Toddler portraits ???

MattK0138 · Aug 4, 2011

I am new here and a beginning photographer. I have been trying to take portraits of my toddler. He just turned 2. I am using a canon xt with kit lens (18-55) I also have a 55-200. With onboard ttl flash. I am using a white wall in my house as a background and bouncing the flash off the ceiling. I get clear shots but I can't get him to really pose. Any tips from people who do childrens portraits. I give him toys but they end up in his mouth or held up to his face ruining the photo. I tried talking to him but I cant concentrate on what I am doing. How do people do this?

Virtuosos · Aug 4, 2011

There was a cool idea by another member suggesting tape.

You put tape around a finger or on a finger or whatever....and the child becomes immediately fasinated with it. They sit, they play with their hands away from their face trying to see what this thing is....

Anyways, you might want to try that?

DiskoJoe · Aug 4, 2011

MattK0138 said:
I am new here and a beginning photographer. I have been trying to take portraits of my toddler. He just turned 2. I am using a canon xt with kit lens (18-55) I also have a 55-200. With onboard ttl flash. I am using a white wall in my house as a background and bouncing the flash off the ceiling. I get clear shots but I can't get him to really pose. Any tips from people who do childrens portraits. I give him toys but they end up in his mouth or held up to his face ruining the photo. I tried talking to him but I cant concentrate on what I am doing. How do people do this?

you need an assistant (mom) to keep him focused while you make the magic happen.

tirediron · Aug 4, 2011

DiskoJoe said:
MattK0138 said:

I am new here and a beginning photographer. I have been trying to take portraits of my toddler. He just turned 2. I am using a canon xt with kit lens (18-55) I also have a 55-200. With onboard ttl flash. I am using a white wall in my house as a background and bouncing the flash off the ceiling. I get clear shots but I can't get him to really pose. Any tips from people who do childrens portraits. I give him toys but they end up in his mouth or held up to his face ruining the photo. I tried talking to him but I cant concentrate on what I am doing. How do people do this?

Click to expand...

you need an assistant (mom) to keep him focused while you make the magic happen.

^^ Just like shooting pets.

MattK0138 · Aug 4, 2011

Unfortunately mom is not around. I will have to find someone who can come help.

MissCream · Aug 4, 2011

I just hold something that my little man isn't allowed to have but really wants, he stares at it for a while with a huge grin on his face lol

Big Mike · Aug 4, 2011

It takes a lot of patience with kids that age. For the most part, they won't pose...not for long anyway. And even getting them to stay in one spot can be frustrating.

Having someone else there, to help distract them, can work...but it's also a pain because you probably want them looking at the camera, and not at someone else. I have had some luck by wearing funny hats...as it gets them to look right at me (behind the camera).

Another way that I've kept my son interested, was to use a remote for the camera, so that I'm not hidden behind it. That way I can play with him and just try to stay out of the shot. He soon figured that out, and I had to let him use the remote to take the photos. It actually worked for a few family shots.

But as you'll know, as a parent of a 2 year old, sometimes they are cooperative and sometimes their not. And you can't force them because they just melt down.

Forrest Turns One ~ Mike Hodson Photography
Forrest in the Wild ~ Mike Hodson Photography
More Forrest ~ Mike Hodson Photography

hopdaddy · Aug 4, 2011

I have two grandsons, 18mo & 6mo, Brothers. So I'll tell you about the elder. Last photo shoot with them was last Sunday. went to a park. in a pavilion (Rock walls) with no escape, except past me. I let him Run WILD. Cam set to continuous focus. Even though I had a studio strobe there, I did not use it at first. I waited till he came by an opening (Window,somewhat) so the lighting was better. cam set to Av, F/8 or a stop less sometimes ,and just waited for the smile. Than I wanted him , with a hat .There is NO WAY to convince an 18 mo. old. So I just, through the hat to the opposite end of the room and again waited. it was a game for him, He went down picked it up danced around, then put in over his head and ....Snap-Snap-Snap
After all the running and playing,I put a chair by the strobe And just sat down with everything in place. He went over and claimed up in the seat looked to see if I was paying attention.... Snap!

Well that is how i do it....Hope this helps, But it HAS to be fun for them, or Epic-Fail!

MattK0138 · Aug 4, 2011

I have learned quickly why people use grips with portrait orientation it's hard to hold the camera sideways and make adjustments. So that will be my next purchase. Thanks for the tips guys I will be trying many of them this afternoon. If I get some good ones I will post for cc !!

eric rose · Aug 4, 2011

Posed shots of toddlers are never the best at capturing "who" they are. Run and gun the shoot. Get the munchkin doing something and then start shooting.

Big Mike · Aug 4, 2011

I didn't really mention it with my last post...but as I'm using a remote for the camera...it's sitting on a tripod. I also tend to set a wider focal length/zoom so that I have more room for them to move without getting out of frame.

I also set my lighting for a wider area, similar to what I might use for a group shot. This way, the kid doesn't have to be in just the right spot for the framing and lighting to work. You can always crop the image later, but you have to get them in frame.

mrpink · Aug 4, 2011

MattK0138 said:
I get clear shots but I can't get him to really pose. Any tips from people who do childrens portraits. I give him toys but they end up in his mouth or held up to his face ruining the photo. I tried talking to him but I cant concentrate on what I am doing. How do people do this?

He's two. Let em play, take photos when the light is good.

p!nK

MattK0138 · Aug 4, 2011

I do let him play I was just looking for tips to get a little focus or keep him in frame for 2 seconds really.

mrpink · Aug 4, 2011

You only need him in frame for 1/125th sec. p!nK

MattK0138 · Aug 4, 2011

My problem is being ready when he is. I think I am going to put a cube on the floor. The kind where the top comes off you get from target. Set my camera on a tripod and put his toys in the cube. Snap away and just zoom crop etc in post. I bought a wireless remote today as well so I can stand on the other side and interact with him. I need to pick up a cheap tripod for my flash.