10 tips for taking better kid pics
Every parent dreams of being able to capture all the priceless looks of their children on film, but few of us manage to record those precious moments to our satisfaction.
If you’re determined to preserve their youth outside of the yearly portrait shot at the mall but don’t have the funds to hire a professional photographer for a session at the park, Jodi Friedman at Digital Photography School has ten tips on lighting and technique to achieve the perfect shot.
• Get a little closer. One of the biggest differences you can make is to get closer to the subject in your photo. Sometime we are caught up with getting the nice scenery behind them and our children get lost in the image.
• Look for different angles. One way to get more variety in your photos is to look for different angles instead of always taking them straight on.
• Try to engage your kids. Be silly, make funny faces, jump around, sing silly songs. They will be more likely to give you natural expressions and they will have more fun.
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I agree with the suggestion of: “Get a little closer” to get a full-frame shot of a child so that they are the subject of the photo not the background scenery. However, I do not that you physically get closer – that intimidates a child, a pet or an adult for that matter. Invest in a camera with a telephoto lens, or buy one to allow you to take a picture from a distance.
I also disagree with suggesting that kids act-up or act silly so that you can have a silly “funny” picture. When I see those they seem so contrived. Rather, with your telephoto lens, catch kids being kids – will BTW catch some very funny shots. Shots that will even be appreciated by the kid because they will know they weren’t hamming it up. Everyone loves a natural shot – they seem to catch the real essence of the kid, pet or adult.