Children are naturally photogenic. Ive worked in studios and children are so easy to photograph. What I hear from parents is that they dont think that their kids are that easy to photograph. Thats only because they dont know some basic tips.
1. Young children especially infants take beautiful photos while they are asleep. Keep the light natural avoid flash if at all possible. Keep the image tight on the child and crop out distractions. For infants when theyre awake youre better off having another person in image, it gives the child someone to interact with and you can crop the shot to keep the other person out of the image or you can keep the adult and child in the photo.
2. Toddlers look best when they dont know that youre taking their photo. Candid shots are the way to go for this age group. Keep your camera handy and when they start doing something cute snap the photo quick. Remember your child doesnt have to be looking directly into the camera to take a great photo. Dont ever say to the toddler, Oh how cute, now look here. It wont happen.
3. Children ages 4 plus are really good at sitting for photos. But if youre going to dress them up make sure that they are comfortable and dont put them in some outfit they hate, it will show in the image. Crop tight on your subject, keep the light natural, and if youre using a toy to get their attention make sure that it makes them laugh and doesnt scare them. (I learned that lesson the hard way.)
4. Older children are really good at dressing up for photos. The hardest thing will be getting a natural smile from them. Say, cheese is a sure fire way to get a fake smile. Most of us learned young to smile automatically at that cue. Here you have to get silly. One time I was working with a young boy and his older sister. She was a natural smiler and loved being dressed up. He was not happy and kept pulling at his tie. His mother straightened it for the tenth time. I posed them and addressed the young boy I said, Now on the count of three I want you to say, I hate this tie! His sister smiled surprised at what I said, and he grinned. I took the photo. He then screamed, I hate this tie! Again both smiled wide and I took a second photo. The images turned out beautiful.
I hope these tips help you to take better photos of your child. With a little practice and a few tips youll see better family photos immediately.
If you have some specific questions please visit my Photography Forum at: http://kellypaalphotography.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/index.php and post your question there.
About The Author
Copyright 2004 Kelly Paal
Kelly Paal is a Freelance Nature and Landscape Photographer, exhibiting nationally and internationally. Recently she started her own business Kelly Paal Photography (www.kellypaalphotography.com). She has an educational background in photography, business, and commercial art. She enjoys applying graphic design and photography principles to her web design.
limousine chicago serviceDemystifying Digital Camera JargonWant to buy a digital camera but... Read More
Basic CompositionNow that you are beginning to understand how your... Read More
Disposable digital and film cameras (also called single-use cameras) provide... Read More
While analyzing any camera, one of the most important qualities... Read More
Digital Photo Diary - memories that last a life timeThe... Read More
So your picture came out less then perfect. Blemishes or... Read More
Anyone with the right camera equipment, and the necessary skills... Read More
Having an efficient work flow is essential for photographers. In... Read More
Imagine being able to frame all your own photographs just... Read More
Almost any shot will look better if you take two... Read More
Before you rush into buying your digital camera this holiday... Read More
You've read all the "best digital camera" articles, got the... Read More
One of the major problems of the larger cities of... Read More
Strike one! Strike two! Strike three!Baseball! America's Pastime, and a... Read More
Disposable cameras are cheap and easy to use. If you... Read More
Panasonic is a world-renowned consumer electronics company today. Its digital... Read More
Underwater digital cameras are fun and easy to use under... Read More
Photography is a vast world. There are many different types... Read More
The world of photography is an amazing one. It's been... Read More
In a traditional camera, the lens was king. If the... Read More
With such a fantastic device as the digital camera for... Read More
Shopping for a new digital camera can be quite frustrating... Read More
HP has started making digital cameras only recently. However, the... Read More
One of the oldest companies, Olympus has had a long... Read More
If you think that digital cameras are for snapshots only,... Read More
street lights led wholesalers Pete's produce ..The digital camera is not meant only for capturing images... Read More
Think about Laurel and Hardy for a moment, or Charlie... Read More
Getting the most out of your digital video camera can... Read More
There are two sources for obtaining the moulding for making... Read More
Why is a 3 megapixel camera better than a 1... Read More
Family vacations, summer weddings and family reunions are in full... Read More
Love is in the air at the Venice Rookery. The... Read More
So you have this great new camera. Now you're standing... Read More
You arrive at your photo shoot excited about the images... Read More
There are really great advantages in digital photography:You can shoot... Read More
One of the biggest debates in the photography world is... Read More
While it would be nice to live in a house... Read More
Every device needs a driving force to operate, just as... Read More
Several years ago, I met a fellow photographer - albeit,... Read More
There are also some excellent online courses available and some... Read More
In a device such as a digital camera it is... Read More
Babies make the best and the worst subjects to photograph.... Read More
Looking at the digital camera, a person can visualize it... Read More
When my old Olympus digital camera got broke while caving... Read More
Children are naturally photogenic. Ive worked in studios and children... Read More
Photos are a great way to share your travel experiences... Read More
Panasonic is a world-renowned consumer electronics company today. Its digital... Read More
Quite often I will have clients bring in old photographs... Read More
If you're like me, you have hundreds of photographs sitting... Read More
As a professional wedding photographer I get this question asked... Read More
Photography Photography |