Editorial Director: Victoria Craven
Senior Editor: Abigail Wilentz
Project Editor: Carrie Cantor
Art Director: Timothy Hsu
Designers: Areta Buk and Jay Anning, Thumb-Print
Production Manager: Salvatore Destro
Front cover photography (top) Kathy Wolfe, (bottom left) Cindy Wong, (bottom middle) Julie Monacella, (bottom right) Allison Gaulin
First published in 2008 by Amphoto Books an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group
a division of Random House, Inc., New York
www.crownpublishing.com
www.amphotobooks.com
Copyright 2008 by Jim Miotke
Library of Congress Control Number: 2008929138
eISBN: 978-0-8174-0025-5
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any meansgraphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage-and-retrieval systemswithout the written permission of the publisher.
v3.1
Also Available as an eBook:
BetterPhoto Basics
The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography
The BetterPhoto Guide to Exposure
The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Nature Photography
F OR D ENISE
and
camera-toting moms everywhere
Acknowledgments
I am deeply grateful to many people who have helped me write this book. First and foremost, I would like to thank my familymy wife and best friend, Denise, and our children/models, Julian, Alex, and Alina. I am grateful to Brian and Marti Hauf for their loving support. I would not be anywhere without Team BetterPhotoincluding Karen Orr, Kerry Drager, Jay and Amy Wadley, Celia Burkhart, Keri Malinowski, Tori Ashe, Ricardo Chavez, Pete Whitmore, Maureen Whitmore, and Jeff Moore. I am also indebted to the fantastic team at AmphotoVictoria Craven, Amy Rhodes, Abigail Wilentz, Carrie Cantor, Lori Horak, Areta Buk, Jay Anning, and Melissa Berger. I feel honored to know and work with such great photographers as Vik Orenstein, Jim Zuckerman, Brenda Tharp, Lewis Kemper, George Schaub, Rob Sheppard, Tony Sweet, William Neill, and every one of the amazing instructors at BetterPhoto. And I give my thanks to the great BetterPhoto community and to the hundreds of BetterPhoto members that responded to my survey, providing me with pages and pages of topics to discuss and questions to answer in this book.
Contributing Photographers
These photographers placed as finalists or winners in our monthly photo contest at BetterPhoto.com or are members of the Photographing Children Club at BetterPhoto.
Erinn Aloi
www.afreshfocusphotography.com
Candy Avera
www.betterphoto.com
Terri Beloit
www.terribeloitphotography.com
Sherry Boles
www.betterphoto.com
Christina Bowker
www.betterphoto.com
Craig J. C. Photography
www.betterphoto.com
Donna Cuic
www.betterphoto.com
Anna Diederich
www.betterphoto.com
AnnaMarie Ferguson
www.betterphoto.com
Michelle Frick
www.michellefrick.com
Allison Gaulin
www.betterphoto.com
Alison Greenwood
www.betterphoto.com
Hayley Hamlin
www.betterphoto.com
Susana Heide
www.betterphoto.com
Jean Hildebrant
www.betterphoto.com
Kerry Hogle
www.betterphoto.com
Jessica Hughes
www.betterphoto.com
Janet Jonas
www.betterphoto.com
Jennifer Jones
www.betterphoto.com
Denise Kappa
www.betterphoto.com
Karen Kessinger
www.betterphoto.com
Linda Krehbiel
www.betterphoto.com
Susi Lawson
www.betterphoto.com
Teresa Lee
www.betterphoto.com
Jill Lenkowski
www.betterphoto.com
Jane McDonagh
www.betterphoto.com
Heather McFarland
www.betterphoto.com
Josh McKenney
www.betterphoto.com
Julie Monacella
www.betterphoto.com
Amy Parish
www.betterphoto.com
Kimberly Peck
www.betterphoto.com
Megan Peck
www.betterphoto.com
Margot Petrowski
www.betterphoto.com
Kelly Plitt
www.betterphoto.com
Daniella Puente
www.betterphoto.com
Jennifer Ralston
www.betterphoto.com
Jessica Sandberg
www.betterphoto.com
Monika Sapek
www.betterphoto.com
Jennifer Short
www.betterphoto.com
Angie Sidles
www.betterphoto.com
Sher Skinner
www.betterphoto.com
Denise Snyder
www.betterphoto.com
Gianna Stadelmyer
www.betterphoto.com
Cheryl Steinhoff
www.betterphoto.com
Darby Struchtemeyer
www.betterphoto.com
Michael Swaffar
www.betterphoto.com
Datha Thompson
www.betterphoto.com
Erin Tyler
www.betterphoto.com
Benica Walsh
www.betterphoto.com
Norma Warden
www.betterphoto.com
Ilona Wellmann
www.betterphoto.com
Kimberly Whipps
www.betterphoto.com
Kathy Wolfe
www.betterphoto.com
Cindy Wong
www.betterphoto.com
Contents
Preface
I AM A PARENT who photographs my children because I find endless joy in this activity. I try to take my camera everywhere I goalways ready to capture a meaningful moment, with my finger poised on the shutter button. I also have a studio set up in my garage so I can easily take beautifully lit photos of the kids whenever the mood strikes, regardless of the weather. I have three adorable childrenJulian, Alex, and Alinawho prove to be fun and cooperative subjects time and time again. In this book, I share with you my own tried and proven tips and tricks for getting fantastic child photosagain and again.