I had a great experience working with my friend John the photographer. As I have indicated in my previous article, John Mueller has come and taken pictures of my children. He didn’t only take pictures of my newborn son but also of my three year old daughter. I learned a lot of things from John, about taking pictures of children. In my last article I shared the things I have learned about taking pictures of infants. In this article I want to share some things about taking pictures of toddlers.
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Having children of my own has forced me to learn some simple steps for taking great pictures of children. At first it was hard, because I assumed that I just point my camera at my kids and shoot awesome photos. However, in order to take great photos of children, a few more things are involved.
Take good care of your subject if you want great pictures.
Just like I have written before, your subject is the most important part of the pictures (read How to take great pictures of infants). So take care of your subject. First off, make sure your subject is well rested. Usually, the best time for taking pictures of children is after their afternoon nap. If a child is well rested, then he or she can show you the great energy they have.
A happy child is the best subject for a picture.
Secondly, get your subject interested in something you do. Toddlers have great energy so you must get them interested in something in order to take pictures of them. Usually something like just sit down and be quiet doesn’t work very well. On the other hand speaking with funny voices makes toddlers come alive. John was great ! He started speaking is some Disney character’s voices and my daughter just loved it! A happy child is the best subject for a picture.
Thirdly, pay attention to the clock. Children do not stay interested in one thing for too long (TV is an exception :) ), and so you have to try to set a time limit in taking pictures of a child. Ask the parents because they’ll be able to tell you right away how much time is too long.
Use simple props that your subject can hold in their hands.
Children love to look and handle new things. Have some simple toys like trucks for boys and dolls or flowers for girls. Simply ask them to look at them and hold them in their hands. A bulky and colorful necklace works great for girls. Same with some large colorful hats. Simple things are the best props for children photography.
Pay attention to your light and background
I have already written about how important your light and background is for photographing children, so I will not repeat myself here (read How to take great pictures of infants).
Do you need a good photographer who is easy to work with?
Just a good word for John now…if you need a photographer for your wedding or family, you will love working with John. Just checkout his site (www.johnbmueller.com).
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