Child Photography

[NMLHaley]

Hello all. I'm just starting out in photography but I have a shoot tomorrow for 1-yr-old birthday photos. It's actually my nephew and I'll just be going over to the house and shooting in natural light. My style is more photojournalistic with less formal shots. I have a 40D, a 28-135 mm lens, and a 300 mm lens. Just looking for any recommendations for shooting with kids, especially some ideas for creativity. I want to shoot a lot but also have a wide variety. Thanks!

 

[skieur]

Hello all. I'm just starting out in photography but I have a shoot tomorrow for 1-yr-old birthday photos. It's actually my nephew and I'll just be going over to the house and shooting in natural light. My style is more photojournalistic with less formal shots. I have a 40D, a 28-135 mm lens, and a 300 mm lens. Just looking for any recommendations for shooting with kids, especially some ideas for creativity. I want to shoot a lot but also have a wide variety. Thanks!

The most important one is get down on their level. I crawl around on the floor with them and after a while they don't even notice me, which is when you can get some very natural photos. I use 28mm most of the time, since it gives a good focus range even without flash. Obviously don't shoot toward the window or you will get silhouettes. Watch your shutter speed carefully because if they are moving, it will need to be faster.

skieur

 

[Big Mike]

I agree, get down and shoot on their level. Also, when shooting 'photojournalistic' style portraits, try hard to avoid distracting backgrounds. That will make the difference between a snap shot and a nice portrait.

Lastly, you might have a hard time getting usable shutter speeds with indoor lighting and slower lenses. Don't be afraid to boost the ISO up to 800 or 1600 if needed to avoid blur...just make sure to 'Expose to the Right' to avoid noise.

 

[Lauren Fitzgerald]

Since photographing kids is right up my alley, the best advice I can give you is to act like a kid. A one year old will have a decent understanding of language, but not a full grasp. Have some bubbles handy and try and get some games going. For that age group I like to have some silly things with me that I can put on my head to get them to look toward the camera. It's a great trick that really works. I recently had a little guy here who was just so busy I couldn't get his attention. I had a plastic frog and I kept putting it on my head and saying, "Hey! I can't find my frog! OH NO! Can you help me find it?!" The litle guy would see the frog on my head, point, and laugh. I agree with getting down on their level.

Good luck. That's a tough age to shoot.