Playing hide behind the door!
We all want great photos of our children to remind us of the times when they were younger, but often our photos don’t come out quite as we planned. This is the first in a series of articles aimed at helping you get better children’s photography. It is for everyone with a camera and kids!
Create a fun time.
Firstly, you know your children. Get the camera out when they are in a good mood, not when they’re tired or hungry. It helps if you are in the right frame of mind too!
The photos that you’ll probably like best are those taken when the children are engaged in an activity, and being themselves, rather than standing stiffly in front of a favourite scene. Is the photo of the children, or the scene? Getting a good image of both is twice as hard! Instead, just concentrate on getting a good photo of the most important thing in the picture – your child.
These sisters were doing what they always do: having fun together
Very young children especially will become bored after a few minutes, so have your camera all ready to go beforehand, and be patient. Have a break, let them wander off, give them your full attention while you take pictures and be ready with more toys.
With older children you can play in the garden, have some fun yourself, and be ready as the moments come. Directing the children and requesting smiles usually results in a grimace, forced grin or hammed-up face. It also helps if the children are used to the camera. If you use it regularly, after a while they won’t see it as special and so won’t keep pulling those faces.
What to look for through the viewfinder.
Try to look at the whole of the viewfinder area and think of the whole picture, before you press the button. You’ll probably want the children filling a large part of the picture, not just a small part of it. You can either move in closer yourself or use the zoom on your camera if it has one.
I hope some of this helps improve your children’s photography – there’s more in – Better children’s photography part 2
Fantastic composition. Sustain up the excellent work.
Thanks for the tips, it is so hard to get a beautiful shot without something being a little ‘off’.
I especially agree with the background point, I can’t tell you the amount of pictures I have taken of kids where there is something of a distraction in the background, whether it be an object or something too colourful that takes away the focus on the child.
Also keeping kids interested but still in a good position to take photos, what a nightmare!
Thanks for the tips I’ll keep them in mind next time I have the camera out!
Pencil portraits from photographs
Hello Laurence,
I am an a2 art student and am currently studying the bond between mother and child. Alot of images i have found where old fashioned, Mary and Jesus style paintings/photographs. I found your webste and was blown away by the emotions you are able to potray in a 2D image. Your photographs are so powerful and you almost start to believe you know the subject in the picture, as trheir personality is laid out infront of you.
Your images have moved me on through my project and have been a great inspiration in my work. Thank you
Sophie
I was bored, until i’ve found your website, interesting posts
Thanks for the comments, Dee.
There is lots of training & advice out there for budding professionals – in London every Jan I’d definitely recommend the SWPP convention – you don’t have to be a member.
Picking a framer – you can phone round & visit a few framers local to you until you find somebody on the same wavelength with quality that you’re OK with – you’ll be making lots of trips so the nearer the better! Or you can buy in frames as needed from specialist companies.
Admin isn’t too much of a problem. What can take up time is the post-processing of the images, also known as workflow. And yes, there is a market, but good marketing is key.
Hope that helps, Laurence
Hi I love your pictures! and your take on life….
I am wanting to start doing this kind of work professionally myself, London based so not really going to be in competition with you…….!
May I ask your advice on how to pick your framers/mounters etc….?and also any useful tips on how to keep esch job completely under control in terms of admin…
I have 4 kids and like you, am a quiet gently cajoling observer of people. I am also a bit of a poet on the side… Are you able to find a market for this in the current recession?
Thank you for taking time to read this.
Dee