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YES. Candid, unposed scenes are wonderful, outdoors or indoors.
NO. Action lacking here, although a pleasing still.
. . . worn
meaning chirps and requests to "give Uncle George a great big smile" will destroy what might be a good and natural scene.
Of course you want other footage of Uncle George and many more relatives and neighbors with the baby. Your record will not be complete without them, but it is a good idea to keep them away — out of the room — until the camera is ready for their entrance.
Before one inch of film is exposed give the baby a chance to look at the camera and let him listen to it run. It is a helpful practice to operate an
One
empty camera near the baby for several minutes. He will become accustomed to it and pay no more attention to its shiny fittings or its hum.
Nothing is much more discouraging than to start your camera while the youngster is in some especially appealing pose and then have him do a deadpan stare straight into the lens. He won't do this after the camera has been turned on and off a few times.
When the shooting begins, keep directions to a minimum and let the baby do things his own way. You may prepare in advance a shooting outline
YES. Baby's eye view brings camera down even if cameraman has to siton floor.
so that your sequence will tell a simple story. Follow the script loosely and be ready for several impromptu additions or deletions to fit any unexpected action.
Whatever happens, don't just start the camera and then demand action. That is guaranteed to get the worst possible results.
For the very little one, indoor movies probably will be most easily managed. There, again, he is in familiar surroundings. If you are after outdoor activities such as sunbathing, or sand-box playing, the right place is the lawn or the patio. It won't work, though, to dump him suddenly on a blanket outdoors and expect him to do the same things you have been seeing indoors.
Keep the background simple. Most home-made movies take in too many surroundings. Plain walls, floor, sky or sand are best, and they allow full attention to be given the tiny subject on the screen.
The time to shoot is when he is fresh and alert, perferably right after a nap. When he begins to tire it is time to suspend operations. Keep actual shooting time brief.
Indoors, set up lights in a position to illuminate fully the area to be photographed. Check your exposure table. Keep the subject distance and lens setting constant, and your scenes will be evenly exposed.
Make allowance for delicate tones in the baby's skin and the light colors usually surrounding him. Overexposure will "wash out" the lightest. Do not mix daylight and artificial light when using color film, as this makes it difficult to control results.
Every good sequence needs long shots, medium shots and closeups. It's hard to get too many closeups of the baby. If your lamp distance and lens opening remain the same, the only camera adjustment you need to worry • Continued on Page 555
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