Discovery, which is the heartbeat of good photography, occurs more readily when the photographer relinquishes self-consciousness for a state of humility and childlike wonderment. Then there is a greater freshness and purity in what you capture on film. ~~Dennis Stock
“…relinquishes self-consciousness for a state of humility and childlike wonderment…” is the first step in capturing better photographs of your children…or anyone or anything. I promise. If this is not where you are coming from with your photography, an attitude adjustment is in order before beginning to concern yourself with a variety of technical skills.
In most instances your camera’s point and shoot mode will do a good job for you in the beginning stage of photography. First, learn to capture what you love to see in a photo. How? Practice. Trial and error. Make mistakes. And consider the following:
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* Relinquish control. Face facts…the child is really in control. If he isn’t happy, no one is. Snap images on the go without limiting your child’s activities. In other words, rearrange yourself, not your child. Follow his movements. (The sports setting is great for a moving child.)
* If your camera has a continuous shooting mode use it with kids who tend to move around more. Many times it’s the second or third shot in a sequence that is best. Shooting just one frame at a time, you can miss some sweet shots.
* Do not force a pose. Ever.
* Give your child a personal object (toy, book, building blocks, paint, dress-up clothes) which holds his interest. Capture the photo when he shows emotion over or deep interest in the object.
* A smile is nice, but don’t always shoot for a smile. Capture your child experiencing life, show your child’s spirit…those are the moments you really want to remember.
* Are you having fun? If not, neither is your child. Approach a photo-taking session by telling your child that the two of you are going to have some fun taking photos…and mean it.
* During the photo session show your child some of the images you’ve captured. Even older babies delight in seeing themselves.
* If a child is old enough to make choices about what to do for a photo, let him.
* Get on your child’s level. This keeps your child’s body in the right proportions and avoids those strange distortions…you know, like an head which appears enormous.
* Sometimes forget the above tip…experiment with a variety of angles/perspectives.
* Focus on your child and consider the background. You don’t want clutter distracting from the image of your child. (Also, be certain it does not appear that objects are protruding from his head.)
* Sometimes forget the above and shoot to include more of the child’s surroundings when it adds to the story.
* Take candid photos. (Remember, the sports setting and continuous shooting mode.)
* Avoid using flash if at all possible. It is distracting to most children, can be frightening to some and often produces images with a harsh appearance or unwanted shadows. Natural and available light, in my opinion, are best for photographing children. Just takes practice.
* Another note about flash, it can trigger a seizure in children who are seizure-prone. A flash can also trigger anxiety and emotional outbursts in children who deal with sensory challenges.
* ZOOM. Get close and fill the frame with your child’s precious face. Focus on his eyes. It is not always desirable to have your child’s full body in the photo. If you are using preset modes, use the portrait setting on your digital camera (usually indicated by the silhouette of a head). The camera will try to blur the background so the subject stands out more from the background (known as a shallow depth of field).
Remember, attitude adjustment…yours. Be patient. Have fun. Don’t expect to always get the perfect shot immediately. Sit back and wait for the right moment, then shoot quickly…shoot often.
Make photography a part of your daily life. That’s how you get the photos you love.
See you here again Saturday, October 25 to talk about capturing images for those holiday greeting cards, including helpful links and photos.
Questions? Please ask in comments…it’s how I’ll know what information you need.
Melody can be found at 5M4SN each week hosting Special Exposure Wednesday and sharing her love of photography the second and fourth Saturdays each month in her column, Photographing Your Children. You will also find her at Slurping Life sharing photos and a few words from her special life.