Kids Photography – Some Top Tips For Getting Get Great Images When Photographing Your Kids.
Use action!
Photographing children can be a hugely rewarding experience; it can also be quite frustrating. If you have your own or have been around young children long enough, you will know what I mean! The term “Never work with animals or children” springs to mind and usually relates to photography or film-making. However, done right, you will end up with photographs that will last forever and really capture the spirit of the moment.
I have seen Mothers in tears (Of joy I might add!) when they have seen some photographs of their children, and you cannot put a price on that kind of reaction!
I’ve been family portrait photographer for over 10 years and here are a few tips to help you get the best shots. I have a fully equipped studio and the latest professional cameras but you don’t necessarily need all this to take great images – just lots of patience and practice. The one downside is if you want the whole family in the shot as one of you has to be taking the picture – which is where using a professional photography like myself comes in!
Get them involved.
One of the things that I find extremely helpful when photographing children is to get them involved in the process. Putting them exactly where you want them and saying, “now smile naturally” just doesn’t work. It’s far easier to get a natural picture of a child if you let them explore the setting that you want to have them in and if there’s something of interest to them within the setting of your shot.
Show them in action
Children are constantly on the move, as any parent with a toddler can attest to. Embrace it. You’ll get some great action shots showing movement if you set your camera right. Children on swings, slides, merry-go-rounds, playing sports, etc… These are great activities showing your child having fun. If you have a sports setting on your camera (one that takes many photos in rapid succession while the shutter is pressed), use it! You increase your chances of getting a great action shot. If your child is moving relative to the background, track their progress as they go. Don’t stop with freezing the action though. If you want to create movement in the images for added flare you can slow that shutter speed down. Pan the camera with the movement and you’ll get those images where the background is moving but the subject is mostly in focus.
Shoot at eye level.
Children are smaller than adults so you’ll need to get down to their eye level. Getting down to a child’s level will not only make them feel more comfortable with you but eye-to-eye contact is also extremely engaging in a photo. The expressions you capture from the child’s perspective will look much more natural than if you’re hovering above them. This rule isn’t hard and fast however. Experimenting with angles can be fun.
Get in close
Focus on the child
Make your child the centre of attention. After all, the photograph isn’t about the background most of the time. This is where that portrait setting (usually a silhouette of a head) on your digital camera comes in handy. The camera tries it’s best to blur the background so the subject of your image stands out more (known as a shallow depth of field).
Get close
Once the child is comfortable with you and your camera try and get in a little bit closer. It isn’t necessary to have the child’s full body in every shot. Often times the sweetest, most intimate shots come from focusing on the child’s face and capturing expressions that are unique and natural to them.
Chose your location carefully.
Location, location, location.
If you are not in a studio the child is going to be much keener to get their picture taken when they’re also having fun. Taking a child to the beach, or a park, or a bridge over a river can create an awesome background and also pique their curiosity allowing them to walk and investigate while you’re snapping frantically.
Chose the right time of day to shoot
Photographers call the first or last hours of daylight the “golden hour” because during that time light is soft and has a warm hue, making it flattering to most skin tones. During the middle of the day, the sun is overhead and bright, resulting in harsh shadows and washed-out complexions.
Showcase Relationships
Parents, grandparents, siblings, friends; capture memories by taking photos of children with the important people in their lives. Photograph them engaged in their favorite joint activities – reading, playing video games, and eating pizza, for example.
Be patient.
Chances are you won’t be able to get the shot you want straight off the bat. Give the child time to warm up to you and their surroundings. Give them some space, sit back and watch, but always be ready!
Now that’s quite a lot to take in addition to learning how to use the camera. But the two most important things are practice and patience. Just because I’m a professional photographer doesn’t mean every shot I take is perfect, I also have to delete quite a few, I’ll keep the exact number to myself though!
If you use some of these tips you are sure to get a better ratio of good to bad – have fun and good luck!
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Thanks for the tips…its so helpful
I used to have a rule in our photography business… if it moves we don’t shoot it. Or simply put, we don’t photograph people. But after reading some of your tips I think I see light at the end of the tunnel. keep up the good work you’re bound to do well. Best regards, Jeff
I agree with be patient. You forgot bring extra memory cards, Ha Ha. Kids are just so active some times it takes quite a few shots. Aloha.
Being patient is the key!
Always remember to take spare batteries!
The last shoot I was asked to do was of a little girl on a slide in her back garden. It took her that long to settle down that the batteries in my camera died!! Didn’t look too professional when I had to inform the mother that I didn’t have some spares…Oops!
Had my first shoot with children last week…definitely a different beast than what I usually do(corporate headshots). Thanks for the tips, I’m going to keep them in mind for next time.