Taking pictures of your kids is one thing… finding ones that are worth keeping is an entirely different story… at least in my home. I’ve taken thousands of pictures of my daughter. I’m not kidding—thousands. Of those, I’d estimate only about half are worth showing off.
To say photographing children can be a challenge is an understatement. Because I shoot with a traditional film camera I don’t even bother getting it out if my child is not well fed and rested. It simply isn’t worth it. Young children are unpredictable. When they aren’t flashing bunny ears behind their siblings’ heads or sticking their tongues out just as you are snapping a photo, then they’re likely acting as though they are being attacked by fire ants when you position them for a single portrait shot. Sound familiar?
While you can’t totally control a child’s unpredictable nature there are other areas of a picture taking session you can manipulate. The following are some tactics you can employ to ensure you get a few keepers the next time it’s picture time say at your home:
Clothes Check. Think of how disappointed you would be to have finally captured five smiling faces at once, then notice one of your little guys’ forgot to zip up his pants all the way. Give everyone the once over before snapping your shots. Also, make sure that their outfits don’t clash or that someone hasn’t gotten into the magic markers and used their sister’s dress as a canvas while you were loading your camera.
Background Check. If you are shooting outdoors avoid areas with tress or telephone poles that could possibly find their way into your shot—as in growing out of your child’s head. Instead, find a wide-open space void of large vertical items to pose your kids in.
Arrangement. Arranging children during a picture taking session is not unlike arranging flowers into a beautiful centerpiece. You need to take care how you place each child. It’s a good idea to separate the kids who have a propensity to hit.
Shoot, Shoot, Shoot. Regardless of the type of camera you have–digital or film—-go into your session knowing you are going to be taking a ton of shots. Having the mindset that it may take a while will help you avoid becoming impatient. With that said…
Keep It Short. While it might take a while to get the perfect shot (at some point you may have to redefine what “perfect” is), when you are dealing with young children don’t make the photo shoot too long. When the tears start flowing (from your eyes, not your child’s) then you might consider calling it a day. Other telltale signs a photo session should be curtailed: bribes or unenforceable threats start flying (you) and the screams become mutual.
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