Photograph Your Child

LIKE NOBODY ELSE CAN, Part Two

by Jerry A. Sierra

Versions of this article were previously published
in Studio Photography, Mothers Today, Bonus, Baby Talk, etc.

"Thou art thy mother's glass, and in thee
Calls back the lovely April of her prime"
William Shakespeare (Sonnet III)

Photographing Little People

Photographing children is a psychological game which you must play carefully to be successful. Take care not to order the child to be still too long or stay clean. Imposed circumstances can cause apprehension, stiffness and tenseness in the child's face and body.

Ideally, you should cease to think like an adult and become a playmate. As parents, you have the advantage of having participated in the games and fantasies your children love the most. By joining them in their world you will not only have more fun, but you'll take better pictures and grow closer to your children.

The camera should be made to feel as if it is mommy and daddy's toy. The easiest way to achieve this is by familiarizing yourself with your camera as much as possible before you try to photograph your child. If you spend time fumbling with the equipment your child will focus his attention on the camera, and away from whatever activity or event you were trying to involve him or her in. Your total attention should be on the children and their blossoming universe.

Simply by being with your children throughout the day you will be exposed to countless opportunities to photograph funny and heartwarming situations. Be sure to keep your camera where you can easily get to it and keep lots of fresh film handy. By being ready to shoot when these moments naturally happen, you will have a wide variety of expressions and emotions to photograph.

Should you wish to create natural-looking situations, try setting toys or other attractive props in the area where you want to photograph, such as in front of a window with lots of light or under a tree in the backyard. Once they discover these toys, the memories will be all yours to photograph. Dress them in solid colors, for a neat appearance, and loose, but not baggy outfits.

Children are a source of inspiration to all of us fortunate enough to come in contact with them. Preserving images of their happiest years will help recall the beauty of such innocence, and will make you proud of your new photographic talent.

Nine Tips To Better Pictures Of Your Children

1. Become thoroughly familiar with your camera. Read the instructions several times if necessary so you can make the correct adjustments comfortably and quickly under a wide variety of conditions.

2. Make sure that the ISO number is set correctly on your camera in order for the film to receive the proper exposure. This number is listed on your film box.

3. Don't pose your children. Instead, engage them in a natural activity or conversation that will take their attention away from the camera. Their faces will relax and their expressions will be natural. Children don't react well to imposed situations; they become tense, stiff, and can't help displaying their apprehension. Others learn to fabricate a fake smile and pose that may be cute for one or two pictures, but not a whole album’s worth. A relaxed child is as dynamic and inventive a subject as you’re likely to encounter.

4. Watch the direction of light in your scene, and how it strikes your subject. Bright, direct sunlight tends to make people squint and creates nose shadows that are very unappealing. Open shade, window light or side light are often preferable. If possible, try to avoid strong back-light (light coming from behind the subject) since it is difficult for automatic cameras to determine the correct exposure. If you must photograph in this light, then move close to your subject's face, lightly press the memory lock button, move back to the original position and shoot.

5. Move close to your subject. Get close enough to see only the most important elements in your viewfinder. Failure to do so accounts for more unsuccessful pictures than any other mistake.

6. Carefully observe background and foreground and keep your pictures as simple as possible. Cluttered backgrounds tend to confuse and dilute the strength of your subject. In time this will become automatic and you won't have to think about it.

7. Hold the camera as steady as possible, with both hands, and press the shutter release button gently. Punching the shutter button will give you fuzzy or blurred pictures.

8. Place your subject slightly off-center. In most situations a dead-center subject will appear static and dull. If your subject is looking towards the right of the frame then place him slightly to the left.

9. Shoot lots of pictures. Professionals know that the potential for success increases dramatically with the number of pictures taken. Once your children are older you'll wish you had taken more pictures of them when they were young.

Return To Part One

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