Audrey Woulard Child Photographer

jeniveeev

jeniveeev

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Hi - i was wondering if anyone can work out this amazing child photographers technique. i have attached the link and if you look in "about me" she explains that 85% of her work is outdoors and natural light without props. I would like to see the exif data on her images to see what settings she uses but cant get it! does anyone have any idea how she produces the creamy skin/popping eyes (not racooned), artistic look? she seems to use prime lenses and various nikon cameras, but her technique looks amazing if no props are used. just curious.

http://www.audreywoulardblog.com/
 
The pictures remind me of Annabelle Williams and she shoots kids outdoors at ISO400 and F5.6 in AV mode, and advises people to use the same settings and concentrate on the shoot not the camera
 
Hi Jen

I'd guess she is using fast quality glass, wide open, and a top class camera such as a D700/D3 or Canon equivalent etc.

The DoF in her shots is minimal, and she is obviously skilled at nailing the focus as this is especially difficult on f1.6 apertures.

By the way, the EXIF is available on the images - just checked, and indeed she does use a D700. (I didn't look at the EXIF before I wrote that above... honest) :)
 
I'd guess at prime lenses with mega large apertures. The depth of field is seriously shallow, faces in focus but it's gone out of focus by the time you get to their arms (and they are only little!)

Have a look at Helen Bartlett to if you like those. She only shoots black and white but quite a similar style and I know that's the way Helen shoots. She shoots Canon with 85mm f1.2.

http://www.helenbartlett.co.uk/portraits/childrenPortfolio.php

Hope that helps.

edit: just checked the EXIF and they are shot at ISO400 but an aperture of f1.6.
 
yes - her work reminded me of AW but better. she does shoot wide open with all prime lenses but wanted to see what shutter speed she was using. AW talks about spot metering the kids face in the shade the shooting in direct sunlight. how do you do this? i always shoot in manual. its a habit.
 
Manual is fine but aperture priority would work nicely too. You have a spot meter mode on the camera so spot meter the face and lock the exposure but not the focus.

(I'm not sure how to do that on a Nikon, sorry!)
 
anyone know on the nikon (D70). theres a spot meter button back of camera. do i compose the picture and press shutter half way and hold this button?
 
Not shot at 5.6.
I have similar images in a project I did earlier this year. The eyes are so clear and glistening they are almost real!
 
jeniveeev said:
anyone know on the nikon (D70). theres a spot meter button back of camera. do i compose the picture and press shutter half way and hold this button?
Click to expand...

Not sure about the D70 but I have a D100 and there is an exposure lock button within the spot meter dial. I would meter the shot, then press and hold the exposure button, compose your shot then press the shutter. HTH
 
Thanks everyone for their comments. can i just ask treesie, did you shoot in AE or manual. my interest in the shutter speed stems from a thread i read on another forum and her S/S was 1/6000. would this be correct to achieve this type of image together with wide open 1.4/1.8 in full direct sunlight?
 
Lovely photos

Gone onto the 'about me' section she uses Nikon with Prime lenses (28mm 1.4, 30mm 1.4, 50mm.1.4, and an 85mm 1.4)
 
yeah all primes, and minimal or no post processing. simply amazing what she achieves with so little and she clearly has it all down to a fine art! what astonishes me is she shoots in direct sunlight with no harsh shadows or anything over exposed! perhaps her locations are paramount to her results.
 
Am I the only one that is pulling the EXIF off her images? :thinking:

On her blog, she uses a D700 and as already stated some seriously fast glass. :love:

Most shots at f1.6. Average ISO 400 and shutter speeds are seriously high!! Several shots at 1/4000 or faster :eek:

Class work though, considering she states she uses virtually zero PP.
 
yes Hooky her blog tells you its all prime lenses, wide open stuff. i practiced in the garden two days ago with the kids using the high s/s and it made a difference to my images. (for my level of photography). i was quite delighted with the bokeh effect and sharpness. gosh, i love having a new technique to explore!
 
The problem with her type of photography is that if you want to replicate it in Scotland you only have about 3 days of sunshine each year to do so :lol:
 
jeniveeev said:
my interest in the shutter speed stems from a thread i read on another forum and her S/S was 1/6000. would this be correct to achieve this type of image together with wide open 1.4/1.8 in full direct sunlight?
Click to expand...

The Sunny 16 Rule suggests using a shutterspeed of 1/ISO at f/16 in bright conditions. It's not often that bright in the UK, so we'll say f/11. There's a 6-stop difference between f/11 and f/1.4 so if you're using 100ISO you'd try increasing the shutterspeed from around 1/100 by 6 stops, say 1/125 to 1/8000. If you run out of fast speeds, or choose to use something lower, you'll get the overexposed look that you seem to be after, or you could use a neutral density (ND) filter to take the exposure back down to within the camera's capabilities.

