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Tips for Taking Great Children Pictures

By Autumn Lockwood

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 18Nov2010 Word count: 672 Viewed: 237 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Children are some of the most popular subjects in photography yet they are often the most difficult to take. Children are in a constant state of motion and rarely will sit down and pose quietly while you snap a picture. Getting amazing photographs of your children isn't an impossible mission, even if sometimes it feels like one. Here are 5 tips for taking great pictures of your kids:

Be Sneaky

If there's one thing that's true of kids, it's that they're incredibly sneaky. Any time it's quiet in the house, you can bet your kids are up to no good - perhaps hatching a plan to snatch the cookie jar. With that in mind, it's time to turn the tables. Many of the greatest photographs ever taken are candid shots where the subject has no idea they are being photographed. Candid photos capture the real essence of a subject's personality and can make for beautiful moments, so don't feel bad about being sneaky yourself and getting a few photos when your kids aren't looking.

Trim it Down

If you're planning on getting photos of your kids out and about, you'd better pack light. Special moments are gone in an instant, so you don't want to miss a single one because your hands were full carrying equipment. If you're taking pictures of a birthday party or a field trip, make sure to pack light and bring lots of extra batteries or film if you're using 35mm. Just remember that the more quick and adaptive you are to new situations, the better your pictures will be.

Have Fun

Taking posed pictures of your children can be a bit challenging. Children aren't always the most willing subjects and get bored quickly, so if you're planning on having a photo shoot do what you can to make the experience fun. Add some props to the mix, make a game out of the shoot, or pack a water gun - anything you can do to keep the kids engaged and provoke real reactions out of them. Genuine emotions always look best on film, so rely on fun instead of the classic "Say cheese!"

Remember the Basics

When taking pictures, there are lots of things that can go wrong. If you are familiar with the art of photography, then you should have a good grasp of key elements like composition, framing, depth of field, etc. Don't forget the basics just because your kids are doing something cute - always try to take the best possible photograph of the best moments. Nothing ruins a great moment like poor framing or a distracting face in the background, so make sure you're aware of the background and you never forget your fundamentals.

Mix it Up

Get down on the floor for a new angle. Find a ladder and get taller. Zoom in and focus just on your children's eyes. Often, the only thing that seems to change in a family photo album or picture frame display is the age of the subject. You can avoid this by striving to create beautiful and interesting photographs every time you shoot. You can also use black and white or color to tell a different story in your image. Another approach is to let your kids take their own self portraits. Make every session unique and you'll have beautiful and memorable moments to put in your albums.

Children are always hard to photograph. There are times when you don't always do it right. As with all things, practice as often as you can and shoot until you're out of film or memory. There will always be a few keepers, and if you keep the experience fun everyone will enjoy the process no matter how things turn out. One thing you don't want to forget is to take some pictures of yourself with your child, as there is nothing more fun than seeing pictures of your parents when you were a baby!

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