Kids are a great subject for photography. They are genuine, full of emotion and… aren’t they the sweetest things? Besides, they grow up too fast, so every photo becomes a treasure.
Photographing children is fun, but not an easy task: kids are always on the move, and phrases like “hold it” or “freeze” carry very little weight with them 🙂
Неre are a few tips and tricks that can help you get the best possible results when photographing children.
1. Get down to the child’s eye level.
Kids are short, you are not. If you shoot from an adult’s perspective, pictures will have the same downward angle. So the main rule is: get down on their level. The best way to do so is to kneel down or even lie on the floor/ ground so that the camera is on the same level with the kid’s eyes. Naturally, you may get dirty 🙂 but with this small change, you’ll get much more intimate shots.
2. Change your point of view.
There are no rules in photography that cannot be broken. Having stated the rule of ‘being on the same level’, we admit that sometimes you can get great shots by breaking this rule. Shooting from directly above can also result in surprisingly fun pictures. So try standing up on a stool or ladder and look down at your kid through your camera. But don’t forget that a child should look directly into the camera for that fun look (otherwise the only thing you will get in most of the photos will be the tops of the children’s heads).
3. Shoot in burst mode
One of the great benefits of a digital camera is that it lets you take an almost unlimited number of photos. Make use of this possibility when you take photos of your kids and don’t be afraid to take lots of photos. You never know which one will be a good one 🙂
A great idea is to switch your camera into burst mode (or continuous shooting mode) where the camera takes a lot of shots fast. This can be very useful and fun, especially when shooting outside where your kids are always on the move. Later you can delete the not so good shots or look for series of pictures that might go together in a multiple image frame.
If you haven’t discovered the continuous shooting mode on your digital camera yet, read how to use it here.
4. Сhoose the right time
Timing is probably the first point you need to consider when planning a photo shoot. You need to choose a time when the child does not feel tired and grumpy. Probably the best time to photograph kids and babies is after a sleep and a feed (when they feel comfortable and relaxed). Anyway, parents usually know best what time works best for their children.
If you didn’t choose the ‘right time’ for your kid, he/she may feel grumpy and unhappy.
5. Backgrounds & clothes
As with all photos of people, you should pay a lot of attention to the background of your photos. A messy background can be a real distraction and ruin an otherwise nice shot. So, before you start shooting, clean up any distracting items.
Can you tell which of the photos below is an example of a well chosen background? 🙂
As for clothes, choose something that the child feels comfortable in and that reflects his or her personality. If you get them to wear their best Sunday outfit, the pictures might look stiff and false – especially if the kids cannot move freely.
6. Let them have fun and take candid shots
Candid shots are always more impressive than photos with rigid poses and fake smiles. There’s nothing worse than forcing a child to smile and having artificial poses. So, unless you want to get those claptrap “Cheese” pics, get the kids doing something that they enjoy and capture their natural joyful expressions. The more fun they have, the more genuine and engaging the shots will be.
7. Add some zing to your photos
Finally, you might want to add a little zing to your photos. This can be a beautiful frame, or a fun collage. If you are looking for this kind of stuff, the Funny.Pho.to website is the right place to go to!
http://funny.pho.to/bee_frame/http://funny.pho.to/honey_bees/http://funny.pho.to/birdie_frame/
Below are a few frames and effects from Funny.Pho.to you might want to use with photos of your kids (just click on any thumbnail to apply a frame to your photo). And you can find a lot more at Funny.Pho.to!
nice collection.. i like it 🙂
Me gusta adornar las fotos de mis hijos