 'soft box'. With this I can still have the sensor see the subject and set it to auto to cover the distance required.

The opposite side for reflectors are foam core boards with aluminum foil spray glued to one side. There are actually 4 boards about 3 feet tall x 18" wide, with them taped on the long edge so that they can Z fold together to travel, and also be self supporting at toddler height.

If there is good window light, it is almost always preferable to flash, but that is a biog ask on a lot of overcast winter days in my part of the world. If the natural light is weak, fill with the silver side reflector. If you need flash for DOF, then used the white side - it is usually enough.

Shoot with negative film if doing colur, to be able to deal with the falsh to suject distance regualrly changing as the child shifts about the room.

Nicole · Jan 30, 2008

Hi Nigel, I often work in low light with moving subjects and have to think quick and react fast when photographing children. For MF I use both Pentax 645NII and Hasselblad 501cm and am very happy with the results. I recommend you rent/hire different equipment for a while before buying to see which "fits" you best.

Nigel Harley · Jan 30, 2008

Thanks Nicole, I love your work! I feel very humbled as it is excellent and you have captured the innocent essence within the children. Very inspiring and given me confidence to pursue with MF.

Sometimes the obvious thing to do is so obvious we miss it - hire!!!

Kvistgaard · Jan 30, 2008

Sometimes it's faster/easier focusing with your feet - set the focusing distance to roughly what you want, then step forward or back until the viewfinder image is sharp. Someone offered me this piece of advice for my Leica M6 - not a very fast focusing camera either, and I find it very useful indeed.

Phillip P. Dimor · Jan 30, 2008

I take a few pictures of my dogs. The fastest for me is probably the Pentax 645. Using a Hasselblad is pretty quick with flash though, just keep the same shutter and f stop, concentrate on focusing.

I'd assume that a Mamiya 7 or Koni Omega w/ flash would be pretty quick.

SuzanneR · Jan 30, 2008

I use MF cameras almost exclusively when photographing children. When I nail it with the RZ, it really sings, but if speed is of the essence, I have used a Mamiya 645 AF system. It handles like a big 35mm, and its quick, though I don't find it's autofocus all that quick, and prefer to focus it myself. As Nicole says, rent a few systems to see which works best for you.

panastasia · Jan 30, 2008

SuzanneR said:
I use MF cameras almost exclusively when photographing children. When I nail it with the RZ, it really sings, but if speed is of the essence, I have used a Mamiya 645 AF system. It handles like a big 35mm, and it's quick, thought I don't find it's autofocus all that quick, and prefer to focus it myself. As Nicole says, rent a few systems to see which works best for you.

Try the RZ/RB at some of the high shutter speeds (even wide open), the camera is a hand full, I know, but the weight of the thing does something special. I was amazed at some shots taken of people on our rocking speed boat out in boston harbor. It was rough out there! And the pictures were mostly tack-sharp.

Blighty · Jan 30, 2008

I use a Mamiya C330f with a variety of lenses. Coupled with a chimney finder, I get a very bright image on the screen. Focussing is a breeze with the rack and pinion system and 'follow-focus' becomes quite easy. You have to get used to the image moving the wrong way on the screen, but this takes only a little time. They're as cheap as chips at the moment also.

BrianShaw · Jan 30, 2008

stillsilver said:
...chase around my 15 month-old little boy... but until he slows down a little...

If yours is like mine, it could be a long wait!

mark · Jan 30, 2008

stillsilver said:
... until he slows down a little, Ill be using the small format.

Mike

six years and still waiting.

removed account4 · Jan 30, 2008

david goldfarb beat me to it ...
i have more trouble with mf
i do with a graflex slr when
making photographs of kids.

john

eddym · Jan 30, 2008

Nick Zentena said:
Didn't they shoot sports with TLRs? How did they manage?

With a little practice, it's not as hard as you might think. I've done action work with a Rolleiflex with waist level finder. You can get used to the reversed movement and follow action pretty well. Or if you can prefocus on a certain point, you can use the sportsfinder. Many years ago I shot trotters and barrel racers with it.

papagene · Jan 30, 2008

When my daughters were small, some of my best pics of them were made using a Yashica Mat 124g. The below shot: f16 at 1/15 sec.

gene

Black Dog · Jan 30, 2008

I use a TLR [Mamiya 330] as well, usually with a 55mm and I haven't needed superglue or tranquilisers yet.I've got pretty good at anticipating moments-the key seems to be getting them occupied making cakes/unwrapping presents/reading etc. Delta 3200 in 120 is a great help as well. I've even used 5x4 and though I've got some blurry pics, I have even more good ones. YMMV and good luck!

P C Headland · Jan 31, 2008

I've used my TLR (Yashica LM), Iskra, Super Ikonta and Pentacon 6 to shoot my little 'un. He's not one for sitting still

With the Yashica, I sometimes use a close up lens, and with the P6 it's usually the 120mm CZJ, often wide open & on a short tube.

In fact, I reckon I have more focus misses on those rare occasions when I shoot with the Minolta AF SLR.

Practice, practice and patience. It does pay off when you get it right.

Struan Gray · Jan 31, 2008

My children all know that they can run towards me and get inside my closest focus distance faster than I can turn the lens barrel.

Best aid to focussing? A +1 diopter for the viewfinder.

But in general a 150 f2.8 and Portra 400 is a nice combination for handheld snapshooting, 800 is useful indoors. I have tried flash, but prefer blur. With shorter lenses I end up too close and interrupt what they are doing, which leads to more attention-grabbing portraits but the photographs become too much about how they look rather than how they are. When they are fully absorbed I sometimes stalk them with a 250 mm and a low tripod.

eddym · Jan 31, 2008

Struan Gray said:
My children all know that they can run towards me and get inside my closest focus distance faster than I can turn the lens barrel.

My dogs know that too! That's why I get better results with cats.

MF for fast Children Portraiture

Nigel Harley

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