Shooting When With Family...

[Mojorisen]

How do you deal with shooting images when you are out and about with family. I tend to shoot extremley fast and usually feel dissapointed because I cannot take my time because I feel my family is getting impatient. I started thinking about this while reading the 4th of July article. I was wondering how do I tell my wife "I need to go over there to work, you and the baby can wait here"? What do you do to deal with making the time to shoot when with family?

[PnwGuy]

If it were me I would either be with the family and settle for snapshots, or I would go out by myself when I wanted to do serious shooting. You simply cannot enjoy yourself (photography-wise) if you're out with non-shooters. I've tried it, it just doesn't work. Even if they say they don't mind and they patiently wait while I shoot, I still feel rushed.

It's easy for me to say as I am single and my daughter is grown and on her own so I don't have the same issue with balancing family time with personal time.

I'd probably talk to the family and let them make some suggestions as to how to handle it.

[Korkalot]

I definitely feel you on this issue. Sometime it feels more awkward to be photographing in a new location by myself, so my fiance makes great company. Unfortunately, he still doesn't understand how I can stand in one position for 5 minutes waiting for that special moment. As for the trip, he doesn't mind that all. I think it is because walking keeps him occupied, but when I stop, he starts to get bored. What we've started doing is combining our hobbies. If I'm taking pictures of surfers, he brings his metal detector. If I have a a soccer game to photograph, he brings a book or the dog. Maybe this will help you in the future too.

[michellepotter]

Is there a way to involve your family in what you are doing? For example, it seems to me that a good vantage point from which to photograph fireworks would also be a good place from which to watch them. Why wouldn't your wife just sit by you and watch the show?

You said you have a baby, do you have older children? Children are fascinated by the world around them. If you find it interesting enough to photograph, chances are good you could get them interested in it, too. My kids will sit and watch a bug for as long as they can keep it from getting away. Point out the different parts of a flower and how the dew collects on the petals. Show them how changing the light changes the picture, etc.

Another good way to get kids interested is to give them a camera. I gave my daughter one of my old point and shoots, and not only does it keep her interested in photography, all of her brothers and sisters want to model for her and see the results on the LCD. That might work for your wife, too. Sometimes a person who seems to have no interest in photography becomes a shutterbug over night just because she's taking pictures of her own sweet little baby.

Finally, I mostly take pictures of whatever my family is already doing. At the zoo, my family is already interested in standing around watching the tiger, so they don't get bored while I set up photos of him. At the park, I take pictures of the kids playing (until they drag me over to a duck pond they want me to shoot.) If they are already interested in something, I don't have to get them interested so I have time to take pictures.

[Nathan deGargoyle]

I have a very patient wife!

[Quo Fan]

My fiance is also a photographer. We go on photo shoots together.

[waffles]

People find stuff for me to shoot, and I shoot it. I try not to take too long too, so I also make it up to them later by doing something that I find rather boring.

[dannyrich]

I can certainly see how this thread came about.

I have the same problem, however besides my fiance my friends also do not see the benefit and reasoning of setting up a shot.

REcently whilst my fiance and daughter have been away on holiday i have gone to parks alone to shoot. Its been great and im thinking of maybe doing this once a week or so, almost if i was goiing training or to the gym so i am uninterrupted.

The other thing is time to process photos, i have been wondering how people find time to do this without spending whole evenings on the PC!

[lisa]

Im never without either the kids or the oh!

He dont mind at times but the camera has been referred to as 'that thing' and that i should be fixed to me face It depends on his mood and if we are up the farm it depends if someones about for him to talk to instead of him bored in the car.

I also feel rushed, not so much as getting a shot but spending as much time around something id like to just watch and photograph an example being the deers at wollaton the other day, I wanted to go over the other side to the other set of deer but knew the oh would get the hump if i asked. At the same time ive got some lovely pics of the kids and him while out and about.

One of my fave times to shoot is while we are down the allotment, the kids are playing, oh is busy and theres wildlife and plants to shoot.

I just have to make the best of what i can get at the mo and thats the best ill get till both the kids are at school.

[Laurence]

Why don't you talk to your wife and explain how important it is to you and that you need the time. My boyfriend also shoots so he understands. I am usually the one he has to wait for because sometimes I don't have my D80 with me but I always have my point & shoot in my purse and I have been know to bring it out often to take some photos. He just laughs and understands.