Shooting a 6 month old

[stevebuk]

Hi all,

I've never really tried any portraits but plan on taking a few images of my 6 month old niece this weekend. I was planning on either my 70-200 f4 or 50 1.8.

I was thinking for available light I should use the 1.8 as it will all be indoors and the house is quite dark and that I could use the 70-200 with my recently acquired 430exii flash.

If I am understanding correctly, I should set the exposure without flash first using the shutter speed to get the ambient as I want it, and then expose with the flash at different settings until happy? How does this sound?

One point I'm not sure of is if I need 1/30 sec to get the ambient as I want it, will the flash freeze the subject? Or will I still have a problem with blur if she or I move / wobble. I've never been clear on flash freezing as if the shutter is open for a long time, surely I'd still see subject movement?

Any advice or tips for this shoot would be appreciated. I'd like to get some nice images but am not really sure of if I should flash or not and if the 50 or 70-200 would be a better fit.

Many thanks in advance.
Steve

 

[chocolate_monste]

The flash will freeze the flash part, but the ambient part will show blur still, this might make it appear blurred, maybe bump you ISo 1 stop to give you 1/60th that will help.

 

[chocolate_monste]

I'd use the 50/1.8 gives you more control over dof and also 70-200 might be a bit long

 

[stevebuk]

Thanks for the advice.

Regards
Steve