© TIM PANNELL

One of the best photography tips I can give anyone for shooting in the snow is to become familiar with your histogram.

I have an image I shot for an iPad commercial that is running on tv at the moment.  If you’ve seen the ad you’ll recognize this image.  It was shot in the snow and consequently I had to make sure my exposure was dead on to avoid either blocking up my shadows or blowing out my highlights in the snow.

When you have your camera set on automatic and you shoot in the snow, there is an extremely good chance that the camera will underexpose your image.  An oversimplified explanation is that your camera sees all that white from the snow, assumes it’s supposed to be a light gray and adjusts the camera’s exposure accordingly, which makes the rest of your image darker than what your eye is seeing.

This, in and of itself is not the end of the world as long as that exposure doesn’t “clip” your shadows…..meaning underexpose your shadows to the point where there is no detail or information in that range of your photograph.

You can always bring the image into correct balance in post production as long as your shadows aren’t completely blocked up.  Simply put, you can’t add information to an area of your image where there is no information to begin with.  This works or doesn’t work both ways, whites and blacks.  You can’t add detail back into your whites once they are overexposed with no detail at all.  You can’t add detail back into your blacks once they are underexposed or clipped with no detail to begin with.

The best way to avoid this kind of problem is to become familiar with the histogram on the back of your camera.  Ideally the left and right side of the graph on your histogram will come short of the frame edges.  If the histogram actually touches the left or right side of your frame, then you are “clipping” that part of the image.

If it hits the left side, you’ve clipped your shadows.  If it hits the right side. you’ve clipped your highlights.

So…..whenever you shoot in the snow, be sure to check your histogram carefully and be sure that you have detail and or information in both your highlights and shadow areas of your image.

If you see that you’re clipping either of these areas, you can adjust your exposure by just tweaking your exposure compensation setting up or down.  There will be a dial with a +/_ on it and adjust itaccordingly.   If you’re clipping your shadows, adjust the exposure to the plus side (overexposure).  If you’re clipping your highlights, then adjust the exposure compensation dial to the negative side until you are no longer clipping those highlights.

The trick is to find a balance for your image.  If you can’t avoid blowing out your highlights without clipping your shadows you will need to find a way to add more fill light to the shadows in your image.   You’ll have to use lights or fill cards or reflector boards or disks.

If you don’t have any of those things then you’ll be in a position where you have to decide which part of your image you’re willing to clip.  In this case, you have to choose which part of your shot is the most important….the highlights or the shadows.  The answer to that question will vary from image to image.  It’s subjective…..your choice and your choice alone.

The cool thing about shooting in the snow is that you probably won’t have that problem.  The snow naturally provides a lot of fill light for you, so the chances of having your shadows to dark with no detail are slim as long as you’ve adjusted your exposure properly.

© Tim Pannell

Here’s one of the best photography tips I can give you…..Invest in lighting.  I know it’s expensive, I know it can be confusing when you start out with it, but trust me…..there is an entirely new world out there for you when you have lights and learn how to use them effectively.

There is only so much you can do with available light before everything you shoot starts to look the same.  Sometimes, it’s nice to just mix it up.

It seems like the latest posts on this blog have been about shooting our kids once they’re older….it wasn’t intentional, but it seems to be what I’m mostly doing this last month.  If your kids are still little…..enjoy them…..it won’t be long before they are heading off to college and you’ll be wondering where on Earth the time went.

I’ve spent the last couple of days shooting my oldest son for a potential job he’s up for in the sports media department at the University he attends.  He’s in the Graphic Design major and this would be a dream job for him.

He played soccer this past summer with a bunch of buddies and one of them runs the department and mentioned that if he had a bunch of good work, he’d be able to get him in.  That was all Blaine needed to hear and he was busy creating “mock” ads and needing great photographs for them.

© Tim Pannell

I used to shoot him like there was no tomorrow when he was a little guy and it was almost like going back in time working with him again.   We did a whole bunch of soccer images with his layouts in mind.  It was so much fun to be shooting him again.

