Keepin it Natural with Mamatography in Panama :: Photography Lessons for Moms

In keeping this a Working-Vacation, I thought I should capture some snapshots of Safi in our home away from home here in Rio Mar, Panama. After a special day-just me and my girl-of playing on the beach and learning to swim at the pool we came inside to the a/c and just chilled.

As most photo ops occur, I was simply putting away laundry in my room while Safi roamed around, as she does. I noticed something's about my new space...the natural light is perfect for catching indoor candid shots without using flash (and I'm a total FLASHER ; ) The sun in Panama is intense which makes for better indoor shooting possibilities than most locals back in the States.

For this short but memorable shoot, I made my Aperture the priority while utilizing Spot Focus. 

Here's how...

First-ALWAYS first, set your camera's ISO. I chose a relatively low ISO of 320 to keep the grain low which can be noticeable when solely working with natural light.

Next, I set my camera's Aperture (aka Fstop) using Aperture Priority. You can do this by using your camera dial-AV for Canon or A for Nikon. Both stand for Aperture Priority, meaning you choose the Aperture and the camera chooses the Shutter Speed. 

I recommend this often for portraits but it doesn't always work with toddlers as they're always on the move!

Now, utilize your spot focus buttons on the back of your camera. Depending on your model, you will likely have to tell your camera internally to shoot using Spot Focus rather than what I call Dynamic Range Focusing which tries to pick up on all points in the frame. In comparison, spot focusing lets you choose the precise area to focus on. In portraiture, it is critical for the eyes and face to be sharp in focus. So when you are pushing the back buttons, align your internal focusing point for the eyes-that's what I typically do.

Poor baby! I didn't even realize her hand was stuck until editing these pics..I know, child abuse! But that lip didn't turn into a cry so we were cool!

Here were my light sources: a sliding glass door and 2 windows.

"Read to me Mommy!"

The view outside..I know, I hate me too.

If any of the above concepts are foreign to you, no worries mon! Pick up the Mamatography Photo Basics and Beyond ebook to help you grasp photography fundamentals.

Happy Shooting, Vicky