Photo Ideas for Kids
Taking Portraits of Kids
The secret of children’s portrait shots is informality. When photographing adults, it is practical to use a tripod as your subject will probably stay within the scope of your lens (and stay where you tell them to). With kids some great photo ideas are to hold the camera, use a good zoom lens and set the fastest shutter speed feasible.
The Trouble with Photographing Children
When taking portrait shots of kids, it will be a more difficult project than it appears. You need to capture a set of images, while aiming to make each image go beyond being simply a physical impression of that child in a specific point in time. Your task should be to show something of his or her mood and personality as well.
The Most Common Mistake
A basic mistake people often make when taking photos of kids is to stand with the camera at adult eye level, then shooting down at them. It is better to squat down so that the camera is level with their eye line.
Photo Ideas for Kids: Technical Tips
- For natural shots, kneel or even lie down commando-style to get the camera to the child’s or children’s eye level.
- Keep in mind though that higher viewpoints are often useful for simplifying the background or for making the child appear vulnerable, innocent and cute.
- A lower viewpoint will make the child appear more imposing, older and independent. If you want to achieve this, try to get the child to stand on a step, chair or other platform.
Photographing Children at Play
Many of the problems associated with taking individual portraits disappear once children are playing with their friends. You don’t need to worry about the kids being overly curious or interfering with you taking photos of them.
When photographing children at play, be sure to capture shots which show how the kids interact with each other through their games. Some kids will want to perform for the camera, but don’t encourage them to pose, the best shots come naturally with little to no intervention.
Technical Tips for Photographing Children at Play
- Allow for movement when you set the exposure. A shutter speed of 1/250 or faster should ensure that most of the action can be caught without blur.
- A fast shutter speed will also mean that you will be using one of the wider apertures available with your lens. This has the advantage that the background will be thrown out of focus, helping you to concentrate the composition on the children themselves.
Once you have some great portraits or photos of children playing, be sure to check us out if you have some shots you think would look good as memorable canvas prints.
