If you like photographing children, it can be both rewarding and profitable. Taking pictures of children is no easy task and if it's something you don't love doing, the child (or children) you are photographing will know, making it that much more difficult to get the shot you want.
Tips for Capturing Children on Film: You may think you know it all when it comes to taking pictures, but all of that may go out the window when photographing children. Using the typical vocabulary that is called for in standard photo shoots (like "freeze and "hold it) will only get lost on a child. Anticipation is key for you to predict a child's actions and capture them on film.
Photographing children takes a special skill, as most children (depending on age) will not always do what you ask of them. As a photographer, you need to know and understand that children will not always be cooperative just because they are going to have their picture taken. Photographing children may require a great deal of imagination on your part to get them to do what you need in order to capture a great picture. Sometimes, you may have to trick them into doing what you want them to do. Use whatever means necessary to get the shots you need.
Before booking photography sessions with children, you need to know both your camera equipment inside and out and what your own capabilities are in being able to get the best possible pictures. When photographing children, 100% of your focus is needed; there is no time to figure out the best lighting or what your camera can and can't do. Children's level of focus in a photography session can be limited at best thus you need to take complete advantage of the time you have to get their undivided attention to get the pictures you need. Rushing a child into what you want is also not the best approach. Getting their cooperation is key and that is best achieved when all attention is directed towards them.
When photographing children, expect anything and everything to happen. If you have a better understanding of the various behaviours of children at certain ages, it will go a long way to being able to capture the images you want thus increasing your financial gain. In addition, knowing what you can expect from a child at age two versus one at age five, will help in keeping your clients satisfied.
Unlike most other fields in photography, when taking pictures of children, you can expect to obtain a wide variety of poses, expressions, and behaviour during the session. Be aware of different age groups: a 4-month-old baby will act differently that a 14-month-old one will. Learn how children of different ages respond. The more equipped you are to handle children of varying ages, the better pictures you will get.
Keep in mind that parents can play a key role when photographing children. They will be able to tell you certain things about their child that can go a long way to helping you through the picture session ultimately ensuring you obtain the best possible shots. Given most children have difficulty sitting through a photography session, you will not have time to win them over; knowing their likes and dislikes, their fears, their favorite things, to name a few, can be extremely helpful.
Make sure your camera is at the ready at all times- with children, you likely won't get a second chance to capture something they did unexpectedly.
While tripods are very effective in getting sharp shots, you may not have the luxury of using one when photographing children. Given children have difficulty sitting still, a tripod will only impede your ability to capture all that's going on at the same time. Your camera needs to be on a fast shutter speed (to prevent blurring) and ready to go at the blink of an eye.
Child photography allows for close-up portraits as well as the child engaged in some activity - taking their socks off - in a box / tub with toys - climbing on or out of something. There is really no limit. As you continue to gain experience in working with children of various ages you will become more adept at learning what typically works with different age groups.
There is no question that photographing children is a challenge. And just when you might start to feel comfortable doing it, along comes a new challenge - multiple subjects. Dealing with twins, triplets, etc. will really test your skills as child photographer! But don't worry, this is part of the job and over time you will learn tricks to keeping all your subjects engaged.
If you are not using a digital camera to capture a child on film, you may be in trouble. You need the simplicity and speed of the digital camera to be able to both look at the photos as you go and to also capture children's attention. Keep in mind their attention span comes and goes very quickly and there are no second chances in getting that "perfect photo a second time. Sometimes it helps to use something they haven't seen to capture their attention. Don't overuse this trick because children will tire of it quickly.
Brothers and sisters can also play a vital role in your photography session with children. Siblings may actually be more successful than parents in getting their brother or sister to laugh, cry, smile, or make a funny face. Use the comfort level a child feels with their sibling to your best advantage and get the pictures you want. Another bonus to having sibling present, is that the parents may decide that they too should be photographed- all this means a bigger photo package for the client and more money for you!
Lighting and backdrops can be particularly useful when photographing children. The more experienced you become, the more comfortable you will feel in introducing these elements into the photography session with a child. Even is not using these tools, you can still take quality photographs nonetheless. You can always experiment, though a three-light set-up (consisting of a main light and back light) are ideal.
Continue to use your creativity to its capacity when it comes to photographing children: don't stay in the studio unless you are required to. Try out different venues particularly outside. If you do, you won't have to worry about lighting- nature will provide it all for you. Think about what makes a child happy: toys, stuffed animals, puppets, candy. Use these props to your advantage when photographing children. Make sure to keep these types of things on hand that can be used at any time to capture the child's attention.
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