Stephen Honda

Portrait Photographer Offers Tips for Photographing Small Children

Photographing small children is both a challenge and an opportunity; a challenge because children are not always the best at following directions.

For a photographer shooting children is bot an opportunity and a challenge. An opportunity because children are usually so genuine in their expression that if you can help them feel the emotion you want to portray, it comes across beautifully. This article offers some tips on how to successfully photograph small children.

1.       Have a playful fun attitude when working with them. If they are having fun, they are much more likely to stay engaged and follow your directions.

2.       Find funny phrases that make children laugh. For example you can have an assistant pretend that a toy animal is going to eat your (the photographer) hair. This is effective because it accomplishes two things. First, it is more likely to make the child laugh and second when the child does laugh, he is looking at your head – which should be in the same approximate location as the camera!

3.       Explain exactly what you will be doing to the parent. This helps in a couple of ways. First the parent will feel more relaxed. When the parent is more relaxed, the child will likely be more relaxed as well. Second when the parents see that you have a plan and that you are organized and competent, they are less likely to “help.”  This help often can be a distraction from doing things the best way in which you know how.

4.       Don’t try and over pose children. You do want to have your props and your setting in place and place the child in the proper setting; however, don’t always try and tell the child exactly where to put her hands or feet. Most of the times the child will begin doing things that are natural to her. When you capture a child doing this the parent will often exclaim – that’s my child! The expression and pose is one that she has seen over and over again. This excitement will often turn into additional sales for you the photographer.

Once in a while you will have a child that knows exactly how to behave in front of the camera and you can easily get some great shots. However, this is the exception and not the rule. These tips will help you get some great shots even with these children.

Article Tags: Small Children

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