I was really happy with the lighting setup I used so I shot my 17 year old in his lacrosse gear as well.  He doesn’t really like having his picture taken, but was a great sport and actually had a good time, even if he won’t admit it.  He loves the finished images he’s seen so far.

I also grabbed the 6 year old next door and dressed him up in his lacrosse garb as well.  What a blast!

These shots were done in the middle of the day, at f-16 and 1/250th of a second.  I overpowered the sunlight with my strobes.  I set up a paper background and shot my subjects against that knowing that I was going to “strip” them out of the image and put them into a different scene that I had previously shot.

I also went down to Cougar Stadium the other night after their season opener and shot the stadium lights to strip into the images as well.

© Tim Pannell

I know this isn’t the typical stuff you’d shoot with your kids and for many if not most of you it’s overkill, but it was fun and it was a great opportunity for me to do something cool with my kids.

Not all of these images are finished yet, some are still works in progress.  The main thing is for you to be able to spend quality time with your kids and then as a bonus have something to remember it by with the pictures.

These images are a lot more advanced than the vast majority of the images I’ve taken of these 2 over the last 2 decades.  I just wanted to give Blaine the best chance I could to impress these guys and get this job.  My fingers are crossed.

Owning a couple of strobes can greatly enlarge what you have going on in your photographic “wheelhouse”.  They are nothing more than tools you can use however you choose.  Maybe you’ll use them so subtly most people won’t even notice they’re there.  Maybe you’ll push them to the extreme and create images that are way out there.

Perhaps strobes are too much for you, but you want to do a little something more than just point and shoot….look at getting some good reflectors to help you manipulate the light and better your images.

The point is that lighting is just one more part of the process of learning your craft.

Go out and play…..have some fun!!

© Tim Pannell Photography

Well, it’s finally here.  We had a couple little hiccups with the website this last week, but we’re ready to begin registration for the Photo Mommies Online Photography Workshop.

The workshop begins on October 19th.  It goes on for 8 weeks.  If you want to see the curriculum, just follow this link: Photo Mommies Workshop.

This comprehensive workshop is designed to help the amateur photographer that wants to get more out of their digital camera.  If you have kids and want to take better photographs of them, this is the workshop for you.

Learn what it takes to create beautiful photographs of your children.  From how to navigate your way through all the bells and whistles on today’s cameras, to using available light, to simple composition and how to find good backgrounds and props.

You’ll also learn basic Photoshop and retouching techniques, digital workflow and how to store your files properly.

There will be weekly modules available to download with the lessons so you can learn at your own pace throughout the week.  There will be tasks  and assignments to challenge you each week to grow and stretch beyond your current comfort zone.

The fee for the 8 week workshop is just $299.  Get registered now.  www.photomommies.com/workshop

Little Cuties © Tim Pannell Photography

I got to shoot two little girls yesterday. What a hoot! The youngest is one and her older sister is 2 1/2. They are adorable.

Their parents are friends of ours from church. I see them every week, but I didn’t really know much about their 2 little cuties.

Sisters © Tim Pannell Photography

The first time I shoot with kids, I try not to push too hard for a preconceived shot. It rarely works out the way you plan. It’s better to just kind of go with the flow.

The younger they are, the shorter window of opportunity you will typically have. We shot for under 2 hours, which is a long time for 2 little ones of their ages.

Try to find a couple places that have good available light and backgrounds. Find some props to help keep them from paying too much attention to you and then start shooting away.

We started out with a little kitchen set. Eden, the 2 year old loves to bake! This was the easiest way to get her into shooting without “posing” for the camera.

Eden the Chef © Tim Pannell Photography

Eventually, they get used to you and you can get some natural looking shots of the kids just being kids.

The struggles with available light are almost always focus related. I have great lenses and yet they still struggle to lock on sometimes when the subject has lots of “energy.”

"Popular" © Tim Pannell Photography

Shoot anyway. Even if they’re moving in and out of focus. Sometimes you can get some happy little accidents. Blurry isn’t always a bad thing.

