Preparation is key when it comes to photography with kids. When it comes to setting up your location, if you can, select a location that means something to the kids. Perhaps it\u2019s a favourite playground, a park where they like to feed the ducks or on the beach.<\/p>\n
Wherever it is, try to select a location which has a number of different facets; the beach is perfect, as there are so many elements within the location and a variety of things to do, like run, swim, and build sandcastles. The difficulty is getting a wide range of facial expressions, movements and emotions within the same shoot. You want a combination of close-ups, action shots, and emotional moments; a shot showing the love between two brothers; a sense of magic during play, or the innocence and wonder of discovery.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re shooting someone else\u2019s family, speak to their parents and find out what they\u2019re looking for. They might already have enough shots of their kids at play, but they\u2019re looking for close-up portraits. Set expectations clearly with the parents upfront and communicate that you may need to work to a loose brief rather than having a designated shot list. With kids\u2019 photography, you\u2019ll need to be flexible and let go of any expectations.<\/p>\n While preparation is key, keep in mind that photography with kids often doesn\u2019t go to plan. A good photographer will be patient, yet will also be able to work with the kids on the day to get the shot, whatever that might be. You might have the perfect scenario in mind, but the shot doesn\u2019t work out. You\u2019ll need to be flexible enough to let these ideas go and, instead, work with the kids on the day to create new scenes. Your whole shoot will be contingent on the mood of the children.<\/p>\n Ask the parents which venue might be suitable or relevant to their kids. Try to bring some activities or props which might help, and encourage the parents to bring props of their own. All kids are different; some kids might like drawing, whereas others may like to bring their favourite toy. Bringing a familiar item will also help kids feel more secure on the day, particularly at the beginning of the shoot, whereas new items can be fun to explore with.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to establish a rapport with the children straight away, especially if you don\u2019t know them. Engage with the child or children, ask them questions, and get them involved and excited about what is to come. Try to introduce the shoot in a playful way, and position it to the children as an adventure you\u2019re all about to embark upon.<\/p>\n Ask them what they enjoy, and try to bring elements of this into the shoot. You might ask questions like:<\/p>\n Then cater the shoot to what they love. For instance, if they love fairies, perhaps you want to bring this sense of magic into the shoot with props like a \u201cwand\u201d, or glitter. A location like a little stream can transform your shoot into a \u201cfairy hunt\u201d.<\/p>\n Set the tone of the shoot as positive and be active from the beginning; you want plenty of natural movement in your shots. The moment the energy fades, the kids will be bored, and your shoot could be over.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re just starting out doing photography with kids, you probably want to start with a DSLR or mirrorless camera. A smartphone may be sufficient if you\u2019re just taking a few snaps with your own family on-the-go, but if you\u2019re putting a few hours into a shoot and you want to turn your photos into canvas prints<\/a> or wall art, it\u2019s better to have a very high-quality image to start with, and a high-quality camera is best for this.<\/p>\n Speed is crucial for the unpredictable movements of kids, so you\u2019ll also want a high burst speed and a camera with a good autofocus.<\/p>\n A longer lens can also be less intrusive when shooting with kids; it can be disconcerting taking photos right in kid\u2019s faces, especially if they don\u2019t already have camera-crazy parents.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve just invested in a new camera, that\u2019s great, but a shoot with kids isn\u2019t the right time to figure out how to use your camera. Get familiar with your camera before<\/em> you go on a shoot. Try the following to get started;<\/p>\n Photography with kids is unique in that it is highly active and unpredictable, yet it can also be incredibly rewarding. Kids have an uncanny ability to show their absolute true selves on camera. Unlike adults, most of the time kids have their raw emotions written all over their faces, which can lead to some interesting shots. These tips will help you capture those fleeting moments in time by taking beautiful portrait and action shots.<\/p>\n Here are our top kids’ photography tips.<\/p>\n While you shoot, try to keep the kids entertained. Chat to them throughout the shoot, or tell a story to pique their interest. The emotions they experience while listening to your story will be written all over their faces.<\/p>\n Another idea is to have them help tell the story. Kids use a lot of gestures and expressive body language while they speak, which can create unique shots.<\/p>\n Above all, keep the energy high during the shoot. Keep the kids active, and encourage them to play naturally, rather than giving too much direction. If you\u2019re in an interesting place, give some open-ended direct commands, but be mindful of your language.