Tips for Better Child Photography

 Twitter |  Facebook |  digg it |   delicious |   StumbleUpon |   LinkedIn |  reddit 

Children and adolescents make great subjects for photography, and their school days are full of photo opportunities. If you have a child in grade school (or have already put a child through grade school), you know what I mean. Whether enjoying recess on the playground, painting during art class or leaving on the bus the first day of school, children provide an endless array of natural possibilities. As a parent, you probably wish you could have a camera on hand at all times (or at least hire your child's teacher to do the job for you) for these are once-in-a-lifetime moments. I scoured the September issue of Popular Photography, the world's largest imaging magazine, to bring you some tips on capturing the best child shots:

• First and foremost, understand children and their behaviors. While they make great subjects due to being "less guarded and more honest than adults," they are also very "hard to corral and coax into posing." Most photographers of children will tell you not to even try posing young subjects. In other words, just let them be themselves. "Watch carefully, and when the moment is right, shoot multiple frames at your camera's highest burst rate."
• Make sure you have the right gear because children are quick and less likely to stand still. "Kids can rocket through a viewfinder, so use a camera that can keep up. By the time a typical point-and-shoot [camera], with its long shutter lag, records an image, your kid will be two classrooms away." This makes using a DSLR imperative.
• If you find yourself in a school gym or auditorium, use a high-speed lens with a tripod. Many photographers find success using f/2.8 lenses (or faster) because they help "capture fleeting moments sharply, while lesser optics blur them."
• Use ambient light. "The harsh, artificial quality of electronic flash contradicts the innocence and naturalness we associate with children." Plus, flash units tend not to recharge fast enough to catch fleeting expressions.
• Try a 50mm f/1.8 lens at full aperture so you can shoot without a flash or tripod.
• For truly creative photos, don't dress your child. Let him or her make wardrobe decisions. By letting children be themselves, you will more likely capture life's precious moments of "a tutu and boots or a giant pink backpack [that] often results in a far cuter picture than one mom could have styled."
• Every parent gets excited about and fears a child's first day of school. It marks a moment of slowly exiting the nest and your child's journey to growing up. To properly capture the first day of school and your child's innocent excitement, use soft, diffused, natural light. Some have found the best place for this is near sliding glass doors in the house before leaving for school. Or try waiting for the sun to descend lower in the sky and using it for natural backlighting.
• What about big sporting events? These are surely some of the best photo moments of all. Try investing in a "camera with a high burst rate, a monopod or tripod, and a lens with a focal length no shorter than 20mm." Or try going early to your child's game to get close-up shots during practice or warm ups. Even a 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens might not do the job; sharpen your shots by brightening your "optical act with [a] Canon 85mm f/1.8.
• At track meets, try panning and shooting at a fast burst rate. "It implies motion, and it's also a handy technique for keeping children framed until you're ready to shoot."
• Indoor sporting events pose difficult lighting. Some photographers use an 85mm f/1.8 Canon to cope with dim lighting and fast movements. Try keeping your shutter speed greater than 1/250 per second by increasing the ISO to 1250 or higher. Setting white balance and exposure manually can also help.
• For theatre productions, stage lighting can be your biggest obstacle; therefore, invest in a fast lens such as a fast-moderate tele (Nikon's 85mm f/1.4). If you cannot afford one, rent one "or buy an inexpensive 50mm f/1.8 and get in close." For subjects in motion, shoot at ISO 1600 at f/1.8 and 1/250 second (or 1/100 second at the slowest). For better shots, don't be afraid to position yourself at different locations throughout the auditorium. Shooting from the audience will limit your abilities. Just don't be disruptive, and be sure to share your photos with other parents because you are likely to capture other children in your frames.
• All the hard work pays off when your child finally walks across the stage and receives a diploma. To capture students tossing their hats in the air or group shots after the ceremony, shoot "10 images at [five] frames per second." For best results, use a 300mm lens "to put viewers in the middle of the action."