10 Top Tips for Photographing Children

It’s never an easy thing to do!

1: Boys will be boys and children will be children – so don’t try and force them
into a particular pose. Some of the best photos are captured when the subject
is oblivious to the camera. This approach also reveals more of their character
and personality.

2: Down with kids – it may sound obvious but children are smaller than adults.
Getting down with them gives you more natural looking photos and an interesting
child’s-eye view of the world.

3: Location, location, location – a bored child is not going to yield much in the way of
great photographs. Just taking them to the local park can do wonders for their
interest levels and gives you some interesting backgrounds. Having fun (and
that goes for the photographer as much as the subject) should be what it’s all
about.

4: You are what you wear – our clothes can tell us a lot about the situation the
picture was taken in. Children need to feel comfortable, in all senses of the
word, if you are going to get worthwhile shots. Forcing them into their Sunday
best just because you want a photo not stacking the odds in your favour. Also
pay attention to colour – bold, plain colours are less distracting

5: More is More– Kids love messing about and pulling funny faces. Sometimes this is good, sometimes not. So keep on pressing the shutter and you’ll have a far better chance of getting the shots you’ll want to keep.

6: Patience is a virtue – kids are natural performers but don’t expect them to turn it
on immediately just because you get the camera out. Giving them to time to
adjust to their surroundings and to forget that you’ve got a camera in your
hand will increase your chances of getting the pictures you’ll want to pull out
for their 18^th birthday party.

7:  Get it out regularly – the more often children see the camera being used, the less they become aware of it. Children who are used to being photographed regularly act more naturally in front of the camera. Regular shots also capture those changes that are almost imperceptible on a day-to-day basis

8: Get up close – in most cases, child photography is about the expression in
their faces or what they are doing with their hands. Yet many people seem to
think that you have to get their footwear into shot as well. These full-length
shots may be have their place as reminders of what we wore back in the day but
homing in on the action will give you more pleasing results.

9: Lock it in – autofocus is a wonderful tool but it’s not foolproof. Most
autofocus cameras focus on the area in the centre of the viewfinder. If you are
taking a picture of a group of children be on your guard. If the small square
in the centre of the viewfinder is trained on a tree or a building in the
background that’s what will be in focus. To avoid this make sure you focus on a
face or another part of the action that you want.

10:  A little understanding – many compacts are called point and shoot for a reason. We love the simplicity of being able to take it out of the box and start taking pictures almost immediately. But take a little time to read the manual and understand what the buttons do. Practice makes perfect so play with the setting and see what happens. That way, when you need to switch to sports mode in a hurry, you’ll know exactly what to
do.

Of course, if you would like a professional photo shoot (so that you can also be in the pictures with your kids!) just call me to discuss your requirements – 07840 947 517.

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