Tips on Child Photography

Here are some tips on child photography.

Do you want to learn how to photograph children? Do you want to take lovely natural photographs of kids just being kids? Do you want to take portraits of children? These tips will help you get excellent pictures of children that truely capture their personalities.

Be Patient

Let the child get used to the surroundings and the idea of being photographed. If you tell the child to sit still and smile, you'll get a picture that looks uncomfortable and a smile that looks forced. Be patient and wait until the moment is right to take the picture. I think this is one of the most valuable tips on child photography.

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Get on Their Level

Children are small. It's easy to get stuck into the pattern of taking pictures of them from your level. Getting down at the level of the child will give the camera a clear view of the child's eyes and make a lovely portrait. This rule isn't hard and fast by any means. I believe strongly in experimentation. Experiment with different camera angles. Don't get stuck into the same patterns for your photography.

Be Close

Fill the image with the child. Don't be afraid to get in close. Once the child is comfortable being photographed you can get some close-ups of the face that will really capture personality.

Be Quick

Children don't want to sit around getting their pictures taken for long. Take a lot of pictures quickly. Have your finger on the shutter button ready to take a picture when the moment is right.

Be Natural

Don't try to force a moment, especially if the child doesn't like being photographed. Try just letting the child do whatever they want naturally and see what pictures come out of it.

Step Back

Try stepping back and taking candid picutres of the child. If the child or children don't realize they're being photographed you're more likely to get good natural expressions.

Other Things to Consider

Here are some more technical tips on child photography.

Aperture

Setting your camera to a low aperture number will give the camera a shallow depth of field. This is often a good effect to use when taking portraits. It'll make the background more abstract and really make the child the focus of the picture.

Shutter Speed

Keep on eye on the shutter speed, especially if the child is moving around a lot. A fast shutter speed will help you get clear motion shots.

ISO

Keep your ISO as low as possible to get the best qualtiy picture. If it's a sunny day shoot at 200 or less.

Tripod

Skip the tripod this time. Children are fast and a tripod will just end up getting in the way.

If you found these tips on child photography useful check out my other tutorials on my digital photography tutorials page.