St helens photography – Tip’s from Children’s Lifestyle portrait photographer Geoff Beattie

October 16, 2011

One of my favourite is Carr Mill Dam and Sankey Valley, especially with the recent regeneration that’s been going on.

Throughout St Helens there are 17 parks and open spaces ( according to the Council http://www.sthelens.gov.uk/page.htm?id=690#Parks )

Bankes Park
Clinkham Wood Local Nature Reserve
Clock Face Country Park
Downall Croft Doorstep Green
Fosters Park (Formerly Hardshaw Park)
Gaskell Park
Haresfinch Park
King George V Haydock
Mesnes Park
Nanny Goat Park
Sankey Valley Country Park
Sherdley Park
Siding Lane Local Nature Reserve
Sutton Park
Taylor Park
The Duckeries
Victoria Park

If I’ve missed on out, please let me, and our readers know in the comments below. would be great to get some photos in here too, ideally photos of your children in the parks around St Helens – email them in to me at photo (@) creativephotoshop.co.uk or if you have some on flickr or facebook then send me the link.

Portrait tips for parks and open spaces

When your taking portraits in the park and in open spaces you need to not get too wrapped up in the place that you are in, remember, your prime objective is to take the portrait of the person, not the location. Having said that, the location is important as it :

Provides an interesting environment and location to take photos
Helps the kid’s relax and be “natural”
When it’s a fun place, it will help to get the kids laughing and smiling. not always important, but happy, smiling photos of kids are great, and make you feel good!
Provides a visual enhancement in the final image by way of colour, patterns and shapes in the background
Fantastic natural light – you really can get better light than good, bright natural daylight.

What’s in the background

When your taking photos (especially portraits) in the open, you need to put more thought into the background. I don’t mean just looking out for the odd tree that may appear to be poking out of someone’s head, but also look out for:

Distracting patterns
Random people
Dogs
Traffic
Ugly stuff that doesn’t compliment the photo.
Colours that don’t compliment the subject
patterns that work against or distract from the person.

You need to look at what is in the background almost as much as much as at the subject. This can be done in advance before you take the shot just by looking around for a good backdrop that would work with the portrait.

Then check it in the viewfinder and see how it looks. Take a couple of photos at this point of just the background to use in your editing later if needed.

When you find a good background, look for the bast place to position your subject and your self. With a little practice you’ll just begin to see good backdrops all around, then you can position yourself and wait for the subject to walk in, run past, or just come into the right place so you can get that perfect shot.

These are a couple of shots I took at Carr Mill Dam of my 3 little ones I took at Carr Mill Dam:

For this shot of Khi, I used the dark and distant trees and crouched down low to put the railings below his head and allow the trees to fall out of focus.

India was walking along in front of me when I squatted down low with the camera, when I shouted her, she turned to see me squatting and did the same, laughing and smiling at me.

For this shot of Ajay, I was high above him at the top of a hill, this placed the grass on the ground behind him, I just shouted and asked him to “smile”

Please share your comments, photos, thoughts and ideas below, if you have a tip, phot or ideas you’d like to share just comment or email us to : geoff (@) creativephotoshop.co.uk

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Have fun and happy snapping