Easy Tips on How to Photograph Children
Friday, May 21st, 2010
The Art of photography starts with having a connection with your subject, which in this case, a child. It’s important to get the child’s attention and capture the emotions and the expressions on the child’s face at that very moment. Although doing such requires a lot of patience, dedication and can feel like a daunting but workable task, these are the things that memories are made of. The idea behind taking a photograph is to capture a moment in time, to freeze it so that it becomes a record we can share and recollect for years to come. It is the nature of childhood to be exuberant, joyous, exploring, and belligerent at times, and yes… disagreeable when you point a camera at them. Below are basic tips that can help you with bringing out the personality of your subject.
- Set up early before the child gets to the studio – Make sure that everything you need is in your work space; this includes all your equipment, toys and props. Make sure that all of your stuff is well strapped and is safe in case the child tries to play around with your equipment. Your goal is to make the session as quick and organized as possible. When the Child gets there, waiting is not an option.
- Set up your cameras and lighting – If you have an assistant, allow them to adjust the lighting effect to save time and keep the session moving. This allows you to focus on making sure that the lighting effect doesn’t hurt the child’s eyes or cause any discomfort during the photography session.
- Use natural light – Take advantage of nature and the chance to use natural light. Remember to keep the environment as normal as you can, at least enough for the child not to notice that something is going on. Once they figure out that there’s something happening they sometimes get irritated and may start having a tantrum.
- Keep your subject protected – If you are taking outdoor shots make sure the child’s eyes don’t get to much sunlight, because they are delicate. Also be careful with the placement of shadows.
- Keep your subjects unaware – For a child not to know the invasion of his /her privacy would basically help with your model to just act naturally without your subjects getting intimated. Use long lenses to capture children at play or in a posed shot.
- Use toys and gadgets – Sometimes a little bribery can help in getting the models cooperation and attention. With kids bringing in some toys or playing some sounds to evoke an emotion is a good technique. Joke around and even make funny poses to bring the child’s guard down and capture that laugh or smile. Timing is the key.
- Work with ease and comfort with your subject – Make sure the child is comfortable by preparing drinks or snacks that they enjoy. Make the whole experience enjoyable for the child so they will give you their best smile or laugh. Try to get to know your subjects before shooting them. Once they are at home with you, you can bring out the best in them.
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Category Entertainment, Photography / Tags: Tags: art of photography, cameras, lighting, photograph, Photography, /
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