How to photograph your Children
So every few years you may hire a professional photographer to capture your family as it grows and changes but with the ease of mobile phones now we all like to capture those in-between moments of our children especially those special moments like school plays, messy eating, funny outfits and days out.
I thought I share some of my favourite ways to capture your own children, I use these on Evie as well as in my day job with my clients.
A little disclaimer before we start
Evie now charges me if I ask her to pose, once she turned 8 she suddenly became a businesswoman, this snow shoot cost me a caramel chocolate bar, sledging in Llangollen and a squishy! Bribery can work for adults too, just not this adult
She drives a hard deal, I think she’s going to do fine in life 🙂
how to photograph your children
Tip One | Get up close
Don’t be afraid to get up close to your child, most people take either full body images or set the scene by stepping back these are all great but it always good to get a close up shot to perfectly remember that little face, just that one shot can tell a million stories and capture their features for a lifetime
Tip Two | Capture the Details
Hands grow, you forget how small their little fingers were and how they grasped their favourite toys or anything they loved.
Their feet grow and those baby curls disappear faster than you can imagine, capture those trust me you will treasure them.
Capture their cute faces sleeping, capture everything you love most about them.
Tip Three | Don’t forget to capture them from behind
OK I know that might sound crazy but these are my favourite images, they have no idea you are taking these images, so you don’t have to battle the ”cheese” smile face or any silliness.
Tip Four | Let them dictate the shot a little
I know you want the image to be perfect, you’ve seen something you want to capture or you have a vision in mind, but you have to step back from being the parent a little and give them some control. Direct them to were you’d like them to be or set them up doing what you want to capture but let them do it their way. It may not capture your vision perfectly but it will be truly them and after a few shots they will be at ease more. Below are some image examples.
1 | We were taking images in the long grass for a local florist and Evie just decided she wanted to do a moody pose against the green container and It turned out ok and happens to be one of my husband favourite images of her.
2 | I just loved where she was sat and the light was perfect I wanted her to look into the light, but she found some long grass seeds and wanted to do April showers and I love it.
3 | Again I was obsessed with the light and the background and just as I took the shot she popped a leaf over her eye, the image turned out much better than the one without the leaf 🙂
Tip Five | Get them used to pictures
I hate my picture being taken although I’m a little more comfortable with phones more than cameras and I have noticed in the last 2 years of doing this full time is that children who’s parents take a lot of images of them are more comfortable with my camera pointing at them especially if I show them the image I just took on the back. So get them used to the having their picture taken and showing them the end result.
Tip Six | Look for Light
“wherever there is light one can photograph”
So every photographer spends their entire life chasing light, light is everything it makes a photograph. We all know a pretty light when we see it, sunsets and sunrises make lovely little pools of soft light, use them place your children in them, use the sun to backlight your child.
Watch mid-day sun as it can create shadows under your child’s eyes.
Once you understand light you’ll never take a bad photo.
Tip Seven | Composition and few last tips
Focus on the eyes, get down to their level, shoot without them knowing you are taking their picture, and think about composition. Where you place them can add interest to an image and pull you in more.
how to photograph your children
Lastly don’t over think it too much,
Have fun | Capture the details | Get up close
You can find more of my work on Facebook, Instagram and here in my Portfolio
Thanks
Nat x
