I promised you more tips: Here we go with tips on photographing kids!
Don’t worry about smiles: I am a firm believer that smiles are NOT necessary for beautiful portraits. But when you have the child say “cheese” or anything else you get forced smiles and they are definitely not beautiful. So if your child isn’t smiling, don’t sweat it. Capture the beauty. Focus on the eyes and let them tell a story.
Get on Their Level: You have to crouch down. I mean, after a day of shooting my legs hurt becuase I’ve been squating so much. Eye level is great…it puts them at ease but you also get their faces full on. It’s how you get amazing captures of eyes and smiles.
Get Close: This is my favorite as it has become my style, but I love to “get close” to my subjects. Of course a lot of this depends on your lens, but I usually use Prime lenses which means that my lens don’t zoom, I am the one who get’s closer to my subjects. But I like to get really close, I feel that I get all the great details in the childs face…For me, I feel it’s what my parents pay me for…yes, having beautiful settings make for beautiful pieces of art, but when it comes down to it, they want their child….and so I say, don’t be afraid to get close.
Watch the Light: Lighting is key. You need good light. Late afternoons are great, but mornings are okay and don’t be afraid of overcast. I have clients who see that it’s going to be overcast and say…”oohh it’s not going to be good weather” and I have to just assure them that overcast is wonderful…colors are richer. So watch the light. Always have your back to it, with little ones put them in a shade spot so that they aren’t squinting and snap away. You can use light to create all sorts of creative images as well such as sun-flares and silhouettes…so play around.
The most important tip: Have fun!!! Kids can sense if you are stressing or if you are there to “get” something from them. If you can relax and just have fun you will capture some of the most amazing portraits. So go pick up your camera, grab your closest kid and click away.
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