Post by Lotus on May 13, 2009 12:36:08 GMT -5
Taking Memorable Photos of Children
Here are some tips on getting shots that draw total strangers into your
photographs of children.
Take Time to Get to Know the Child
Most children let you into their world quickly. Before you start taking a
picture, spend at least 10 minutes talking to the child. Ask questions
about things that interest the child. Good openers include:
“Do you like bugs?”
“Would you rather be a giraffe or a butterfly?”
“What’s your favorite game?
Pay attention to how the child responds. Does he/she make eye contact?
Capture that confidence when you take his/her picture. Does the child laugh
at the questions or seriously contemplate them? Look for that sense of
whimsy or pensive side when you take the picture. Does the child doodle
when he/she responds? Then look for ways to show the child is creative.
Does the child twist her hair while she’s thinking? Great. Include that in a
photo.
If you’re taking photos of your own child, you already know your child’s
personality traits, his/her habits, his/her facial expressions. Capture those
instead of (or in addition to) a posed in-front-of-the-camera smile.
Observe, Observe, Observe
After you talk to the child, explain you’re going to get your camera ready and
back away. The child will soon lose interest in you, giving you a chance to
observe the child relating to the world. Inquisitive? Intent? Distracted?
Capture that in your images.
If you’re taking photos of your own child, try observing your child as if you
don’t know him/her at all. You’ll probably see some things you haven’t
noticed before.
Be Unobtrusive
Use a telephoto lens. The best photographs of children are those when a kid
is acting like a kid. To capture that and all the emotions that go with it, you
need to be an unobtrusive as possible. Use a telephoto lens so you can have
some real distance between you and the child. This will help the child tune
you out and do whatever he or she does best, whether it’s play, dream, run
around, make up stories. Capture that.
Alternately, move in close to the child to capture a curve of the cheek, curls
tumbling down a forehead, eyes deep in thought.
Look for the Extraordinary in the Ordinary
Take photos of the child doing everyday things like eating breakfast, elbows
on the table, hair not yet combed; sleeping, curled up with a favorite
animals or spread eagle, blankets off, bold even in sleep; doing homework,
scowling over a difficult problem or with one eye on the TV. These say a
whole lot about who the child is, which is way more moving than a posed
photo with perfectly combed hair and a brand new outfit.
~ photography.com
www.photography.com/articles/featured/taking-memorable-photos-of-children/
Here are some tips on getting shots that draw total strangers into your
photographs of children.
Take Time to Get to Know the Child
Most children let you into their world quickly. Before you start taking a
picture, spend at least 10 minutes talking to the child. Ask questions
about things that interest the child. Good openers include:
“Do you like bugs?”
“Would you rather be a giraffe or a butterfly?”
“What’s your favorite game?
Pay attention to how the child responds. Does he/she make eye contact?
Capture that confidence when you take his/her picture. Does the child laugh
at the questions or seriously contemplate them? Look for that sense of
whimsy or pensive side when you take the picture. Does the child doodle
when he/she responds? Then look for ways to show the child is creative.
Does the child twist her hair while she’s thinking? Great. Include that in a
photo.
If you’re taking photos of your own child, you already know your child’s
personality traits, his/her habits, his/her facial expressions. Capture those
instead of (or in addition to) a posed in-front-of-the-camera smile.
Observe, Observe, Observe
After you talk to the child, explain you’re going to get your camera ready and
back away. The child will soon lose interest in you, giving you a chance to
observe the child relating to the world. Inquisitive? Intent? Distracted?
Capture that in your images.
If you’re taking photos of your own child, try observing your child as if you
don’t know him/her at all. You’ll probably see some things you haven’t
noticed before.
Be Unobtrusive
Use a telephoto lens. The best photographs of children are those when a kid
is acting like a kid. To capture that and all the emotions that go with it, you
need to be an unobtrusive as possible. Use a telephoto lens so you can have
some real distance between you and the child. This will help the child tune
you out and do whatever he or she does best, whether it’s play, dream, run
around, make up stories. Capture that.
Alternately, move in close to the child to capture a curve of the cheek, curls
tumbling down a forehead, eyes deep in thought.
Look for the Extraordinary in the Ordinary
Take photos of the child doing everyday things like eating breakfast, elbows
on the table, hair not yet combed; sleeping, curled up with a favorite
animals or spread eagle, blankets off, bold even in sleep; doing homework,
scowling over a difficult problem or with one eye on the TV. These say a
whole lot about who the child is, which is way more moving than a posed
photo with perfectly combed hair and a brand new outfit.
~ photography.com
www.photography.com/articles/featured/taking-memorable-photos-of-children/
