Children and Snot?

chrisjjb · Feb 7, 2015

I almost entirely shoot portraits of my own family. Occasionally taking some for friends.

I was wondering what more experienced people do about snot/ blemishes?

On one hand if I was paying for a professional photo I would like it to be perfect and to put me in my best light. However there is a part of me that also dislikes the notion of overprocessing my own children.

What do people do?

photo for illustrative purposes, plus tips always welcome (may have slight off focus)

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jmiller1948 · Feb 7, 2015

If it's a portrait you're going to print and hang, then clean up the nose and wipe off the chocolate before you shoot. That being said, one of the cutest photos I ever took of three of my grandkids had chocolate smears on all their faces. I actually did print and hang it.

Alisande · Feb 7, 2015

Snot and drool are an unavoidable (and sometimes amusing) part of childhood. I was dazzled with my children's beauty, as most parents are, and took a lot of photos that reflect that. But many years later, it's the everyday, spontaneous snapshots of them doing funny or affectionate or ordinary things that I treasure the most.

If you have a lovely image of one of your children + snot, you might want to clone out the snot but save the original. You can always choose between them later on, or decide to keep both.

Beautiful baby.

Tom Axford · Feb 8, 2015

While it is certainly nice to have some formal portraits in which everything is perfect (somewhat idealised, you might say), most of the time I prefer to accept reality as it is.

Very young children haven't yet acquired any vanity about their own appearance (thank goodness) and photographing them as they are often produces the most natural-looking images, even if the subject is not entirely clean and tidy at the time.

Professional photographers are probably going to try to get more idealised images, but amateurs photographing family and friends have the advantage in being in a position to more easily capture very natural situations, mess and all.

freetiegui · Feb 8, 2015

Well I can't answer your question of what a pro would do, but I'm trying to build a portfolio mostly of child/baby photography. I would edit it out. If it's for you only, it's your call.

chrisjjb · Feb 8, 2015

Tom Axford said:
While it is certainly nice to have some formal portraits in which everything is perfect (somewhat idealised, you might say), most of the time I prefer to accept reality as it is.

Very young children haven't yet acquired any vanity about their own appearance (thank goodness) and photographing them as they are often produces the most natural-looking images, even if the subject is not entirely clean and tidy at the time.

Professional photographers are probably going to try to get more idealised images, but amateurs photographing family and friends have the advantage in being in a position to more easily capture very natural situations, mess and all.

Thanks. I felt pretty similiarly but there is always a desire to create perfect portraits.

Ps lovely shot

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Children and Snot?

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