A lot of people ask how I get good shots of kids, so I figure I may as well spill some beans here for you.
First, kids move… a LOT. So you’re going to have to take a lot of photos. It’s digital, so you can trash the bad ones, so just shoot away. As a reference, when I’m taking pics of kids “documentary style” (e.g. in their element, not the studio), I’m typically trashing 25 or 30 pics for every “winner” candidate.
Second, you need to GET ON THEIR LEVEL! I can’t stress this enough. So many pictures lose that magical kid touch just because they’re taken from an adult perspective. So in the photo itself, 2/3 of the head area of the kid will be the top of their head, and only 1/3 face. If you have been shooting from your height and not theirs, start getting down to their level consistently, and you’ll start to immediately see an improvement.
Third, anticipate the expression. Easier said than done, I know, but this is where it’s important to pay attention to what’s going on. Often times if I’m photographing a kid I don’t know already, I’ll spend some time getting a feel for their energy level and cadence (for lack of a better term). The better job you can do at anticipating when the “wow” is going to come, the better you’ll do at getting the genuine expression instead of asking them to look at the camera again.
Fourth, get some detail. Too often I see a great shot from too far away. I know it’s a great shot – I can see a fantastic expression in there, and the light and mood is just right. But what the heck are is that kid doing? Again, this is digital, you don’t have to pay for every shot, so get in there and get some details about what they heck it is they’re doing. Detail shots work great in albums and multi-photo frame presentations; and they help determine what was going on 50 years from now when this kid is showing her own kids the photos.
And finally, use what you have there to create some interesting framing situations. Whether it’s other people or objects in the scene, by all means add them up. The contrast in foreground and background can create a great means of communicating the mood of a scene, such as this image here – you can’t quite make out her details, but you can see that she is relaxed and that it’s a quiet day.
One more item for your benefit – sometimes often photographed children have a habit of “hamming it up” because they like to get the “oohs and aaahs”. This can make it difficult to get that genuine expression. So, hold your camera up, half press the shutter so that the camera focuses and gets the exposure ready. Then take the camera down again but keep that shutter half-pressed. When the kid stops hamming, then take the picture with the camera down somewhat. With some practice, you can get a great shot of a tough subject, and the kid will have some fun with your trickery!
1 Comment
September 26, 2007 at 9:40 pm
My 5 year old son is my favourite subject. Thanks for the tips. Helps a lot.