Whoa! I finally updated my portraiture page, check it out…jeesh! Took me long enough right?
I love portrait work, especially when kids are my subjects. Now, mind you, not every child goes to a portrait session willingly; dare I say, most won’t. Even those that do may prove to be a challenge greater than Everest so it’s important to be armed with a few tools to save the day, not the least of which is a sense of humor. Here are a few of my tips for making the most of your time when photographing children:
1. Let’s face it, most kids have very small attention spans, anywhere from thirty seconds to a minute, especially when they’re doing something they consider “boring.” Before you even begin a session photographing kids, know the layout of the location of the shoot and try to visualize the types of photos you want to take before you get there. If you need to, write it down, maybe even sketch out some shots and poses. That way, you’re spending the bulk of your time on the actual shot, rather than setting up the pose where you’re guaranteed to lose their focus.
2. I mentioned it before and I can’t say it enough, maintain your sense of humor. I don’t have children of my own but I’ve been around enough to know that, at times, they can be exasperating. This exasperation leads to frustration which is sure to kill the entire shoot. Try to maintain a sense of humor while at the same time maintaining control of the situation and directing the children. (If all else fails, in the absense of humor, visualize that wonderful glass of wine waiting for you when you’re done… that might make you smile) If kids sense you’re frustrated, you’ll lose them rather quickly.
3. For smaller children, do yourself a favor… bring props. Sometimes all it takes to get a fussy two-year old to smile is a toy. Now, I would suggest bringing props you don’t mind having in the picture. There’s nothing worse than giving Little Johnny a toy and then snatching it away right before you take the photo because you’re afraid it will kill the aesthetic. If you’re going for “Screaming, Red Faced Child” you’ll be right on the mark… if not, let him hold the toy during the shot.
4. Posing kids… Ok, they’re not Gumby. As pliable as kids might seem, you’d be surprised at how difficult it is to get a child to get in to the pose you want, let alone maintain it. Keep it simple. Give them poses that are easy for them to process and understand and even go so far as to demonstrate the pose. That way they can see, first hand, what you want them to do. The chances of getting a child, especially the younger ones, to maintain one of those complicated, editorial poses you see adult models doing are slim to none. I can’t say it enough, “keep it simple.”
4. If you have multiple children in a shot, let them “pose off one another.” Put them back to back and face the camera or have a smaller child sit on the lap of the older child. You’ll get closer to those “oh so cute” editorial shots you might be aiming for and, the bonus, the older child can help corral the younger one.
5. Don’t be afraid to make a complete fool of yourself to get a child to smile. (Remember what I said before? Maintain a sense of humor.) Make funny faces, noises, whatever it takes to get their attention and make them laugh, all the while preparing for the shot. (You’re going to have a very small window to get the shot you want, be ready!)
6. If you’re able to, take multiple shots of the same pose; that guarantees you’ll have plenty of photos to work with later. If you’re using a camera that has a Sports mode on it (which allows for a continuous burst of shots until you release the shutter) go for it. Kids move, they blink, they make faces, you name it. I’ve had photo shoots where I’ve taken upwards of 200 shots and only about 30 turned out to be “the perfect ones.” If you have the opportunity to take multiples, grab it.
7. Lighting- I prefer to do portrait work outdoors, in a natural setting as, how many times have you heard it, natural light is better. This is especially true of the light during the “magic hour” just before sunset. When the sun is at it’s highest, during the middle of the day, you run the chance of washing your subject out (in other words the picture will be too bright) and I will tell you, it’s easier to add light to a photo in post processing than it is to remove it.
I hope these few tips will help make your photo sessions with kids a little easier. The bottom line? Have fun. If you have fun, the kids are more likely to and, in the end, the pay off will be a fantastic set of photographs you and your family can enjoy for years to come.
Want to know how I did the collage on the portrait page? Check back in and one of my upcoming posts will be all about creating collages in Photoshop!
Enjoy!
*tracey*
This is so true and I had to laugh with the rule about props and not ripping it out of their hands right before the picture. (As well as making sure you don’t mind that bright red Elmo doll against the purple dress.)
I’m not a pro by any means, but I do have 5 little ones under the age of 7 that I love to take pictures of and having a sense of humor is great advice!
Any tips for picking out an area in our house that would be good for taking those posed pics of them in their adorable outfits? We have cream colored walls that seem to wash them out, and any other background in the house seems to reveal the clutter of being a family of seven.
I did read a book that talked about posing them sideways to a window, and I used the frosted one next to our bathtub for some fantastic shots of my three year old from the shoulders up. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be practical for all 5 kids and I also wouldn’t be able to get them head to toe in the shot.
Any tips would be great. Thanks!
Polly
Thanks for stopping by Polly!
Natural light is definitely always best so the advice about posing them next to a window is great, however I can see your dilemma when it comes to space! I can also see your concern about the background. How about space outside?
I am definitely a proponent of photographing outdoors overall, especially when working with a group of kids and not enough natural light and indoor space. The added bonus is that, depending on where you pose them (in front of a blooming garden, a beautiful tree, etc) the natural surroundings can serve as a great backdrop to your photos. You can also use that opportunity to get some great candid photos in a natural setting in between posed shots.
If you do shoot indoors, and are concerned about the cream colored walls washing them out, maybe consider getting an inexpensive piece of darker muslin from your local fabric store. If you get enough yardage to hang up as a temporary backdrop, the darker color could alleviate the issue of washing them out. (darker colored backdrops also make for some great black and white photos as well
)
I hope this helps!
*tracey*
Wow, Tracey, thanks for the quick reply! I will definitely look around outside, maybe in front of the house.
I also like the idea about the muslin.
How much yardage would you recommend, and what do people usually hang it off of?
Also, would I need to let it flow onto the floor like I see the studios do, or would it be too slippery on the floor? (Of course, kids flying in all different directions might make an interesting shot of its own — I know my kids would make a game of it, probably!)
I really appreciate you taking the time to help me out!
Polly
P.S. I have a sister named Tracey and people always want to leave out the “e”
You’re welcome Polly!
The yardage is going to depend on where you’re hanging it. You want it to be big enough that it easily covers the entire background. Most photographer backdrops are about 10×20 feet and they hang off frames, if that gives you some idea. Where you would hang it, again, would depend on where you’re going to use it, you might have to get creative.
Muslin isn’t a slippery fabric so no worries about children slipping and sliding around if you decide to drape it down on to the floor 
Small world that your sister has the exact same spelling! People always leave it out of mine…
Okay, I’ll get creative and let you know what I come up with.
I wonder if I might be able to hang it off the bannister of the stairs. We have a big wall right under it. Maybe I could come up with something to secure it on the little poles that go to the bannister. That way I could just drop it down when I need it and put it away when I’m done.
I really don’t want to put any nail holes in the walls for the muslin, so I’ll scout out several areas in the house.
Now I’m inspired, I really want to try it. Thanks!!
Polly
Go for it!
You could also use double sided tape to “tack” it to the wall… they have the kind that’s strong enough to hold something to a wall but can also easily be removed.
(sometimes you have to be like McGyver, but it’s a lot of fun to come up with creative ways to take photos and it’s worth it in the end!)
Good luck Polly! Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Thanks, Tracey! I’ll keep you updated. Maybe I can gather all the supplies next week sometime.
Im really looking forward to it and appreciate all your photo wisdom and encouragement!
Polly