Taking Great Kid Photos
We love our kids so much that all of their photos are beautiful to us and to those who know them. It’s like that because of who they are and not because the photographs. However, if you are somewhat serious about photography and want to take great kid photos, then this is for you. If not, then this is not for you.
So now we have to take off the parent’s hat and wear the photographer’s hat. We have to overcome the urge to take a quick photo and show if off in Facebook. Not that I don’t do it. But for now let’s just pretend we are not doing that anymore; because we are talking about taking great kid photos that are worthy of hanging in galleries (well – in your gallery at least, in all glory) and it takes time to do anything that well.
Background
Anything that is true about taking great photos in general, is also true about taking great kid photos. But out of all those things if I have to pick the most important, I will pick background and lighting. The background is always there, and it is there just so the subject, i.e. your kid(s) pop out of it and not get lost in it. Let the background be as clutter free as possible. Nothing sticking up behind the head, no bright blobs of color and so on. I have an entire post dedicated to the topic and you should certainly check it out.
Lighting
Next is lighting. In fact, knowing about it helps you make the subject stand out from the background. But it’s not just that. Photography is about writing with light. So the more you know about lighting, the better it is for your pictures. The key is lighting direction and lighting size. For now, remember that flat, frontal light (when the light source is behind you) is bad. Top light (mid-day sun) is bad. Side light, especially soft side light is best for taking great kid photos. Back light is great too but requires slightly more expertise to work with. Position yourself, such that the light is coming from the side.
There are many other technical things. But most of all, that’s all I do. I pay attention to the background and I pay attention to the light. And, all I need to is to press the button at the right time.
Shooting angle
I see pictures all the time where the camera is pointed down the at kids, because they are not as tall as their parents. Most of the time, they don’t lift their face up at the camera. A much better approach is squat or kneel and take the picture so the camera is at the eye level. For this reason, I was lying on the floor while taking the picture of the little girl.
Use the Eyes
Kids are spontaneous and their eyes express that spontaneity. A good tip for taking great kid photos is to use the catch light in the eyes – its the tiny shiny spot in the pupil from light reflecting back and it makes the eyes come to life. It happens on its own, if the area is well lit and it’s not a backlit situation. You just need to make sure it’s there.
Watch The Clothes
You or your kid’s favorite dress is not necessarily the best for photography. Your kids are not modeling clothes. Clothes should not distract. They should not compete for attention. So, again, take off the parent’s hat and wear the photographer’s hat. It is hard. As I have explained, no matter what clothes they wear, you will love their pictures, because you will past any distraction with all the parental love you have. So if you planning a photo session, you can make sure bright colored clothes will not be a distraction.
But don’t miss a great moment because you didn’t remember to change their clothes.. You can always decide what to do during the editing process.
I prefer something that is not bright colored and without patterns. As with anything else, there are exceptions. I have the shot of the kid looking up from between my legs. It was a camping trip and I didn’t care what they were wearing. However in this case the patterns in the shirt help to isolate the kid against the dull background instead of being a distraction.
A Favorite Activity
Arts, sports, music, reading a book – the list goes on. Every kid has one or two favorite activities and these provide opportunities of getting great shots, if you are also paying attention to the background and lighting – as you can see from some of the photos. When your kid is active, if you take the shot where the body is at an angle to the frame. In the photo of the kid on the bike and running in the rain the angle creates a sense of motion.
In the photo of the kid spinning the hoop, the shutter was such (1/60) that the spinning hoop was blurred but the kid was not. A higher shutter speed would freeze the hoop, making the shot less interesting.
You can read more about motion here.
Different Moods
Don’t always go for the smiley face. Every mood – joyful or pensive – is worth capturing. Remember that light influences the mood of the shot, So a happy mood is helped by warmer light and a sad mood is helped by cooler light. You can read more about all that in this post.
A Quick Draw
Often the best shots are taken when you didn’t plan for it. Maybe you got just lucky. But now that you are reading this, know that you can be “predictably” lucky. No one but you know how you kid’s react. What she does and when to appear extra cute. But you have to know your camera very well and have quick reflexes. In the shot of the kid with clenched fist, I had to take the picture and not worry about the car in the background. Although it is out of focus, it is not the ideal background. But for moments like this, rules can be broken.
If you are reacting to pick up the camera, then you are too late. You have to be like the hockey player who knows where the puck will be after 2 seconds. So be ready to shoot, any time!
Learn to Use Flash
Getting a bit technical here. If you feel that way, let this be your phase 2. By then you will probably have a good DSLR and be ready to get into the flash photography. Flash photography is not just for when it is dark or for indoors. It has its uses outdoors on a perfectly bright day. I am working on a post about creative flash photography. Join my mailing list and you will know when it’s out.
A Mean Photo Editor
You have to be your biggest critic and toss your kid’s photos with no mercy. You can keep them of course, but you will know which photos met the bar and which didn’t. At least, that will happen a lot in the beginning, if you are with me on this. I throw away most of my shots. If you are keeping at it, the your percentage will improve over time. Then spend the time to edit the few selected shots. Learn to use an editor like Lightroom. It will pay off.
It’s not easy being a parent. It’s a demanding job. I am bit crazy about photography. So not only I take pictures all the time, I write posts like this. If you liked this post, please LIKE my Facebook for getting notified about future topics.
