Over the past few years, Kids’ photography has become popular and has good growth for the foreseeable future. The market isn’t as saturated as wedding photography, say, and you don’t need to get started with a bunch of high-tech gear. It’s all about training and practice, and that’s what this article is about: the methods to get great pictures of children, and the tricks to get them to work together while having fun.
We’ve published the newborn photography and baby photography lifestyle guide, but children’s photography is another match. Children are moving very fast, and they can express their emotions and needs. These are some of Kids photography’s biggest challenges.
In this children’s photography guide for beginners, we share the technical and practical photography tips for children – from taking sharp images when your subject moves quickly to keep children entertained during the photo session.
Props and Outfits for Kids Photography
There are many facets of a children’s photography session that you may not be able to predict, but it’s worth being firm on those that you can. Let’s begin with the outfits and props.
I always spend time with the families on their costumes before a session goes back and forth. The topic alone might be worthy of an entire article, but its essence is:
- Plain clothing looks best
For close-up shots, use a shallow field depth
You want to keep the focus on the kid when you do close-up shots, without the distracting backdrop. Go to f/2.8 or lower to focus on them.
If you are using an iPhone to photograph children, if the feature is available, choose Portrait mode. Alternatively, you can download apps, such as CameraFV-5, that allow you to set it manually.
Focus on the eyes
Place the focus on the eyes just as you do when you take a picture. This is the part that needs to be centered intensely, even if it’s not all else. Tap on the kid’s eyes before taking the picture if you are using a phone camera.
The composition becomes a lower priority during the photo session when it comes to children’s photography. Children move quickly, and you often have only seconds to catch a particular moment, gesture, or action.
So here’s the tip: don’t worry about the composition too much.
Keeping the topics in clear and sharp focus is your priority to capture the moment. In post-processing, you can always crop and recompose, and it also gives you the opportunity to play with unique framing and composition.
Choose the Right Location
We have learned that, and indeed it is, the position is significant. But for children’s photography, finding a place where they can run around and play is really necessary. A park or playground is a good choice at all times. You can also find locations with a bright-colored backdrop, as this can add a happy atmosphere to the pictures instantly.
If the options are limited, you can also do the photo session at home, indoors or outdoors (in the backyard, for example). To minimize the distractions in the picture, you can choose a spot with a plain background.
Be your mate and bring toys
With a stranger, children can be apprehensive and this feeling would be expressed in the images. Set aside some time to introduce yourself, talk, and play with them before you begin the photo session.
Pro tip: When you have toys that they can play with during the session, it helps a lot. They’re going to feel hot towards you and you can also use the toys as props! Items like balls of plastic, bubbles, or a car with kids are always good.
Capture the emotions
When it comes to photography for children, the most valuable are images showing genuine emotions and feelings. These are the images that the family will hold dearly over the coming years.
Let the children play and have fun, bring them their favorite toys, or be a crazy clown to make them laugh. Be ready to catch these genuine emotions at all times.
Capture the ordinary
It’s hard to get them posed for a long time with kids. And even then, your innocence and the memories that are connected to your childhood would not be preserved.
The best way to follow them is to capture all that happens, even things that may seem ordinary. The children playing and giggling, rolling around on the floor, hitting mom, it’s all part of the daily moments the family is going to enjoy.
Keep Kids Happy
The best time to catch children is when they are most relaxed when they have had ample rest and food. Try to schedule it after your nap or meal time if you’re doing a photo session. Happy children make the best pictures, and it makes your job much easier as well.
There’s really one rule to be ready to have fun with them when it comes to photography for kids. And if you’re not, be zen. Children are strong, obviously, truly. Absorb the power of them! I’d love to hear about your next child’s photography experience, what advice was most helpful to you, and for a good laugh, feel free to share your greatest mistakes and what you’ve learned from them.
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