I shot most of these images at f2 between 1/125th and 1/200th of a second, ISO rating of 800. No fill lights, no reflectors. I wanted to show what can be done with no additional lighting.

Little Chef © Tim Pannell Photography

Most people starting out in photography just have the camera and a couple of lenses. Sometimes people mistakenly believe they can’t get great photographs without a lot of “stuff.” You don’t have to have fancy studio lighting equipment to get great shots.

© Tim Pannell Photography

You can add additional lighting to your “kit” in due time. There’s nothing wrong with taking baby steps in the beginning.

© Tim Pannell Photography

The most important thing to remember when shooting little kids is to try to make it fun and no big deal. It’s not life or death if you don’t end up getting an amazing shot.

© Tim Pannell Photography

If you try to force the situation you could ruin a lot of your chances for getting great shots the next time. You don’t want your kids going AWOL any time they see you pull your camera out.

© Tim Pannell Photography

Remember, Just have FUN!
Registration for the Photo Mommies Online Photography Workshop begins on Tuesday, September 22nd.  Be sure to sign up, there will only be 125 spaces.

© Tim Pannell Photography

I’m getting ready for the October 19th launch of my Photo Mommies Online Photography Workshop.  The goal is to help moms use their cameras better and get better pictures of their kids.  It’s been a lot of fun creating the curriculum.

I’ll also be creating Camtasia videos showing step by step Photoshop techniques at the end of August once the software is available for Macs.

So, if you’re a mom that is passionate about photography and your kids and want to take your photo skills to a higher level, this is the perfect photo workshop for you.

I’ve been a successful commercial photographer for over 24 years and will be sharing insights, tips and secrets I’ve learned over those years as I’ve worked with thousands of kids.

Here’s what  some people I’ve worked with over the last decade or two say:

Pete Schnaitmann

Peter Schnaitmann – Executive Producer – Corbis

“Tim and I have worked together for over six years at Corbis and I have enjoyed every minute of it!  He is an amazing photographer who has the ability to work with people of all ages and get them to relax and be comfortable in front of the camera which enables him to create images that show true emotion and feeling.   Tim is solution oriented and always looking for new ways to light and to create images that are unique and stand apart from the rest.  His positive energy and determination to always create the best image for the project helps to make every shoot a success.”

Ellen Herbert – Producer/Freelance Art Buyer – Former Sr. Director of Photographer Relations, Jupiterimages.

“It is rare to work with a photographer like Tim Pannell. In my 25 years of producing, directing, licensing and buying imagery, he is number one on my list of photographers to call for any project. I know he will bring a creative vision that will take any concept, no matter how staid and overdone, a new slant. Every member of every crew that has ever shot with Tim finds themselves doing their best work when on set with him, inspired not only by the creative process, but by Tim’s supportive, positive and enthusiastic energy and his optimistic outlook. His images are among the top income producing in all the major stock agencies and he is in high demand. He is one of the most respected photographers in our industry. He makes it look easy. Its not, but he makes it look that way. I can’t wait for the opportunity to work with him again.”

The workshop will be available online starting October 19th and will run for 8 weeks.  Each participant will be able to download each week’s lesson at the beginning of the week.  They can then study and work at their own pace throughout the week.  Assignments will be done over the weekends applying the principles learned throughout the week.  I will be giving you personalized feedback on the numerous images  you create throughout the entire course.

