Why under the blanket? It’s a simple one to start with and it creates a solid backdrop so you don’t have to worry about the state of your house ( I understand, my living room has a fort and toys everywhere!). However, it is a great way to challenge yourself to pay attention to the light.
Tip 1: Find a light source
The start of every great image is great lighting. For these under the blanket images I wanted a large light source, but not one that would directly light my subject. So I placed my son by our large back patio window.
For the white lace blanket I placed his back to the sun as it came through the window so the sun would light the white blanket and hide all the items in the background. However, for the blue blanket I turned him to face the sun so I could light his face under the dark blanket.
Tip 2: Choose your blanket wisely
I chose two completely different materials for this challenge to demonstrate the difference. The light lace one allowed light through and worked great as a cell phone image. The darker blue blanket completely obscured the light despite having some spots in the material that I thought light would come through and was a struggle to capture even with my professional camera.
If you only have heavier blankets to use try going outside in the full sun.
Tip 3: Don’t sweat the small stuff!
This challenge is meant to be fun and help you learn a little about composition and lighting of images as we go!
I tried to lead the way by not worrying about what my child was wearing or the fact that he has toy story tattoos all over his arms.