With kids around, each moment feels special and in order to capture those precious moments and turn them into lifelong memories, one needs to hone his/her photography skills. As children are usually moody, hyperactive and restless beings, making them pose for the camera can be A very challenging as well as tedious task. Hence, they are meant to be captured in action when they are busy in their own worlds, playing around etc. and this results in blurry, out-of-focus clicks. To overcome this obstacle, here are some pointers on how to perfectly and successfully photograph children.
Setting up your camera
Since children are very spontaneous and fidgety, one needs to be quick with the camera to shoot them. Switch your camera to the “Aperture Priority or Portrait mode” to gain control over the depth of field and choose the right shutter speed accordingly. This will allow you to focus on the child ignoring the background. In low-light areas, set your aperture to the smallest number and ISO to 200 or lower for a faster shutter speed necessary for capturing kids in motion. If your camera has “Auto ISO” and “Auto focus” facility, use it for better camera precision. The lens plays a vital role in photography and for clicking children it is generally preferred to use a fast lens with high zoom capability that enables you to shoot perfectly even from a distance.
Taking the picture
Make the child comfortable and build a strong bond to ensure maximum possible cooperation and attention especially in the case of little ones. Toddlers are usually fond of posing and getting attention but engaging a younger child requires some pacifying.
- Level your camera: Get to the height level of the children for more focused and captivating shots and try different angles and levels which will add creativity to the photoshoot.
- Focus on the eyes: Focusing the camera on the kid’s eyes can produce some really intimate, expressive pictures.
- Set the background: Avoid distracting or unpleasant looking backgrounds as they tend to take the focus off the child. The child should be the centre of attention and the background should complement the picture rather than distract from it.
- Let them unfold: To catch the cuteness, innocence, playfulness and spirit the kids are known for, let them be on their own and do what they enjoy and shoot those candid moments for lifelong, heart-warming memories.
- Bring them into action: Give them some toys or other props, create certain interesting situations like bursting bubbles or eating ice-cream to capture their spontaneous reactions and unpredictable expressions for some funny photographs you will cherish forever.
- Shoot multiple images: Children photoshoots are incomplete without shooting a series of images to capture their drastically changing moods or a wider scene of their activity like dancing, running, riding etc.
With patience and energy to deal with the kids along with the above mentioned tips, you can surely have the best children photos and portraits to reflect their uniqueness and personality and treasure them for life.