Or you can place your subject in a bit of shade or use a diffusion panel and overexpose the background.
 
and she only shoots jpeg
 
apparantly she also uses vivid settings! there must be more too it ***', people have tried her technique and dont receive the same results. sounds like shes a master of natural light, knows where/when to place the kids etc. yes and always shoots in jpeg!
Flash...im laughing, your so right! the sun is splitting the sky this morning...that could all change by 10am! lol
 
I have to say in the 4th pic down on her website, the young girl looks like she is wearing lipstick?
 
i doubt anyone would chose to use make-up on children, she also claims not to. i wonder if this has anything to do with the vivid settings she uses, altering colours etc. i have only seen this effect using actions in p/s (very pink lips). i wondered about the kids eyes if they were enhanced but again its something she doesnt like to do!
 
jeniveeev said:
apparantly she also uses vivid settings! there must be more too it though
Click to expand...

Vivid settings will increase saturation and sharpness? Apart from that, get the sun behind the subject and expose accordingly. Hereabouts, it's often very grey 9 till 5 and sunny before and after.
 
When you shoot in jpeg the colours seem to pop more than RAW and i'm guessing she also has Active D-Lighting set to hight on her D700 and in PP I think she has pushed the saturation up too. With this and the fast glass say the Nikon 85mm f1.4 you are looking at the results she has achieved. Nice stuff.
 
I think her biography page says more about her than her pics - very yankie, and comes across slightly defensive imo.
 
No.. I don't saturate colors in Photoshop....ever
Click to expand...

Nope, but if you have a D700 with "vivid" picture control set you'd be hard pushed to saturate it more... well, unless you tune that up with even more saturation in the menus - a la Ken Rockwell!

All very Spinal Tap - turn it up to eleven!
 
jeniveeev said:
apparantly she also uses vivid settings! there must be more too it ***', people have tried her technique and dont receive the same results. sounds like shes a master of natural light, knows where/when to place the kids etc. yes and always shoots in jpeg!
Flash...im laughing, your so right! the sun is splitting the sky this morning...that could all change by 10am! lol
Click to expand...

where are you finding out that she uses vivid settings? I looked on her website, and blog and I don't see where she states this information?
 
it was mentioned on another forum, not sure if its speculation or fact from someone who had attended one of her workshops! or perhaps the "about" section. ive read it somewhere.
 
Exif data from one of the baby photos.


Camera Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Camera Model: NIKON D700
Image Date: 2008:05:29 20:33:21
Flash Used: No
Focal Length: 85.0mm (35mm equivalent: 85mm)
Exposure Time: 0.0020 s (1/500)
Aperture: f/1.6
ISO equiv: 500
White Balance: Manual
Light Source: Fine Weather
Metering Mode: Spot
Exposure: Manual
Exposure Mode: Manual
 
Nice images but I feel they are let down by the wishywashy website, its near impossible to read without getting eye strain! :(
 
Custom Rendered = Normal process
Exposure Mode = Manual exposure
White Balance = Manual white balance
Digital Zoom Ratio = 1x
Focal Length In 35mm Film = 85mm
Scene Capture Type = Normal
Gain Control = Low gain up
Contrast = Normal
Saturation = Normal
Sharpness = Hard

Don't know about vivid settings (as not familiar with Nikon), but from the above, looks like contrast and saturation set to normal, as is scene capture type.

Low gain up on gain control, and sharpness - hard may be factors in helping with the "punch"?

Very nice shots though however she's doing it.


Full exif below:




[Image]
Make = NIKON CORPORATION
Model = NIKON D700
Orientation = top/left
Software = Adobe Photoshop CS2 Windows
Date Time = 2009-05-30 17:14:15
Artist = AudreyWoulard___**
Copyright = AudreyWoulard

[Camera]
Exposure Time = 1/2500"
F Number = F1.6
Exposure Program = Manual
ISO Speed Ratings = 400
Exif Version = Version 2.21
Date Time Original = 2008-06-15 19:20:46
Date Time Digitized = 2008-06-15 19:20:46
Exposure Bias Value = ±0EV
Max Aperture Value = F1.41
Metering Mode = Spot
Light Source = Fine weather
Flash = Off
Focal Length = 85mm
User Comment =
Subsec Time = 0.50"
Flashpix Version = Version 1.0
Color Space = sRGB
Exif Image Width = 606
Exif Image Height = 862
Sensing Method = One-chip color area sensor
File Source = DSC
Scene Type = A directly photographed image
Custom Rendered = Normal process
Exposure Mode = Manual exposure
White Balance = Manual white balance
Digital Zoom Ratio = 1x
Focal Length In 35mm Film = 85mm
Scene Capture Type = Normal
Gain Control = Low gain up
Contrast = Normal
Saturation = Normal
Sharpness = Hard
 
Hooky said:
Am I the only one that is pulling the EXIF off her images? :thinking:

On her blog, she uses a D700 and as already stated some seriously fast glass. :love:

Most shots at f1.6. Average ISO 400 and shutter speeds are seriously high!! Several shots at 1/4000 or faster :eek:

Class work though, considering she states she uses virtually zero PP.
Click to expand...

... and post #3
Click to expand...

:coat:
 
I could have sworn I read the word 'vivid' in the about section earlier today as well, but apparently not as it's definitely not there - I think just by looking at her work it's quite obvious that vivid settings of some description have been used - maybe her own interpretation of vivid and not Nikons?

I've just looked at the EXIF on a few of her images - I'd say her 'vivid' comes from LR or PS perhaps?

mhab5u.jpg
 
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