As parents, you would do everything to properly and beautifully document your child’s growth and special milestones. And of course, keep these keepsakes. You can do these by taking their photos. However, kids aren’t the easiest subjects to work with or take photos of. They are of an age when they can be a bit hyperactive and getting them to sit or stand still is impossible. They may even not follow your simple instructions to smile or to “look this way”.
Tips For Getting Great Shots Of Children
Child photography though can be quite easy if you follow some useful yet simple tips. Some of these tips are:
Relax and above all, be patient. Don’t be stressed out by the photo shoot; remember to relax. Seasoned children photographers say that the more you force a child to do a certain pose or to smile, the more you will encounter a lot of resistance. This then results in photos where the child’s smile and pose appear to be forced. Instead, let the child be and wait for the right moment to start shooting away. Sooner or later, the shots you are waiting for will present themselves easily to you.
Engage with the kids. Establish a genuine connection with your subjects and you can do so by letting your guard down and show your real self. Kids are quite perceptive and they can easily detect if you are putting on a facade. Moreover, kids will treat you the same way that you treat them.
Tips For Getting Great Shots Of Children
Child photography though can be quite easy if you follow some useful yet simple tips. Some of these tips are:
Relax and above all, be patient. Don’t be stressed out by the photo shoot; remember to relax. Seasoned children photographers say that the more you force a child to do a certain pose or to smile, the more you will encounter a lot of resistance. This then results in photos where the child’s smile and pose appear to be forced. Instead, let the child be and wait for the right moment to start shooting away. Sooner or later, the shots you are waiting for will present themselves easily to you.
Engage with the kids. Establish a genuine connection with your subjects and you can do so by letting your guard down and show your real self. Kids are quite perceptive and they can easily detect if you are putting on a facade. Moreover, kids will treat you the same way that you treat them.
Let the kids be kids. Save yourself the time and effort of trying to control and micro-manage every detail and just let the kids go and be themselves. This will enable you to get genuine shots and it will be easier for your subjects as well. When you do the exact opposite, you will only garner resistance, making the whole photo shoot difficult for everyone.Get down to your subject’s level. Most parents try to get down on the floor and play with their children at least once a day. This same suggestion will also help greatly with photos you take. Sit down with them or lie on the floor to enter their world and you will be able to capture them at their natural and playful form.
Never utter “Say cheese!”. Finally, if you want to capture the authentic personality of the child, don’t use the word "cheese" as a prompt. Many kids have been trained to put on their smiling face by their parents. However, this face is often far from their authentic selves.
About the Author:
Christina Jones is an arts student and child photographer in training. She usually gets inspiration for her child photography shoots from http://creativephotographyclasses.com/child-photography/.
