Learning Center
Breaking the Rules

Breaking the Rules

by Emily Wilson

As we age, it is often difficult to remember the energy and curiosity we possessed as children. Creating a record of family events are often comprised of posed images, diluting the enthusiasm that actually surrounds an outing or special occasion. Professional photographer Emily Wilson offers advice on ways to capture the excitement and exhilaration of a simple family picnic in the frame of your Tamron lens.

For all of the photos she used her Canon 5D and the Tamron AF28-300mm Di VC (Vibration Compensation) Macro zoom lens, the perfect lens for taking spontaneous family images without blur.

“For the Family Portrait, I actually set up the camera on a tripod, using the self timer mode and then let each child have a turn pressing the shutter and running into the frame. The kids loved it and gave the photos a very spontaneous energy.” The focal length was 65mm with an aperture of f/6.3 @ 1/80 sec with ISO 250. Curiosity is a trademark of youth. “While the little girls were playing in the grass, I went over and set the camera down on the ground and angled it slightly upwards. I said, ‘Hey, are you looking for bugs?’ They had quite a giggle smiling for the ‘camera bug’.”

Emily Wilson’s creativity and ingenuity have created some expert shots using household objects, crafts and toys to frame a shot. For the Camera Bug shot, she used violet-colored plastic wrap from the picnic lunch, placing it over the lens and keeping it secure with a rubber band.

“The results were pretty cool. It actually softened the direct sunlight and gave the photo an interesting rose colored tint.” The focal length was 39mm with an aperture of f/4.5 @ 1/125th sec with ISO 250.

Interesting images can be framed using a different angle. “For the hula hoop shot, I wanted to show how different perspectives can make play shots more interesting. This shot was made possible by the range in focal length of the VC lens.” The focal length was 28mm with an aperture of f/5 @ 1/160th sec with ISO 250.

Another great way to frame a photo is shooting through an object such as opening the bottom of a lunch bag and shooting up towards little faces peeking in. It shows the energy and spirit of youth and their constant curiosity.

Shooting into the sun is not a technique often used by photographers, but for the image of the girls walking into the sunset, it creates a surreal kind of shot that reflects what is happening – the day is done. “I love this one and I was able to capture it from really far away! Unplanned, the girls just walked off into where the sun was setting.” The focal length was 200mm with an aperture of f/13 @ 1/100th sec. The Vibration Compensation was turned on for this shot in order to eliminate camera shake which would have been inevitable by shooting at a shutter speed lower than the focal length. Just as family can be candid and unpredictable, consider the wide range of options a lens like the Tamron 28-300 VC offers when capturing moments in time. Using innovative frames or homemade filters can provide surprising and unpredictable results and reflect energy that is present in togetherness.