<\/p>\n For instance, instead of saying; \u201ccan you please move over there by the tree?\u201d you could say \u201clet\u2019s go and explore near that tree. Maybe we can climb it?\u201d By making everything sound like a game or an adventure, you\u2019re likely to hold the children\u2019s interest for longer.<\/p>\n Shooting together with the child\u2019s friends or family will make the process easier, particularly if the children have someone else to play with.<\/p>\n While you do want enough time to be able to capture a few magical shots, short and sweet is best when it comes to photography with kids. If you catch them when they\u2019re cranky, you\u2019ll never get a good shot.<\/p>\n A successful shoot should be planned in advance yet flexible on the day, and shouldn\u2019t be more than a couple of hours, even if that means you need to do a separate session on another day.<\/p>\n When you’re doing photography with kids, you need to act fast, so a fast shutter speed is crucial. You want to capture those transitional moments; when a child is just about to leap in the air, blow a dandelion\u2019s seeds, or giving a fleeting smile. To do this, you\u2019ll need to be paying attention.<\/p>\n Use continuous mode on your camera in order to capture all the different movements in a sequence, like a run or a jump.<\/p>\n Shooting outside will provide great light and look more natural than a studio inside. Photography with kids is usually easier outside; it will also be much easier to get children to relax and be themselves, as opposed to a brightly-lit, sterile studio.<\/p>\n Avoid the middle of the day; aim for mornings or late afternoons for the best light. When you\u2019re first starting out, try to use sidelight as this is generally the easiest to shoot in.<\/p>\n When shooting with kids, you need to work fast. It\u2019s difficult to talk to the kids at the same time as shooting and planning ahead to the next shot.<\/p>\n When shooting with very small children or babies, it helps to have your helper stand behind you with toys, engaging with the kids.<\/p>\n Try to anticipate the children\u2019s moves ahead of time so you\u2019ll be able to get the right shot. When you\u2019re shooting with kids, not all your shots will be perfect, as the movements within the shot will be so quick and unpredictable.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll probably have some blurred movement in some of your shots or a less-than-ideal crop, but this is all part of this kind of photography. It\u2019s more important to try and get a shot with beautiful, raw emotion, rather than obsess over a shot which could have been improved with a slight change to your camera settings.<\/p>\n Let it go, and start shooting because you might not get that perfect moment again! Kids change their moods quickly. You may start the shoot thinking you have three hours but the kids might get tired or bored after only one hour, so get as much accomplished as early on as you can.<\/p>\n Even though you only have a limited time with kids, you\u2019ll also need to give them time at the start to relax into the shoot and get used to the camera, (and you, if they haven\u2019t met you before!) This will lead to a less forced shoot. If the kids feel rushed, they might get stressed and anxious, and these emotions will translate very easily in the final images!<\/p>\n If the scene isn\u2019t working, change it up, but never make the child feel as if it\u2019s their fault. Always snap a couple of images in a certain scenario, even if you know it won\u2019t work, otherwise, the child will start thinking they are doing something wrong.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re out and about doing street photography, don\u2019t ever take photos without permission. If you\u2019re in a public space and want to photograph a child, always ask the parent or guardian for permission, and if you want to publish the image, you\u2019ll need to notify them.<\/p>\n When working with kids that aren\u2019t your own, at least one of the parents should always be present (and close by, ideally!).<\/p>\n The little details can be so interesting when it comes to photography with kids; a beautiful, tiny hand drawing a picture, a close-up of their innocent bright blue eyes, little toes in the sand, or the pure joy in their faces as they run around playing. Try to capture these details.<\/p>\n These are the things that make kids unique and they can create the most intriguing and beautiful images. Kids grow up so fast and parents don\u2019t have a great deal of time to take photos.<\/p>\n Never talk down to children from above. Always bend down to get the shot from the children\u2019s level, otherwise, they\u2019ll appear even smaller than they really are. You could even lie down on your stomach to get even closer. This will make the kids look larger than life, and you\u2019ll be able to see the world from their perspective.<\/p>\n If possible, take photos of what they\u2019re doing from over their shoulders to get their perspective, whether they are reading, painting, or just running around. Or, get a bird\u2019s eye angle above of the kids playing on the ground below.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t feel as if you need to always take the shot straight-on looking at their face as well; you can shoot kids from behind while they\u2019re running or playing as well.