Childrens Photography

Have Your Pictures Show
More of Your Children's Essence

We are all aware of the reasons for taking childrens photographs, so let's focus on how best to accomplish this.

There are three major categories of photography tips, each one of which will improve the quality of the final picture you take.

By understanding EVERY FACTOR, you'll be well on the road to taking classic pictures of children.

1. Get Involved

2. Technical Tips

3. General Tips

Get Involved in Childrens Photography

Remember this approach when trying to get candid photographs. Blending into your child's activities has many benefits:

• The less children pay attention to the photographer, the more natural will be their interaction. Capturing spontaneity is your goal.

• Different kids react differently to cameras. The less they are aware of them, the more natural and expressive will be the final photograph.

• As the photographer, you don't want all the children to suddenly notice you, turn, and trample you as they attempt to get away (just like the American buffalo).

• Keep the children interested and involved by showing them the LCD-version of their pictures. Then keep them on your side by showing them the final downloaded images.

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Lastly, the more natural your interaction is, the more trusting the situation becomes, and the more children might even listen to you when you encourage silliness.


                       

Technical Tips for Childrens Photography

• Use a zoom lens so that you can change compositions quickly; it is much easier than having to physically move forward and backward.

  A 28-135 mm zoom lens would be ideal since it can zoom out enough to capture everyone (28 mm) and zoom in to fill the entire frame with a single face (135 mm).

  If you are trying to capture sports action, a longer zoom lens will be required. Lenses that are at least 200 mm should be used.

• Childrens photography is best when you can capture the child at the instant they are totally involved in whatever it is that is interesting them (playing with a toy, watching an insect, or playing a game are just a few examples).

• Take advantage when the child is with others. Whether they are with siblings, parents, friends, or, grandparents; photo opportunities abound. Watch for intimate, introspective, or enthusiastic moments.

• Take pictures when children are being themselves in a natural pose. Avoid forcing an unnatural expression, environment, or pose.

• Fill the frame with the child. Since your child is the star, make sure they get top billing. The closer you get, the better. That's what childrens photography is all about.

• Whenever there is an option, always use situations with NATURAL LIGHTING. However, DO NOT photograph children in DIRECT sunlight. It is way too harsh.

  If you can reposition children to take advantage of natural lighting and avoid harsh lighting, you should attempt to do so as long as it doesn't ruin the mood.

• Generally speaking, for childrens photography as well as other portraiture work, that one exact point you want to focus your camera's focusing system on is the eye of your subject (s). This does not mean that the eye of your subject has to be in the center of the frame. After you get the eye in focus, keep the shutter depressed, re-compose and take the final shot.

• Also avoid using a direct flash. All sorts of problems can result - shadows, red-eye, "hot spots" on the child, etc. However, using fill-flash is a recommended technique.

• When you first get into childrens photography, it may be easiest to use your digital camera's "Portrait setting." Check your owner's manual for verification, but the "portrait mode" found on most cameras is designed to keep your subject sharply in focus while the background is blurred.

  For an explanation of how to blur or maintain sharpness in a picture's foreground and background, see Depth-of-Field.

Want to show the world how cute your child is?

General Tips for Childrens Photography

• Props: Include favorite toys and/or stuffed animals to take childrens photography to the next level.

  Always be prepared for how the child plays with a toy or "makes a mess" (also known as a "photo opportunity"), so you can be ready for the shot.

  As long as the toy or stuffed animal doesn't upstage the child, you're in business.

• Make physical modifications, as needed. For example, remove any items from the environment that will detract from the photograph, and watch for any reflections that can be caused by shiny objects, glass, or clothing.

• When siblings or parents are included in the photograph, it may be more challenging to have them appear relaxed, but in most cases of childrens photography, that is still the objective.

• Just because a family is posing, doesn't mean that you can't move in real close for a tight crop.

• If you are bringing the children to a strange environment, let them first get comfortable before you start taking the children's photographs.

• Have your finger poised on the shutter button, and be ready to capture that one picture that will define the essence of childrens photography for your child.

  Make sure all your camera settings are correct and the picture is in focus. Ideally, you want the framed image of a moving child (that you are following in your viewfinder), to be in perfect focus at any instant so that if you take the shot, it will be sharp and crisp.

  Check your camera's focusing system to see if this can be accomplished by a keeping your finger lightly pressed on the shutter button as you pan the scene. Or, there might be an "automatic focus" setting on your camera that takes care of this automatically.

• If your camera is able to take multiple continuous shots, try experimenting with this approach rather than take a single shot. Often you'll find it increases the chances of at least one of the pictures having the correct focus, composition, and framing.

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