Hot Tips on Photographing your Child

Don't you just love those cute expressions and wonder how professional photographers manage to capture that special moment? Well here are some secrets that may help you do just that ......

Pick a time of day when your child is happy and active. For most children this is in the morning when they are at their brightest. Avoid those times of day that you know your child is tired and maybe hungry. Children and babies have minds of their own! Work with them and not against them means going along with your child and turning the photo session into a fun game and not forcing them into something he or she doesn't want to do. You can guide the child to places, games and activities that are going to help you capture that great shot! Try to use an area that is shaded rather than bright sunlight which makes unatractive hard shadows.

Your choice of camera equipment is not critical. Whether it is a film camera or a digital camera, it is HOW you use it. However a medium to long telephoto lens allows you to be unobtrusive and not crowd the child. They soon forget that you are there. Try a 400 ISO film or equivalent digital camera setting and if possible avoid using the flash to get a natural look to your photos. Use plenty of film/digital shots because unless you are extremely lucky you won't get a great photograph using 1-2 frames only. Digital cameras are great as you don't worry about how many images you are taking.

Many amateur photographers make the mistake of photographing from their adult height looking down onto the child. This can give a distorted perspective to your photo where the child's head looks to big for the feet. Get down to their height, on your stomach if you have to! Your photos will have a better perspective and a more natural look to them.

Choice of clothing can make the difference between a mediocre shot and a great one. Generally avoid bright "busy" clothing such as checks, patterns and logos. Stick with plain solid colours and avoid reds, yellows and other strong colours. The same applies to choice of location for the background. Keep it simple and uncluttered so the viewer's attention in your photo is on the child and not the clothing or background.

Concentrate your attention on the child, but at the same time watch the background to avoid the classic mistake of objects such as trees growing out their heads. If there is a problem with the background you can usually solve it by shifting your camera angle just a bit.

A good piece of advice is to fill your viewfinder with the child, after all it is the child you are photographing and not the surrounds.

And above all have fun! Then if you still don't get that perfect shot give Glen a call!