Shooting a child portrait? Find out just what you need to know.

Shoot a Child Portrait like a Pro
(Without Expensive Equipment)

"I never realized how much a child portrait (or any other photo)
was so influenced by lighting factors. Thanks for that."

Taking pictures of children can be very simple, although some see it as quite intimidating.

Many beginning digital photographers don't hesitate when it comes to shooting something for the first time.

However, even experienced photographers often shy away from taking a portraits of children.

There is nothing inherently complex or frightening to capturing the essence of a child, and consider it a portrait. If you have less then four or five years experience in digital photography, you have probably encountered the following situation...

You see a fantastic child portrait in a magazine or gallery and you would love to be able to take the same type of picture with your children. You know it's possible because you see the results right in front of you, but you don't know how.

Here are some suggestions for taking some portraits of your own children (or anyone else's, for that matter).

Want to show the world how cute your child is?

Framing the Child Portrait

When you look through your camera's view finder, the area that will be captured by your camera is typically outlined by a rectangle or some type of frame.

"Framing the shot" refers to determining how much of your subject will be in the final photograph.

Zoom in close enough so that your subject fills at the least 80% of the frame. This is not a landscape picture, so the background should be eliminated or minimized as much as possible.

If you can't eliminate the background, you want to blur out the background by using as large an aperture setting as possible (small f-stop number such as F/2.8). If your camera has an "aperture priority mode," use it to select as large an aperture setting as possible.

And if you don't have a zoom lens, physically move closer to the subject until they fill as much of the frame as desired.

Lighting For Your Child Portrait

Don't under-estimate the importance of the right light source. Use fill flash for outdoor shots to fill in the shadows that may be falling on your subject's face.

If shooting outdoors, realize that lighting has a huge impact on the mood and tone of a picture. Therefore, pay attention to the light at different times of the day.

For example, most outdoor photographers prefer overcast days or late afternoon when the sun will not create harsh shadows. If at all possible, avoid taking any portraits of children when the sun is directly overhead.

For indoors, use a direct flash only as a last resort. First try to use available light, such as natural light through a window, or increase your ISO setting. Other options are using a tripod with a longer exposure, or indirect "bounce-flash."

Know Your Camera

Before doing any child portraits, know whether your camera has a shutter lag or not (measurable delay between depressing the shutter button and your picture being taken).

Being aware of and compensating for any potential shutter delay is important in all photography. However when it comes to taking a portrait of a child, it is even more critical.

First, children are notorious for being fidgety during a photo session. Fighting this tendency will only add undue stress to the photo shoot. Instead, be aware of it and adjust your picture-taking style.

When you realize that you have to time your shot just as the child is facing the camera with their eyes wide open (between those challenging blinks) while they are smiling, it might begin to seem like a daunting task to take that perfect child portrait.

In addition to these challenges, dealing with shutter lag can unnerve the calmest photographer.

However, by knowing how your camera operates, setting up the controls before the shot, and expecting your subject to fidget, you have the odds in your favor.

Child Portrait Bonuses

Once you have finally achieved that great combination of lighting, pose, and framing; don't stop after the first picture!

Snap off several additional shots, making slight changes. Suggested changes would involve using/not using the flash, different angles, different perspectives, and slightly changed positions.

You might be pleasantly surprised to find that your best child portrait emerges out of the group that you were not originally thinking of even taking.

Candids

Once the child has let their guard down, continue to capture additional pictures. That's the thing about photography... you never really know where your next great shot is going to come from.

Encouragement

Everyone likes to hear of few words of praise. Children will absolutely eat it up. So when you are taking pictures of children, pretend you are directing a movie in which the child is the star. Don't let too much time pass between shouting out words of encouragement such as �Beautiful,� �Outstanding!� or something silly to produce a natural laugh.

Thinking Outside the Box

A portrait of a child doesn't have to be FORMAL. I don't know about you but, I find many professional child portraits fairly stiff and unnatural looking. Don't use this style as your target.

Although many people do not think of an image of a child gleefully screaming with their arms in the air, as a child portrait, that type of a photograph contains more of your child's true nature than one taken in the studio.

Final Thought

Don't get discouraged if your initial child portraits don't come out like you want. There is always the possibility of transforming them with some after-the-shot-magic.

Sometimes it's possible to make an average photo spectacular by editing the image. You don't need to be a Photoshop guru either! There are excellent easy-to-use packages available that will It's even free!

Shoot a Child Portrait like a Pro(Without Expensive Equipment)