Child Photography: How to Photograph Children

Some tips on taking better photographs of children. You do not need to have expensive cameras for getting great photographs. I have given some easy tips to follow, along with some photographs of children which were taken by myself.

Try these methods and you will get great photos of kids and children:

Taking photographs of a Child is a challenging work if the child is shy or of non-cooperative nature. On the other hand, it is very easy to take photographs of a friendly child.

The most important thing you should know that before photographing a child, you should make him your friend. If the child becomes your friend, he/she will not hesitate and will co-operate you by giving you poses like a model.

Most of the children will easily become your friend within few minutes, while few will take a lot of time.

To make a child your friend, try these methods:

1. Call the child with his/her name. This is the best way to make friendship.
2. Always keep your face smiling.
3. Always make eye to eye contact with the child, off course with your smiling face.
4. Have some colorful things with you, like your clothing, toys, balloon etc. . They will attract the child towards you.

When a child is not co-operating in taking his/her photographs, candid shots is a better way. (However, you should take candid photographs of co-operative children also). Candid photograph is a photo that is taken without the subject's knowledge, i.e. the person is unaware of the photographer taking his/her photograph.

To take candid photographs of a child, you should remember following things:

Do not be too close to the child. The child should be unaware of your presence. You can get closer shots from a distance by using zoom lens, or the optical zoom facility in your camera. Avoid use of flash light; you can take better photographs in available light. If the available light is low, just increase the ISO setting. ISO up to 400 is recommended, higher ISO will give you grainy pictures.

To get better candid photographs of a child, you should photograph the child when he/she is playing, studying, working, watching something, speaking with friends or other persons.

Always look for a better angle while taking photographs. Remember that face of the child is the most important thing.

Candid photographs of children are great, but in such photographs the child is not watching face-to-face. So if you want to take a face to face photograph of the child, just call the child with his name at the last movement, and click the button.

You should always take a lot of photographs. In digital photography, it does not cost more. When you take many photographs, you will have some superb photographs. Later you can delete unwanted, shaken, not so good photographs from your camera.

I always prefer to take photographs in available light. But if you have to use flash gun because of low light, or for 'fill in' lighting, never use it too close to the eyes of the child.

Defused flash light is recommended.