How to photograph children
This is a subject that could fill a book all on it’s own, so we’ll cover just a few pointers that have worked well for us in the past and will hopefully be useful for you.
Photographing children and babies presents us with a unique challenge. It’s not good enough to have a technically perfect picture, what makes or breaks the photograph is the moment that has been captured. We need to see the personality of the subject shining through. Whether it be mischievousness, innocence, concentration or laughter, it’s all about that split second – and if you miss it then you may just have blown your chance to produce something really special.
So, our top tips for photographing children are:
- Get them doing something! Kids don’t like standing still, and they don’t like doing what they are told. Get them doing something they enjoy, and as they become engrossed in this be ready to start taking photographs. Keep it moving along, and above all make it fun.
- Don’t ask them to smile. This one sounds odd, but most of the time if you ask a child to smile you’ll get the cheesiest grin you’re ever likely to see. Try and catch a genuine reaction instead.
- Choose your location carefully. If you photograph a child somewhere they are at ease and comfortable it makes your job much easier.
- Use a medium telephoto lens and get close in. Children’s skin is beautifully soft, and their eyes amazingly clear. A prime lens with a wide maximum aperture allows you to use available light and blur the background, which will draw the attention to the important parts. A 50mm lens on a cropped sensor DSLR is a great start and cracking value for money.
- Take lots of pictures. Digital gives us no excuse not to.
- Think about your viewpoint. Often changing this gives us a more interesting picture. Get down to their level, and then shoot from high up. Don’t just stand and start shooting.
- Anticipate the picture. Easier said than done, but sometimes you can see it coming and you should be ready for it.
- Get them involved. Let them take some pictures themselves! Hold on to the camera and let them press the shutter release. If you’re shooting digital they’ll see the results on the back of the camera straight away. They’ll become more interested and engaged in the session as a result.
- Think about the colours of the clothing they are wearing. Try to avoid shooting images of kids wearing t-shirts with large logo’s or pictures on, as these will compete with the face for attention in the final image. Bright, solid colours tend to work well for us.
- Finally, this tip is a standard for shooting any scene. Check then double check your camera settings and run a couple of test shots off before you start. Make sure your ISO isn’t still on 6400 from your last shoot, and you’re not still on manual exposure mode from your last studio shoot. Check your exposure compensation settings, and make sure that your autofocus setting is on auto and hasn’t slipped to manual. Basic things, but your whole shoot can be ruined if you overlook this.
Here’s some examples to illustrate our points:
Example 1.
Taken at a birthday party, this little girl is completely in a trance and is concentrating entirely on the candles being lit. This is a good example of photographing children when they are engaged in something – she was completely oblivious to the camera. We raised the ISO of the camera rather than use flash as we didn’t want to lose the lovely soft shadows and the flame on the candles.
Example 2.
This shot was taken while our young subject was playing in the garden. Quickly calling his name made him look straight up to the camera, and we took the shot before he had time to react to the fact that there was a camera there. The high viewpoint and vivid colours add to the effect. This was taken on a 50mm lens at f1.4. The eyes are pin sharp, but the complex design on his shirt is blurred so as not to draw our attention too much. The red shirt against the green grass also works very well.
Example 3.
A wide aperture on a short telephoto helped to blur the background, and we took lots of shots too. Children are unpredictable, but bubbles in the wind are even tougher to catch!
Example 4.
This image is different from the others for one main reason, that being that it isn’t one of ours (though we wish it was!). There is an abundance of lovely, soft light as fresh snow had fallen and was reflecting the sun’s rays all over. The composition is simple, but works beautifully, and the expression on the child’s face is so natural. The background is out of focus and the eyes are pin sharp. We have Katherine Wildman to thank for allowing us to use this superb image on this post. You can visit her website at http://www.kewildman.com and join her on Facebook by clicking here.
As with all things photographic the rules are there to be broken. Everyone discovers their own style, technique and those little things that work for them. The pointers we’ve listed work well for us and are a good starting point. Some people are naturally good with children, and this will show in their photographs, but the more you practice, and the more you photograph, then the more your images will improve.
Good luck!
