EssentialTips and Tricks for Photographing Children

by Emily John Digital Marketing Service Provider

Photographing children can be a joyful and rewarding process, but it’s also uniquely challenging. Whether you’re looking to launch a career in portraiture or just want to capture moments with your own family, there’s a lot to think about when it comes to photographing with kids.

Read on for their fundamental tips for great child photography…

1. Shoot them as they are (not how you want them to be)

The beauty of shooting children is capturing them as they are, and the best shots are often impromptu.“Adults tend to project what they want you to believe they are. Children are always honest and are comfortable with themselves. They lack that self-consciousness we seem to develop as adults”.“Children don’t usually fake their emotions, which makes their portraits stand out.” Look for opportunities to capture this, he says. “Family Professional Photography needs to be ready for candid moments, as children are best photographed when they are smiling, laughing, or playing in their natural environment.”

2. Throw out the pose guide

“Just throw your ‘pose guide’ out the window and let them be who they are. If they aren’t getting your idea, just move on to something else. And if you set up a shot, always shoot it, even if it’s not perfect – otherwise, the child may think they’re making a mistake and tense up in later shots.”

3. Speak their language

“The single most important thing is having a rapport with the child”. This means engaging with the child, asking for and using their ideas – and talking to them, which can be more difficult than it sounds: “Talking with kids is the one thing we see new photographers try and fail at. Never talk at them or down to them. Talk about real things – don’t fall into the ‘so how is school?’ trap. Ask what they like to do, learn about them.”

4. Get down on their level

It sounds obvious, but remember that you’re likely to be much taller than your subjects. Don’t spend all your time looking down on them: “When photographing adults you have to be very careful about how you pose them. With children you just want to get a genuine expression or a warm moment, so you can get as low to the ground as possible to create an image that feels more connected with the child”.

Conclusion

All you need to remember is to go with the flow and establish a friendly rapport. Feel the environment around the children, sense their emotions, then pick the right lens, compose your shot, and rest is going to be a smooth ride.