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How the day unfolds for a christening / baptism photographer - the prep, the kit, the various elements of the day, how I go about the photography.
- Recent Photographs From Christenings and Baptism
Recent Photographs From Christenings and Baptism - A Day In...
- Maternity
Maternity - A Day In The Life Of A London Christening...
- Babies
Babies - A Day In The Life Of A London Christening...
- Recent Photographs From Christenings and Baptism
If it is practical and you can gain access a few days before the event, visit the church and test your equipment and skill in getting good photos in that setting. Many churches do not allow the use of flash during a religious service, so be aware you may have to use existing light.
- Be Prepared & Nail Your Baptism Photos!
- Rules – What You Need to Ask
- Light
- Gear & Settings
- Ceremonial Formalities
- Formal Baptism Photography
- Candid Moments
- The Must Get Shots
So you’ve been asked to handle the baptism photography. Exciting! That’s until you start thinking about the challenges… a dark church being the predominant fear! Then come the questions many of you ask. “How do you take the best pictures of a baptism”or “How do you photograph a baby christening” are among the ones we hear most often. Photographical...
This is really important, and none of the rest matters if you can’t even shoot inside! Ask the parents to mention to the priest they’re planning to have a baptism photographerpresent for capturing photos. Some don’t allow it. That being said, these days it’s much more uncommon for priests to ban photographers. There are no common rules as to how mu...
Light is the single biggest challenge of shooting baptism photography. The availability of light in most churches is such that it can be quite dim and gloomy! Don’t expect that you will be taking perfectly bright, crisp and creamy images.This isn’t a regular portrait session, shot in beautiful light. Instead, concentrate on the moments, embrace the...
ISO
We mention ISO first because it’s the element you’ll need to rely on most to harness any ambient light you can. Don’t sacrifice shutter speed instead of pushing your ISO… give me grainy over out of focus photos any day. But embracing ISO also means embracing grain, because high ISO causes grain. But a baptism is the type of session where grainy pictures are forgiven. Plus, you can always convert to B&W which is even more forgiving. One of the biggest mistakes you can make when it comes to ISO...
A Good Quality Camera
All that being said… there are limits, and they’re entirely dictated by your gear. A Canon 5d or 6d can shoot at around 4000 ISO without the grain affecting the sharpness and clarity to an unacceptable degree, As long as I expose properly. Now bear in mind… I would not shoot at 4000 ISO if I were photographing a regular portrait session. That’s because I want a crisp and creamy result and you can’t get crisp and creamy at 4000 ISO. If your camera can’t shoot at very high ISO without a signifi...
Lens
Claire says “I use a 35mm f/1.4 lens, partly because it’s my favourite lens and pretty much doesn’t leave my camera. But it’s a great focal length for baptism photos because I can fit so much into the frame. I do have to move around a lot to get closer illustrations, but I like to zoom with my feet. If you prefer a zoom, a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens would be a really versatile focal range for an event like a baptism.” Bear in mind if light is really low, a fast prime lens such as the 35mm can give yo...
To make sure you capture good photosof all the baptismformalities, ask the parents to detail the way the event will run. Especially regarding any specific formalities you might not be aware of. I once shot an Orthodox baptism, and part of the ceremony involved the priest meeting the baby at the front door of the church and saying a prayer. Then the...
Claire had a chat with her friend before the event, and talked about the aspects of the day that were important to her. Also, they discussed the baptism photoshoot she hoped to get. Together they made a list of what Claire needed to capture, and the combinations of people they wanted in formal photos. These included the priest, family, guests and o...
For Claire, candid shots of friends and family are a must, and she loves taking photos of moments as they unfolded. She roams around as people are arriving, capturing different perspectives such as everyone watching the baptism. She also loves to get shots of the children interacting with one other during the event, and makes sure to capture specia...
Be ready for those crucial baptism photosthat you don’t get a do over for. When you know they’re about to occur, get in position and make sure you know your settings are good to go. Otherwise, take some test shots to be sure. Take heaps of shots, just in case. Even if the family doesn’t want formal photos, there are other crucial photos of baptism ...
No mother ever regrets having a good photographer or lots of pictures. To help you determine which things are most important to you, we’ve put together our checklist of must-haves to capture. There are two types of sessions to consider for your christening photography: a portrait session, and an event session .
- Find a Camera for Baptism Photoshoot. When selecting a camera for baptism photography, pick a model that allows you to take pictures at high ISO without degrading quality.
- Choose a Camera Lens Depending on a Situation. Make sure to use more than one camera lens. You need to select a lens depending on the shooting conditions
- Take a Backup Battery for Christening Pictures. One of the most useful baptism photoshoot tips is to charge your battery before going to the church. Thanks to it, you will be able to use your camera during the reception as well.
- Check Church Rules. In some churches, you might be not allowed to take photos during the ceremony, which is why you will need to snap pictures before or after the christening.
Photograph the details of the christening (cakes, balloons, baby's name, flowers ... everything you find photogenic). Do not stop moving, walk, observe, look through windows, frame between flowers or climb a tree, look for different and original images.
People also ask
How to take a photo during a christening?
How do I plan a christening photography session?
Do you need a photographer for a christening?
What do parents want to see at a christening service?
What is your approach to photographing our baby’s Christening / naming ceremony? I love photographing the atmosphere, the fun, the love, and all of those little moments from the whole day. I’ll photograph the emotion and the moments that will make you smile every time you look at your photographs.
