This weekend, Mathieu, Marie, and Noémie came to visit, and we had quite the packed schedule! Saturday was mostly spent in a photo studio we rented in Fulham, along with five other families with kids. Afterward, we wrapped up the day with a visit to our local park and a quick stop at the pub—needless to say, it was a tiring but fun weekend!
The studio, The Light Studio, is tucked away in a rather unassuming building near Fulham Broadway. The owners were incredibly helpful, getting everything set up within 15 minutes and making sure we had everything we needed. A big thanks to them for providing such a friendly and affordable space for non-professionals—it made for a fantastic experience! 😊
Mathieu and Marie were our star helpers, warming up the studio by testing the setup and making sure the backdrop was comfortable and the lighting just right. Unsurprisingly, they turned out to be the easiest models of the day!
We kept the setup simple yet effective:
- Lighting: A single Bowen 500W light with a softbox in one corner for diffused light, paired with a large polystyrene reflector on the right to soften shadows. This setup gave the photos a natural yet clean “white” finish, perfect for post-processing.
- Backdrop: A standard white backdrop, with about 2 meters laid out on the floor to give the kids enough space to move around freely.
Our gear of choice was the Canon 5D MkII with a 24-70mm L lens, set to Manual mode (“M”). Here’s how we managed the settings:
- ISO: 100 for the cleanest image.
- White Balance: Auto.
- Shutter Speed: Between 1/80s and 1/200s—faster speeds helped keep up with our energetic little models.
- Aperture: Adjusted between f/11 and f/22 to control the depth of field and exposure.
- Flash Power: Left constant throughout the shoot.
Since we didn’t have a light meter, the first few shots were either too bright or too dark, but the histogram on the camera was a lifesaver, helping us fine-tune the exposure quickly.
The results? A clean and flexible base for editing—and plenty of fun in the process! 😊
o enhance the “white” look of the photos and minimize shadows behind the subjects, we added a second flash in the opposite corner to illuminate the background. However, we used it sparingly, as tweaking the setup while shooting with kids can be time-consuming.
Given the challenge of working with little ones on the move, we kept things straightforward. We avoided experimenting with more complex setups, like using three light sources or adjusting the lighting for a black background effect. Simplicity was key, and it worked well for capturing natural, clean shots without unnecessary fuss.
I was a bit nervous about how the photos would turn out. Looking back, I probably played it too safe with the settings and lighting. The pictures are clean but feel a bit flat overall.
Thankfully, post-processing helps. This shot of Chiara shows how a little editing can add depth. Next time, I’ll try being less cautious and experiment more with the setup!
This is one for pampers baby-dry and shows the challenging bit – getting the children looking in the right direction. This is a lucky shot, the moment only lasted a few seconds before everyone start to run around. By looking at the pictures, one may think we had models posing for us – trust me, it is not the case, they are in constant movement, and we had to capture stills out of this playground.
This is one for the daddy – don’t remember who took it – but it is a great shot. Very minor post-processing was done. This is where we realised the flashes and white surrounding was quite harsh for the eyes, that could explain why both girls fell asleep on the way home for two hours …
Chiara and Sab posing – this is Chiara’s fourth outfit and she is getting tired, much easier to take a picture when held in someone’s arms !
The pictures in this post mainly feature Chiara and Noémie, but every parent who participated should have their own set of shots. I really hope everyone is happy with the results!
This is one of the only pictures we have of the two cousins together close enough for a picture and looking in the same direction. Funny enough the one who usually has the tongue out is not the one on the picture. There was no colouring work done on the faces – so yes Chiara appears a bit white, next time we will choose a different colour temperature for the flash and avoid the clear background !
