Tips for photographing your kids
Trying to photograph kids could be a harrowing experience if you are not privy to some basic information. Here are few tips to get compelling images of children.
1. Schedule your shoot and use a quality camera: While Photographing kids of various age groups, one thing to be kept in mind is to synchronize your time of shooting with theirs. Be patient and converse with them – just don’t jump-start shooting. Give them some time to adjust with the camera setting otherwise they might start acting unnaturally if all of a sudden they see you pointing a camera towards them. Use minimum shooting accessories so that they do not scare them away from the lens. In this way, you will surely get all those candid, natural shots of the kids. Try to use a DSLR camera, having at least a 16-megapixel lens and telephoto capability. If you are using your mobile, then see that it has the best-configured camera.
2. Be spontaneous and do continuous shooting: If your camera is having continuous mode then use it to the hilt. Digital photos come free of cost, so take as many of them as possible. Kids are generally unpredictable and restless, so shooting a wide range of photos would maximize your chance of getting good ones. To save the hours of culling later, always delete the ones that are screwed up before starting a fresh shoot. Don’t get distracted by the kid’s behaviour. Focus the camera lens on the eyes of the child allowing some light to fall on them – asking them to stand against a dark wall will make the image instantly more alluring. Remember, kid’s face should be brighter than the background. Natural light is the best option, however, if you are thinking for an indoor photo-shoot then try positioning your child at 45 degrees from the window pane; allowing soft light to illuminate your child’s face from a side.
3. Have fun, don’t be serious while shooting: Joke with them; play with them, engage with them in every possible way, so that they forget that you have a camera in hand. It will be wonderful if you can capture your kids in all sorts of lighting-ambience. If there is a strong backlight then change your angle. If the sun is too bright then entice to come to a shady place, before embarking on the camera action. Apply your mind to place them tactfully in optimum spots; so that you can get the best out of them.
4. Experiment and Time Well: It is not always a good idea to place your child at the centre of a picture. Experiment by placing your child’s face at the various location of your camera frame. Catch them on your camera when they are in a happy mood. Try clicking them when they have walked out of good sleep or had snacks or are thinking or are distracted with toys or other activities, totally unaware of the camera – this will get you some memorable, natural photos of them.
5. Bring in Variety and eke out a natural smile: There is no protocol that you will always have to take the photos of your child from the front. Try taking their photos when they are running away from you or having their face buried in a book. Try and convey multiple stories in the one frame, this will give extra mileage to your photos. Shoot every adorable facial expression and hand gesture of your kid, whether it is a lip curl or a sparkle in the eye or a twitch in the nose. At the end don’t forget to make them smile naturally by throwing a funny joke or by handing over a packet of chocolates or biscuits.
Conclusion: Memories are something we much cherish. As a child grows up into an adult you would like to capture them in your frame forever – it does not matter whether you are a professional photographer or a hobby cameraman. The above suggestions will definitely help you in bringing out the best portraits of your child whether they are sleeping or reading or in action.