One thing I have learned since becoming a mother is taking pictures of a baby is not easy! They are almost always going to come out blurry from movement.
the Photoshoot
Kelsey and I were sitting in Alaina’s nursery one afternoon, and the light coming in through the window was beautiful. I am always looking for good lighting, everywhere I go. I can’t resist it. So I ran and got my Leica M6 because it was already loaded with Kodak Portra 800. I wasn’t sure that I would be able to catch good shots because Lainey was moving a lot and the only light was coming from the window.
the Colors of Kodak Portra 800
To my surprise, the photos came out really well! I am really loving the colors I get from Kodak Portra 800. I have noticed that the lower the ISO with Portra, say Portra 160, the colder the photos are with more blues. The higher the ISO, like these on Portra 800, the warmer they are with more reds.
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the Strength of a Leica
Two factors that helped to get these photos was the accurate meter, and quick shutter of the Leica M6. Don’t get me wrong, I have several other cameras that have fast shutters at a fraction of the cost of a Leica. I am only saying that in this instance, the strengths of the Leica M6 really helped me get these shots. Having an accurate meter that is easy to read, coupled with a fast shutter, helps when needing to nail a shot quickly.
Final Thoughts
These are some of my favorite photos that I have taken of my daughter so far. I was excited to share them with you all, and I hope you enjoyed them. Some things to take away, if you are hoping to take photos of your future baby or existing infant on film: Have a camera with fast shutter speeds, film with a high ISO especially indoors, and a nice source of light.
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Until next time, stay motivated and keep shooting.
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Beautiful pictures Aly.
Interesting note on the colours of Portra 800. I found they leant greener than the lower ISO Portra offering, but that might be because I do actually shoot 800 at 800, while I regularly take 400 out at 250-200 and 160 out at 100-80. Not for the “pastel tonez”, just because I get a more even exposure usually.
There are definitely advantages to the Leica and I’m glad you point out that other cameras are available 🙂 I don’t have one but I do have my Contax G1 and when I take it off AF and guesstimate range at f/11 I don’t really go wrong, and it shoots super quickly. The AF on it really is fickle, though, and if you don’t find some high contrast area to focus off, then you can be stuck waiting for days. Literally.
Thank you!
Yes there’s definitely other cameras that can do the same. Like the Ricoh 500G small and fast little camera I love to use in the car.
How lovely you pictures are, the love shines through. Congrats to you all!!!
Thank you