Even if you don't have a great camera you can still take beautiful photographs of your children with just a little bit of planning.
Preparation is key.
Like any good photographer choose your location first before you reach for the camera. Select an area that is both neutral and bright, if you can clear a space close to a window even better. You will need to have the window light falling onto your subject from the side of their face as you are looking towards them. Look behind where they are sitting, this will be their backdrop. Is it clear? We have all seen photographs of family or friends with what appears to be plants growing out their heads or furniture in the foreground. If you need to, take pictures down from the walls and cover the floor with something neutral coloured – ideally a blanket or a throw, if you haven’t got one to hand, remove your quilt from its cover and use that instead.
Dress for the occasion.
Prior to families visiting our studio we always advise them on the best clothes to wear for their portrait sessions. Keep away from loud colours or heavy patterns, keep it simple. Whites and denims are always a favourite, they tend not to date or go out of fashion. After all blue jeans and white t- shirts have been around for over fifty years. Neutral clothing will keep the focus on the model and not be distracting. If you have more than one child in the sitting dress them in similar coloured outfits.
Create a distraction.
Babies and toddlers won’t sit and pose for very long, so you need to be prepared. It’s a good idea to have a distraction ready to hand, this can be something as simple as their favourite toy or why not try putting on some music. In fact some of the best photographs you can take are when your child is looking slightly off camera, this gives a more natural look to your portraits. Have a friend ready to keep them entertained. Of all the hundreds of children we have photographed over the years, I can count on one hand the number who have failed to be entertained by our bubble machine. You can buy a bubble machine for around £10-£15, the advantage being you can press the button to start the machine off and get back to capturing all those happy expressions without the need for an assistant sitting blowing bubbles behind you. They really do make a difference, a grumpy and tearful face can turn to smiles in a matter of seconds – its magic!
Get down to their level.
The most striking features on any photograph are the eyes. They tell us everything about the individual and they are always the first thing we look at when viewing a portrait. So when photographing children you must get down to their eye level. If you are photographing a toddler, crouch or kneel on the floor next to them. For babies, try lying your baby on their tummy then lay down on your tummy opposite them. This way they will be looking straight into the lens. This always makes for a great shot.
Check your work. Then carry on.
After your first few shots have a good look at what you have taken, check the background for any distractions, make sure the lighting isn’t too strong if it is move your subject further from the window and carry on. Once you are happy with the set up just keep taking photographs – after all the more you take, the more you have to choose from.
Get in close. Try something different.
Fill the frame, get in close. Try varying your distance from the subject, first start with full length, then ¾ length. Now get closer still and do some head and shoulders portraits, try even closer just focusing on a few tightly cropped headshots. Be creative, try putting your subject off centre maybe to the left or to the right of the frame. Change your camera’s orientation from holding it horizontal to holding it vertical or even at an angle. If it doesn’t work you can always delete it, the best way to learn is to learn from your mistakes – you will soon develop your own style.
Delete, save and learn.
When viewing your photographs be critical. The good thing about digital photography is it doesn’t cost you any more to take one photograph than it does to take a hundred photographs. Delete what you’re not happy with, get rid of any blinks and unflattering expressions. Its better to have a handful of great photographs then loads of average photographs. Learn by your mistakes and you will gradually build up a great album of your child’s early years.