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Dear Subscriber,
Photographing Kids
Taking great photos of children – from newborns to teenagers – is easy if you remember a few tricks and keep the subject’s age uppermost in your mind.
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In a sense, babies are easy to photograph. They’re too young to be aware of what a photograph is, so they can’t react to the idea of being photographed. Being “camera-shy” comes later.
Work by available light rather than flash whenever you can.
Indoors, during the day, have a parent hold the infant near a window without placing the child in direct sunlight, which will be too harsh. Take photos up close of just the cradled infant and also take some pictures from a greater distance showing the child and the proud parent.
Be very careful with infants. Don’t prop them up or leave them unattended on a table while trying to take a photograph – even for a second. The safety of the young child must always be paramount.
Also, be aware a person holding a camera in front of his or her face can frighten a small child. Put the camera down every 30 seconds or so, and talk to the baby to offer reassurance.
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Tips For Taking Pictures of Older Children
When children get a little older and have seen photographs of themselves and others, they start to be a little more self-conscious. Some will become shy of the camera, while others will ham it up and play to the camera.
Both reactions make it difficult to get a true portrait of the subject.
This is the age when getting good photographs becomes tougher, and for most subjects, that challenge will last through the teenage years when self-consciousness often peaks.
Candid Action Pictures
Try to take candid photos of kids when they’re immersed in some activity, so that they’re unaware of your presence.
Use a fast shutter speed to freeze action, and don’t ask them to pose.
It’s possible to interrupt an activity and say, “Look at me for a second,” or “Hey, look this way,” when the child is in the midst of an activity. But don’t ask them, or expect them, to hold a pose.
Another thing to remember about children in the 3 to 10-year-old range is they are curious. Take advantage of that. When taking a photo of a group of three or more, the best way to make them all look at the camera is not by asking them to do so, but rather by asking them a question.
Posed "Candids"
Kids will smile for treats...
After you get the family, soccer team, or birthday party attendees posed, just ask, “Can you guess what’s in here?” A paper bag with half a dozen hard candies (beans, coins, or pasta bits) will make a nice rattle when it comes from behind the photographer’s back and is given a few shakes adjacent to the camera lens. Even the most determined youngster will have to take a look.
If you use hard candies, distribute them after the photo is taken as a reward for their cooperation. Throw the candy out to the group if they are older children. That will create added fun and excitement.
You'll be amazed at how the anticipation of a "treat" after a picture is taken will often work as well with children as it does with pets!
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Take Pictures From The Kid's Point of View...and Get In Close!
Perhaps the single most common mistake family photographers make when taking pictures of kids is taking the photo from too high an angle.
Get down low for the most effective camera angle. Taking the photograph from a high elevation means we’re looking down at the child. From a low angle, the child looks more imposing in the scene, and that’s always a good thing.
As with all photographs, try to get in close to the subject, avoid distracting backgrounds, and watch out for clutter anywhere in the photograph.
With a little work and a digital camera that allows you to take lots of pictures, you’ll be able to capture great pictures of kids of all ages, suitable for display or gifts for proud parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.
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Don't lose the pictures of your life!
Back when we were all shooting film every shot was printed. So, even if the negative was misplaced you still had a lasting memory.
Today we store our images on hard drives and CDs. Neither is archival. Hard drives crash and CDs fade.
 Making prints of your family photographs is the best way to preserve your precious memories for future generations. The silver-based lab prints we make for you today will last for a hundred years.
So, take those memorable pictures of your children at every age. Then, upload your images to iPrints.com or visit our store for prints that your kids will be able to pass on to their kids!
Best wishes,
Dale
Dale Farkas
President, iPrints.com & iPrintsPro.com
(Online services of Dale Laboratories)
Questions? Call (800) 327-1776. We're here to help!
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