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.
HP has started making digital cameras only recently. However, the... Read More
There are many different types of photography. You can take... Read More
Your first thought when you read "Alligator Farm" might be... Read More
Using a digital camera to take pictures is great. It's... Read More
The world of photography is an amazing one. It's been... Read More
While digital photography offers you the ability to review photograph... Read More
Sony was the first company to introduce digital cameras into... Read More
Let's get something straight right out of the box. If... Read More
There's so much you can do with an underwater video... Read More
The Vacation Season is fast approaching and naturally you will... Read More
Almost any shot will look better if you take two... Read More
Photos are a great way to share your travel experiences... Read More
Anyone with the right camera equipment, and the necessary skills... Read More
The digital camera is essentially a computer-based device, whose core... Read More
Photography with the aid of a digital camera is beyond... Read More
That's right, you go through all the trouble of making... Read More
So you are a small business person or web designer... Read More
The business of stock photography has drastically changed over the... Read More
One of the biggest debates in the photography world is... Read More
Quite often I will have clients bring in old photographs... Read More
Portrait is defined as, "A likeness of a person, especially... Read More
It was widely reported in the press (15 September 1997)... Read More
Being such a fascinating device as the digital camera, this... Read More
While analyzing any camera, one of the most important qualities... Read More
Are you buying your first digital camera? Well, you must... Read More
Choosing the right digital camera for general use can be... Read More
Reality TV is experiencing an upsurge in popularity and its... Read More
Did you know that in many cases digital photos are... Read More
Last month we bought the Canon Powershot A80 online for... Read More
We all love our animals. They do such funny, adorable,... Read More
Basic CompositionNow that you are beginning to understand how your... Read More
Get a good face shot: Use Higher quality cameras at... Read More
I've been practising wildlife photography on safari for over twenty... Read More
Having an efficient work flow is essential for photographers. In... Read More
Why is a 3 megapixel camera better than a 1... Read More
While analyzing any camera, one of the most important qualities... Read More
You've read all the "best digital camera" articles, got the... Read More
You may have joined the photo-sharing craze to share your... Read More
While digital photography offers you the ability to review photograph... Read More
There is one simple technique any body can do to... Read More
Digital Camera Basics? The VocabularyShopping for a digital camera can... Read More
You may have already started to make money from your... Read More
The digital camera is not something of a magic box... Read More
Digital cameras are available in several price ranges today. They... Read More
Tight BudgetsTight budgets are common these days. But the demand... Read More
Like most folks you have probably have organized and sorted... Read More
There are two types of underwater camera systems: an ""amphibious""... Read More
IntroductionModern cameras are highly automatic in operation. They have auto... Read More
If you use a digital camera (I use a Canon... Read More
The digital camera is but a technological advancement of the... Read More
Almost all of us will have seen this particular photographic... Read More
A common problem with old photos is that they often... Read More
The digital camera is essentially a computer-based device, whose core... Read More
Outdoor photographers shoot year round. That includes the hot summer.... Read More
Early cameras of the 16th and 17th century were able... Read More
Shopping for a new digital camera can be quite frustrating... Read More
ContentEven if you feel that you already know what kind... Read More
Photography with the aid of a digital camera is beyond... Read More
Dots Per Inch is a useful measure of relative resolution.... Read More
Here are examples of two basic videos you can create... Read More
Photography is a vast world. There are many different types... Read More
Saturate yourself with your subject and the camera will all... Read More
What Is... Exposure BracketingExposure bracketing is a simple technique professional... Read More
The digital camera is a wonderful device that allows a... Read More
One of the major problems of the larger cities of... Read More
Quality digital cameras are becoming affordable for just about everyone... Read More
Photography |