Here’s the curriculum as of today:        (It may change between now and the start of the photo workshop)

Week #1 –        Introduction to Photography

A Day In Our Life

Techno Geek vs. Creative Freak

Equipment – Basic Camera Settings

Go Out and Play – (1^st assignment)

Week #2 -       Exposure Control

Shooting Modes

Histograms – (Polaroid was so over-rated)

ISO

Picking an Aperture

Depth of Field

Shooting Action

Aperture vs. Shutter Speed – (2^nd assignment)

Week #3 -       The Art of Seeing

Lens Choice

Viewpoint

Rule of Thirds

Cropping

Background options

Developing Your Creativity – (3^rd assignment)

Week #4 -       Working With Light

Lighting is the Bomb

Styles of Lighting

Outdoor lighting Techniques

Indoor Lighting Techniques

Out With the Bad Light, In With the Good! – (4^th assignment)

Week #5 – Importance of Editing

Candids vs. Portraits

Interacting With Your “Victims”

Indoors vs. Outdoors

Tight and Tidy vs. Loose and Sloppy – (5^th assignment)

Week #6 -       Color Management

Photoshop Settings

Photoshop Actions

Basic Image Enhancement

Workflow

Before and Afters – (6^th assignment)

Week #7 – Storyboard

A Week in Your Children’s Lives

Shoot, shoot and shoot some more

Edit, edit and edit some more – Use the Hatchet, be tough!

Unleash the Creative Beast! – (7^th assignment)

Week #8 –       Share the Wealth

Best of the Best

Wrap It Up, I’ll Take It

The photography workshop will be limited to the first 125 people.  The cost for the 8 week course is $300.00 payable in full at time of registration which is set to begin on September 22nd.  To make sure you’re up to date on workshop registration info and on our latest tips and techniques just fill out the form below with your name and email address.

Family picnic © Tim Pannell Photography

I’ve been a commercial photographer for over 24 years now, so It seems a little weird for me to be saying that I’m discovering the joys of photography all over again.

Over the course of my career I’ve worked with Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Phil Mickelson and shot all over Europe, Africa, South America, Greece, Canada and most of the states in the U.S.

I’ve worked on countless campaigns and with countless ad agencies and art directors.  I have to say that I always have a ball when I’m working.

But, out of everything I’ve shot, the one subject that is my hands down favorite, is kids.  They’re a blast!  I love their energy, I love the challenge of keeping them interested.  I love trying to understand what makes them tick.

I only started this blog a few weeks ago in the interest of sharing some of the things I’ve learned over the years with others.  I didn’t realize how much I’d benefit from it.

So, while I’m trying to come up with ideas for the blog, I’m remembering how I used to feel all those years ago when I was just starting out in photography.

I used to pour through magazines and books, searching for great images and I would always look in awe when I stumbled onto an amazing photograph.

I ate, drank and slept photography.  Writing this blog has reawakened those feelings inside me and it’s been a lot of fun reconnecting with that.

I have so many friends that are extremely interested in photography.  Several of them are into scenics and nature shots, but the vast majority are mostly interested in shooting better photographs of their children.

© Tim Pannell Photography

The “Photo Mommies” blog focuses exclusively on taking better photos of your kids.  It’s been fun sharing some portrait lighting ideas and photography tips, but I would like to get more in depth than I can in a “blog” format.

Since I want to share more and do more, I’ve decided to offer an online photography workshop to a select number of students.

Here’s what I’ve come up with so far:

The class will run 8 weeks.  The first class will start in October

There will be a limited number of students allowed in each class so that I have enough time for each person on an individual basis.  I will give everyone personalized feedback on their assignment images.

I’m having a website designed so there will be a forum specifically for these workshops.  I will be able to post daily lessons, images, videos, and screen captures.

At the end of each week, there will be an assignment that covers the daily lessons studied during that week.

Students will be able to post questions and upload some of their photos for critiques and feedback.  I haven’t settled on a fee just yet, but perhaps somewhere in the neighborhood of $300 – $400.

I do have a lot of questions at this time.  I know what I would like to learn in a photography class, but I don’t know what any of you might prefer or enjoy.

What would you be looking for in an online photography class?  What topics would interest you the most?  What would your expectations be for an 8 week class?

If any of you have already taken an online photography course, what did you like about it, what didn’t you like about the workshop?  What areas of child photography do you struggle with the most?

I’m open to any suggestions, no matter how big……or small they may be.

camping © Tim Pannell Photography

I’m really excited about teaching these workshops and I am looking forward to getting to know a lot of you better.  By the end of the class, I’m sure I’ll have a pretty good feel for who your kids are as well.

