Photographing Children

[Designer]

Yes, women have the advantage with children. I vote for not the park scene for the simple reason that you will have to physically chase them all over, and just when you get set to make a photograph, they're off again running to somewhere else.

I think the place where children will feel the most comfortable is at their own home. Then the problem is to set up a room with good props, sight lines, lights, and clear backgrounds. Doesn't sound easy, does it?

Another good place for candids is at a birthday party or some other children's party. They will forget that you're even there.

 

[Ballistics]

I think you can grow from any type of shooting. figuring out which paying jobs to turn away is a pretty nice problem to have. that said, studio kids stuff seems more like sears portrait studio. i can see how that would be pretty boring and unrewarding (especially for the potential level of stress).

But..... on the other hand, like Designer mentioned, for candid shots kids are hard to beat. their expressions and reactions are usually as "candid" as you can get, they're so much less filtered. even when they ham it up, it's still in such a genuine overdramatic way (if that makes sense!). if you've done a lot of weddings/events you should know what i mean.

I'm ballistics, not designer.

 

[Ballistics]

I think you guys are right about the candids, I just gotta figure out how do set them up. So say a client wants photos and I convince them to goto a park. In this case, the candids seem to work. What about the client that wants a house call, now I'm working with lighting challenges, location, flash bounce or lighting issues if I'm indoors.... oh yeah, then a kid that's not in the mood to take pictures. I don't love shooting kids so far because they are so hard to work with.

I've seem women photographers ROCK the children's photos, and get GREAT results... I feel like when I shoot pictures of kids I'm just herding cattle.

Does anyone here have examples they can share?

 

[Ballistics]

Confining a child in one place makes it so much harder on you as a photographer. If you give them freedom and capture them playing, wherever that may be, I feel that the images are so much more fun to both take and look at.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

You're making money with shots like the one you posted?

And some people wonder why professional photographers are struggling.

 

[Ballistics]

You're making money with shots like the one you posted?

And some people wonder why professional photographers are struggling.

Don't turn this thread into a sh*t throwing fest.

 

[cgipson1]

I'm not a fan of sitting kids on a step and having them put two hands under their head and fake smile; that's why I attached the image. While the attached show was natural lighting, my studio shots end up being the same old boring pose... was just trying to create conversation on how people photograph kids as I have not done much and want to improve. Maybe there are a lot of funny people here, that's fine. I'm not used to everyone making jokes about serious questions. Maybe if I knew people it wouldn't bother me.

I've even had someone message me and critique my website. REALLY? I've never joined a forum where everyone is so anxious to bash everyone or make fun of everyone... I have thick skin, but dayum.

Dude! I was only saying give your WEBSITE viewer an option to turn off that music! No respectable web designer will have music like that, without an OFF button for people to click! If that bothers you... wait until I C&C some of your images!

 

[desmondlewissmith]

Just found a great site but not sure what the rules are for posting sites. I'm kinda seeing what everyone is saying. I'll have to give it a whirl with my own children and see if I can pull it off.

 

[cgipson1]

You're making money with shots like the one you posted?

And some people wonder why professional photographers are struggling.

Don't turn this thread into a sh*t throwing fest.

Why? I have seen you do it! lol!

 

[Ballistics]

I'm not a fan of sitting kids on a step and having them put two hands under their head and fake smile; that's why I attached the image. While the attached show was natural lighting, my studio shots end up being the same old boring pose... was just trying to create conversation on how people photograph kids as I have not done much and want to improve. Maybe there are a lot of funny people here, that's fine. I'm not used to everyone making jokes about serious questions. Maybe if I knew people it wouldn't bother me.

I've even had someone message me and critique my website. REALLY? I've never joined a forum where everyone is so anxious to bash everyone or make fun of everyone... I have thick skin, but dayum.

Dude! I was only saying give your WEBSITE viewer an option to turn off that music! No respectable web designer will have music like that, without an OFF button for people to click! If that bothers you... wait until I C&C some of your images!

You do have the option to shut it off. Mouse over the audio bar meter and click the stop button.

 

[desmondlewissmith]

There is a an off button.

(insert smile here)

I'm not a fan of sitting kids on a step and having them put two hands under their head and fake smile; that's why I attached the image. While the attached show was natural lighting, my studio shots end up being the same old boring pose... was just trying to create conversation on how people photograph kids as I have not done much and want to improve. Maybe there are a lot of funny people here, that's fine. I'm not used to everyone making jokes about serious questions. Maybe if I knew people it wouldn't bother me.

I've even had someone message me and critique my website. REALLY? I've never joined a forum where everyone is so anxious to bash everyone or make fun of everyone... I have thick skin, but dayum.

Dude! I was only saying give your WEBSITE viewer an option to turn off that music! No respectable web designer will have music like that, without an OFF button for people to click! If that bothers you... wait until I C&C some of your images!

 

[cgipson1]

I'm not a fan of sitting kids on a step and having them put two hands under their head and fake smile; that's why I attached the image. While the attached show was natural lighting, my studio shots end up being the same old boring pose... was just trying to create conversation on how people photograph kids as I have not done much and want to improve. Maybe there are a lot of funny people here, that's fine. I'm not used to everyone making jokes about serious questions. Maybe if I knew people it wouldn't bother me.

I've even had someone message me and critique my website. REALLY? I've never joined a forum where everyone is so anxious to bash everyone or make fun of everyone... I have thick skin, but dayum.

Dude! I was only saying give your WEBSITE viewer an option to turn off that music! No respectable web designer will have music like that, without an OFF button for people to click! If that bothers you... wait until I C&C some of your images!

You do have the option to shut it off.

Really... I looked all over, and didn't see it! Care to enlighten me? Maybe it wasn't even there when I checked earlier!

 

[Ballistics]

Dude! I was only saying give your WEBSITE viewer an option to turn off that music! No respectable web designer will have music like that, without an OFF button for people to click! If that bothers you... wait until I C&C some of your images!

You do have the option to shut it off.

Really... I looked all over, and didn't see it! Care to enlighten me? Maybe it wasn't even there when I checked earlier!

Mouse over the audio bar meter in the bottom left and click the stop button.

 

[cgipson1]

You do have the option to shut it off.

Really... I looked all over, and didn't see it! Care to enlighten me? Maybe it wasn't even there when I checked earlier!

Mouse over the audio bar meter in the bottom left and click the stop button.

Oh.. this little tiny thing! That doesn't say Audio or OFF... gotcha! Even on my 30" monitor, I didn't notice it... so bad design, IMO! God help anyone with eyes that are worse than mine, right? Not real obvious....

 

[desmondlewissmith]

Balistics, while I love all of the pictures you posted and think they are fine examples, problem is the candids you posted wouldn't frame 11x14 for my typical customer. They typically expect posed photos... yawn... hence my challenge. How to make posed interesting?

I think you guys are right about the candids, I just gotta figure out how do set them up. So say a client wants photos and I convince them to goto a park. In this case, the candids seem to work. What about the client that wants a house call, now I'm working with lighting challenges, location, flash bounce or lighting issues if I'm indoors.... oh yeah, then a kid that's not in the mood to take pictures. I don't love shooting kids so far because they are so hard to work with.

I've seem women photographers ROCK the children's photos, and get GREAT results... I feel like when I shoot pictures of kids I'm just herding cattle.

Does anyone here have examples they can share?