<\/p>\n Go with the flow on the day, and try to enjoy the experience! Photography with kids is about being able to \u201cread\u201d the children and pick up on what they\u2019re feeling. If they\u2019re bored, switch up the shot or start a new activity. If they want to continue with it, let them, but experiment with different angles to switch things up and get a new angle.<\/p>\n Try and have fun; run around, get active, play games with them and be a kid! When you start to see things from their perspective it will be easier to connect and get the shots you want. Your ultimate objective is for the kids to have fun. That way, you\u2019ll get those priceless images that everyone will love.<\/p>\n Editing is easier than you might think, yet you\u2019ll be amazed at the difference it can make. Just a few small editing changes can turn an average photo into something truly magical or can \u201csave\u201d an otherwise dark, dull, or overly-bright image.<\/p>\n Some simple edits include:<\/p>\n To edit, Lightroom<\/a> is an easy-to-use, intuitive program which is fairly affordable. It has both desktop and mobile versions which can be used to make simple edits. With editing, often less is more. An image that is edited well will look great but will look as if it hasn\u2019t been edited, even though you may have spent half an hour editing it! On the other hand, an overly-edited image can actually make an image look worse than it did to begin with. Practice restraint while editing and you\u2019ll end up with some beautiful images.<\/p>\n Once you have your priceless images, use them to decorate your home. Our canvas prints<\/a> are an affordable, yet thoughtful gift for a family and are the perfect way to decorate.<\/p>\n If it\u2019s for your own family, you can even ask your kids to get involved in the process. Ask the kids to choose their favourite shots and decide which arrangement would look best. You might want to select a few prints for photo blocks<\/a> for bookshelves, which are particularly durable in kids\u2019 rooms. Or, let them help you select a wall display<\/a> or photo collage<\/a> arrangement on beautiful canvas prints. The choice is yours; get creative!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Whether you\u2019re just taking a few snaps of your own kids or you\u2019re ready to embark upon a career in portraiture, we\u2019ve compiled this helpful guide on photography with kids, so you can have a hassle-free shoot and have fun in the process!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":4697,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"status","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[162,126,163,161],"class_list":["post-4696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-status","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-photography","tag-kids-photography","tag-photography-tips","tag-photography-with-children","tag-photography-with-kids","post_format-post-format-status"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.canvasfactory.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.canvasfactory.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.canvasfactory.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.canvasfactory.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.canvasfactory.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4696"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.canvasfactory.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4696\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5338,"href":"https:\/\/www.canvasfactory.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4696\/revisions\/5338"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.canvasfactory.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4697"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.canvasfactory.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.canvasfactory.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.canvasfactory.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"kids](\"https:\/\/www.canvasfactory.co.nz\/blog\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/adorable-boy-children-242148.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nSetting up the shot<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
<\/a><\/p>\nEquipment for photography with kids<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nKids photography ideas<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Tell a story while you shoot<\/strong><\/h2>\n
2. Keep moving<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n3. Keep it short and sweet<\/strong><\/h2>\n
4. Use a fast shutter speed<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n5. Get the light right<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n6. Enlist the help of an assistant<\/strong><\/h2>\n
7. Always be one step ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n
8. Be patient<\/strong><\/h2>\n
9. Always make sure you have permission<\/strong><\/h2>\n
10. Pay attention to the details<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n11. Get on their level<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n12. <\/strong>Have fun!<\/strong><\/h2>\n
13. Editing your photos<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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