There’s nothing as cool as getting a great, timeless shot of one of your kids that will last forever.  Nothing is better at transporting us through time to a cherished moment or memory than a photograph.

Let me give you the photographic tools you need to capture the images of your kids  that you already carry around in your heart.

Baby June © Tim Pannell Photography

This is one of my favorite baby photos.  It’s just one of those dumb, happy accidents.  It totally reminds me of those goofy chewing gum commercials and the 9 out of 10 dentists prefer Trident.

She looks like a little “pitchman.”  Here, look at this, look at how cute I am……now buy my crap!

This was a really simple portrait lighting setup.  Basically I found a room with great natural light.  I positioned the baby so the light would flatter her and be interesting.

I also made sure the background was visually pleasing, without competing with the baby.  I did that primarily by choosing a wide open f-stop, in this case it was f-2 and picking a background that had nice light, shadows and shapes.

The real trick, as always with babies is to recognize that ultimately they are in charge.

I sat her on the floor and laid down a few feet in front of her.  I got some simple props for her to play with.  She picked what she liked and did her thing.  I played with her for a few minutes so she would get used to me and hopefully, not pay much attention to me.

She was having a good time with her little block and then she glanced up with “that” look and knocked me out of my shoes.  I’ve shot tons of pictures of this little girl, she’s now 5 years old.  This is still my favorite…it just cracks me up.

It’s not any more complicated than that.  You shoot as much variety and for as long as the baby will tolerate your strange behavior.  Try to squeeze a little more out of her after the first “obvious” fussing noises.

With the 2nd set of “I’m growing weary of you” sounds, you pack your things and call it a day.

Elle - Final © Tim Pannell Photography

I was setting up to take some “birthday party” pictures for a self assigned stock photo shoot.  It happened to be the day after Valentine’s Day and we had these balloons sitting around so I decided to do a little lighting test with “Baby Elle” my first victim that day.

She’s absolutely adorable and a great sport, especially when you consider how young she is.  Her mom is a really good photographer in her own right so Elle is used to “photographic abuse“.

I never show outtakes of images from a shoot, it’s almost like sharing how to do a magic trick, but since this is about instruction……here goes.

This image was taken under my covered patio.  It gave me some

Elle - 01 © Tim Pannell Photography

nice open shade and it also allowed me to lighten up the background considerably so that it wouldn’t compete with my subject.

My backyard, which is the background, was lit by direct sunlight so when I

opened up the lens to correctly expose my subject who was in open shade, it naturally overexposed the background until it became almost white.

Photo image – Elle-01 shows what the background looked like

shooting from my perspective instead of being at Elle’s height.  The background is way too busy for my taste as I prefer my backgrounds to be non competitive with my subject.

Photo image – Elle-02 shows what happens when I don’t change my perspective, but alter the crop.  I like the crop of this image better.  The strobes aren’t exactly firing the way I want in these

Elle - 02 © Tim Pannell Photography

first 2 images so the light is not quite what I like.

Elle-03 shows the image with the cropping I will use, but without any strobes firing.  You can also notice that I got a lot lower on the ground so that I minimized all the extra clutter from the backyard in the previous 2 images.  You can see reflections of the strobes and me in many of the mylar balloons.

Once I was ready to shoot I had the balloons turned to minimize the reflections as much as possible.  My expectation was that I would have to do a little photoshop work on the image to get rid of some of the unwanted reflections.

The final image shows how everything came together.  I shot this at f2.8 and 1/250th of a second.  I had a strobe left of camera shooting through a white sheet as well as a strobe right of the camera and behind Elle to give her a little highlight from that side.

The background is nice and soft, but with a  bit more interest than just a white seamless background.  I like the eyes looking up,

Elle - 03 © Tim Pannell Photography

but not too much.  And, as often is the case I went with an image that wasn’t just a big smiley face.  I find the “say cheese” images that are so prevalent very hard to look at for an extended period of time.

Beginning Photography Tips:

Tip #1 – Open up that f-stop, keep the background soft.

Tip #2 -  Shoot from your subject’s level, try not to shoot down on kids.

Tip #3 -  Use lighting to accentuate your images, make them interesting….nice shadows, nice highlights, some directional quality.

Tip #4 -  Don’t over-direct.  Try letting the child do her own thing.

Tip #5 – K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple Stupid – One of my art director’s favorite lines.

In any case, Elle’s her typical adorable self….she’s a teency little superstar!

digital portrait lighting © Tim Pannell Photography

Where do you start when you want to help people take better photographs of their children?

I remember when I started out taking pictures when I was in High School I knew absolutely nothing.  I was a blank slate.  I had nothing.

I had friends that had been taking pictures for years, so I relied heavily on them to show me the ropes.  Them and whatever crappy photo books I could get my hands on at the time.

I learned your basics about exposure, f stops, shutter speeds, lens choices and that was about it.

I shot scenics and some pictures (lousy ones) of my girlfriend at the time.  When I look back I’m completely embarrassed at how bad my stuff

Portrait Lighting Setup

was at the time.

My lens choices were crap, my angles were all wrong and even my exposures could have been tidied up a bit.

I didn’t know anything about cropping, but mostly I didn’t know a thing about light or the quality of light.

I didn’t realize at the time just how important great light is to an image.  That’s really what separates the men from the boys.  LIGHT!

My friends did the best they could.  they taught me everything they knew.  They got their info from other friends and other crappy photo books that were available.

I’m gonna skip ahead a few years.  Suffice it to say that I really enjoyed photography, but had yet to be exposed to anything that really helped me a lot.

I decided to turn pro when I was in college for Design Engineering and Economics.  I was going to go on and get an Architect’s license after that.

I had about a year left and made a huge change in direction when I decided out of the blue that I really just wanted to be a photographer.

I started out shooting weddings and engagement portraits.  It was fun for about a week or two and then it started getting really repetitive and boring.

I began pouring through commercial photography books, Communication Arts, Photography Showcase and the Black Book of Photography.

I would spend weeks and even months going over the images in those books one by one, identifying all the images I liked and then trying to understand what it was I liked about them.

This is when I really started to learn about the importance of great light.  I would then pick an image that I loved and then I’d go out and do my best to reproduce that image.

This wasn’t for my portfolio, it was just an exercise to learn about lighting.  I set about to learn what kind of photography moved me so consequently I would know what avenue of photography to pursue.

So, ask yourself, what kind of photographs have you seen that you really like?  Have you actually seen great photography of kids?

Do you like images that look like classic portraiture or do you like images that have more of an editorial feel?  Do you prefer images that lean a bit more towards a commercial look?

Maybe you like a little bit of everything and that’s fine too.  The more you play with photography, the more you’ll come to recognize your particular vision and way of seeing things.  This is the fun part!!

As you learn how to apply different photographic principles to your images, you’ll be able to see photographs and figure out how to go about producing those types of images.  That’s at least the ultimate goal.

Seek out great photography, learn all of the child photography tips you can get your hands on, get yourself a target to aim at and let the adventure and fun begin.

Soccer Champs © Tim Pannell Photography

Where I live, there has to be a couple of billion kids playing soccer every Saturday.   I’ve coached my kids teams for about 9 or ten years total.  Most of the trophy shots you see are the kids all lined up like the school classroom photos from the 70′s.

I wanted to do it a bit different so I piled all the kids in the minivan and shot away.  Sometimes kids have a hard time smiling without looking like they’re being electrocuted.  But, they all love to yell and scream at that age so shove them in and get ‘em to yell their heads off.

You’ll get a lot of real emotion as the kids try to one up each other.  Eventually you will have had enough and you’ll be begging them to stop.  But, by then you will have taken a great picture so it’ll be worth it.

The light will spill in through the windows of the car giving you nice highlights and visual interest.  I tilted the camera just slightly to keep the shot from looking to staged and static.